Santo Dom. de la Calzada to Villambistia

This morning started out as excellent for walking. The sky was covered with a light layer of clouds, and there was a comfortable ambience that made the journey very pleasant.

However, not long into the day strong headwinds provided some unwanted resistance to the morning walk, sometimes kicking up dust. I've found that this can affect my breathing, so I did what I could to keep from inhaling it.

I spent some time this morning listening to ABC Radio, as I felt a need to hear the Aussie accent and get up-to-date on domestic events. Funnily enough, someone being interviewed had a mantra for getting through life's challenges - "Go hard, or go home". I kept this in mind throughout the day, particularly during the last few kilometres.

Our little trio appears to often include a fourth member, with a fellow pilgrim (Phillippe from France), who has followed the same pace over the past week. While having a talk with him a few days ago in Pamplona, I discovered that his son is currently studying in Perth, so he got quite a kick when he discovered that I'm from the same city.

It was a good thing that I'd had a decent breakfast before leaving Santo Domingo de la Calzada, as being a Sunday the options for open eating establishments were very limited. Fortunately, there were regular opportunities for filling up my water bottle, as I've found the afternoon Spanish sun unbearable without a decent supply.

After passing through three villages with no reasonable options for a meal, we found a charming and welcoming restaurant in Belorado. At €12, the meal (including la Rioja red wine) was effectively an early dinner.

Arriving this evening in Villambistia was a welcome end to the day, with us staying an albergue that is also the local bar. I suspect that the noise may extend into the evening.

The good news is that my knee is now feeling better, though I'm having to be careful about potential inflammation in my right lower leg that I mentioned yesterday. I also discovered my first blister this afternoon on my heel, so will keep it dry tonight, and apply a blister cover to it in the morning.

Steps: 42,500
Distance: 29.7km
Total Distance walked from St-Jean: 243.4kmRead more