Logroño

Crossing the border from Navarra into La Rioja we are encouraged to pick ripe grapes otherwise wasting. Some plantations are currently uneconomic to harvest. With pips but very tasty.

Logroño, capital of La Rioja is a mecca for wines and tapas bars. Outside the twin tower concatedral, which is actually a co-Cathedral and shared with Calahorra some 50kms distant, a family group enthusiastically chat to us in English, French and Spanish. Ian, el niño, is left wearing the Wilbur scarf and hugs all round.

New walking shoes, physiotherapy, blister plasters and pain killers all played a big part in a less gruelling day on the camino trail. The Cathedral clock shows 

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Words and Wilbur

In Torres del Rio a Templar octagonal shaped church provides an opportunity for stamping peregrinos credencials authorising the compostela award in Santiago. The signing in book has a special message of love from a fellow pilgrim, an unexpected message, a message to honour baby Wilbur. Baby Wilbur failed to make it into our earthly world and scarves we wear on our journey are in honour him.

The Templar church was part of the Templar Order of Knights established to facilitate the Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem. It is associated with similar churches in Segovia, north of Madrid.

Viana, a mediaeval walled town on the border of La Rioja with views of Logroño and mountain ranges beyond. Plaza de los fueros named after former county codes of law called 'fueros'

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Los Arcos

Artwork in the Albergue Cappuchinos largely associated with the camino. The convent converted to albergue has a sense of order and tradition still with direct access to the adjoining church. 

Estella grew as a centre purely to serve pilgrims in the early years of 1000. On the outskirts of the town the Irache Monastery and associated winery provide free wine and water for pilgrims. 'Fuente del Vino' is a must stop point for all with thousands of litres of wine dispensed freely every week of the year.

Vinyards like those at Irache become common as we move towards the famous bodegas. 

And Los Arcos and the church building another landmark on the journey.

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Estella on Sunday

It will be no surprise to hear the Romans were well established in Hispania and we use Roman bridges and roads to travel towards Estella. At Cirauqui the first evidence is a round arched bridge spanning the local tributary.

Numbers of different nationalities we meet on the camino with French and Spanish in the majority so far. The spirit of the camino is in the air and  muscles in legs begin to complain. Yet fellow pellegrinos, travelling by foot 2 months or more from Vezelay near Paris, quietly walk on. What is it that  brings people to the Camino?

Just like it always has been. The spirit of adventure!

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Puente la Reina

Where does one start? We've started or maybe we are simply continuing the journey. When did the journey begin? It began when we knew there was a journey to be taken.

In this Compostela Holy Year Welsh Pilgrims travel to Pamplona to make the journey to Santiago de Compostela. By foot to Burgos and onwards to Santiago by bicycle.

The journey began a long time ago and today the reality is step by step to Puente la Reina. Views from Mirador Alto del Perdón with wind turbines churning the air so (Don) Quixotic. The peregrinos are back in smaller but significant numbers.

 

The beautiful Romanesque bridge constructed in Puente la Reina for pigrims to walk the camino, built a thousand years ago and still in service

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