Day 9 - Viana to Navarrete

This is like a nostalgic tour for the 3 of us. While I have very distinct memory of all the albergues, many places need to be seen before we remember. Gigi usually likes new places but we are not too flexible in terms of distance we can cover each day so we ended up in the same places as last time. Today we are in a different albergue in Navarrete because that other one was full.  Further down the road, there are a couple of places that we wanted to avoid. We will see what happens.

Remember that young fellow who filled up the water bottle with wine? I was sitting close by and overheard his conservation with a fellow pilgrim. Sounded thoughtful and intelligent. I don't quite know what to think of these seemingly contrasting behaviour. Yesterday, another young man was in front of us at the albergue pleaded with the hospitalera to have a lower bunk bed because of his injured leg, offering to show his bandaged thigh. He got it. Today,  the same young man strided efficiently past us on the way. No bandage on the thigh. Could have been a miraculous recovery. Needlessly to say, he got to the albergue early. We were having lunch and he was close by talking to another pilgrim. Seems very knowledgeable and full of ideas but very cocky. At dinner, he was leading a loud chorus. When asked to control the noise by the  hospitalero,  he said he was being micro-managed and  has chosen the wrong place to stay. He did not seem to care that the dining room is just beside one of the dormitories. This one is easier to get. All kinds of character you get on the Camino.  I just wish I don't have to think about them anymore the rest of the way.

The foot problem is getting a little worse. Had the blister popped by Gigi and patched up.  Not cured yet but at least I can walk on it. We had a fairly easy walking day. The first 10 km was almost entirely flat. Stopped once to have a second breakfast in Logrono. Then we walked the remaining 12 km essentially non-stop. I am grateful for that because the start-up after stopping is the worst for my pain.

Other than the siesta in the afternoon, there is additional problem with store hours on Saturdays. Most of them don't re-open in the evening. Fortunately we found a chain store that opens the entire day for our grocery for dinner.

Dos abuelas