Arriving to Rioja (Day 7)

It is official: I finished the Navarra section (Basque country) and entered Rioja today!

This morning I left really early knowing that I will be very slow. I am no longer the best dressed guy on the Camino (article 1 below). I did something I always made fun of Americans do. Wore socks with my sandals.

Sandals were the Amazing Human Jeff's. They were size 11 for my size 14 foot and caused all sorts of different problems due to that. But without them I could not have walked todays section (24.5 kms with a nick name "knee wrecker"). There is a saying in the Camino that goes as "the Camino always provides". When Jeff left this morning from the Alberge he sent me the below text where he marked where he left the sandals with the note.

Each hour I was passed by many people I know by

now. Everyone has seen the toe (actual real life) or in photos and many of them slowed down and walked with me for 10-15 minutes before going back to their regular pace. I never felt alone today and felt that the Camino looked after me.

By the third hour I was passed by everyone that stayed in Sansol (the village I stayed) and was starting to get beat by people who stayed in the previous towns as well. It actually helped as more people I knew slowed down and walked with me. Around noon I arrived at a neat spot where people drop a memorabilia of someone they lost that they loved. There is a tree to hang notes, a letter, ribbons or artifacts and behind the tree people build stacks of rocks to honor their loved one (you can see them if you zoom into the photo). Right after this spot people made an arrow as a sign that "you need to move forward" with rocks on the ground. Again another neat Camino moment for me.

I only know one person in the cohort that is grieving. There is a Dutch guy who is a police officer who lost his wife 9 months ago. He has hundreds of stickers with his wife's name "Stella" that he sticks on posts, signs or any meaningful spot he sees. I wasn't with him when he passed this spot but I imagined it was important for him.

Today after the hardest 7 hours or so I arrived to Logrono. The last section I walked with Joe (from the train) and Zoltan. Logrono is relatively large city on the Camino and has a famous church that I will try to go tonight. Today is Sunday so all stores are closed. Tomorrow, I will search for new shoes and/or sandals and see how my toe is responding. In Alberge's you are obligated to leave by 8am so tonight staying at a nice (by comparison) hotel so I can checkout late tomorrow after the stores open.

Miss Amy and wish she was with me. Photos from today.