Day 9: Los Arcos

It was a chilly 49 degrees Fahrenheit when we left Estella this morning, so we were especially appreciative of the coffees and chocolate pastries we had for breakfast in Ayegui soon after we started walking.

A little while later, Allan picked up on the hum of an ultralight aircraft and snapped a photo of it above the trees.

About 40 minutes later, we arrived at the Irache wine fountain, where pilgrims were lining up to sample—or more liberally partake—in the free wine that pumps from a spigot in the wall.

After waiting our turn, I pumped enough for a good luck sip for each of us. At 9 a.m. it was about all we could contend with!

From Irache the Camino twisted and turned until we ascended to the tiny village of Azqueta.

Not long after, we could see the church spire in Villamayor de Monjardín and the ruins of a medieval castle on the steep peak above it.

After Villamayor de Monjardín, verdant fields of grape laden vines broke up the yellow slopes. We sat on a rocky ledge near one to eat a light lunch of paté and bread that we’d bought at a grocery store across from our hostal last night.

After lunch, we had about another 10 kilometers to go to reach Los Arcos. The vistas were expansive, with little shade along the way. We noticed huge stacks of baled hay in more than one field.

When we reached Los Arcos around 2 p.m. we could hear some geese honking along the road.

Another 8 minutes or so of walking the narrow streets and we reached tonight’s lodging: El Albergue Municipal Isaac Santiago. At 8 euros per bed, this is our most inexpensive and basic lodging so far.

We checked in before most bunks were filled, and seized the opportunity to take hot showers and get our dirty clothes washed and dried.

I put my name on a sheet for a full body massage (30 euros), and was told the masseuse comes around 5-ish, so I’ll be heading downstairs for that soon. After that, hopefully we can find something to eat in town.

Today we walked about 21 1/2 kilometers. Tomorrow we’ll walk 27 kilometers to Logroño, our longest walk so far.Read more