P.S. to Nájera

Just had to add a bit more about the afternoon and dinner, we did go exploring, though by mid afternoon it is very hot and glaringly bright...but found the jewel of Nájera - the Monasterio Santa Maria de la Real, with its church, burial place of kings, queens and knights of Navarra (this must have all once been part of Navarra, and in fact Nájera was the capital of the kingdom of Navarra in the 11th and 12th centuries). And there is a beautiful cloister there...it was abused (used as army barracks, munition storage, prison and even a bull ring!) over the years but in the late 1800s was taken over by Franciscan monks and restored. Very beautiful. Then we had a glass of wine and kindle time, wandered along the river a bit, and waited till dinner time - 7.30. The hotel sends us round to a little restaurant round the corner which we remembered.

Only one drama...we were sitting, with wine and water, no food yet, when there was a loud thumping on a door....the one very busy waitress was elsewhere so Amr did the rescue thing - someone couldn’t unlock the toilet door....so Amr released her...big commotion, and the waitress came to thank Amr with a big flourish and knocked his glass of vino Tinto all over him! Oh dear, she died of mortification, Amr took off his shirt (luckily he had a respectable black t-shirt underneath, and went back to the hotel to hang up the rinsed shirt (5 mins away).... Finally we sat down to a delicious meal - white beans with shell fish, sort of a soup, a plate of leeks, and we both had the most delicious stuffed peppers...
So all was well, and now ready to hit the sack, even if only 9.30!

Tomorrow we walk about 21 kms to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, where the famous chooks are in the cathedral. Life is good.Read more