Short day to Monreal

Today’s walk from Lumbier was only 3 km shorter and had only 200 m less elevation than yesterday‘s, but it was a walk in the park in comparison. I left more than an hour later than yesterday, sat on a bench outside a church for about a half an hour, and I still arrived three hours earlier than I did yesterday.

About 7 km after starting, I came to a marker “Fosa de Loiti”, the site of a pit where approximately 70 bodies had been thrown during the Spanish Civil War. All were people living in the area who had been rounded up because of their political or labor activities. A sign said: “Loiti, clandestine cemetery .” While I sat in front of a very plain, somber marker, I read online that this is one of approximately 300 similar sites, just in this region of Spain alone —Navarra.

The walk was mainly off-road with some stretches along the side of untraveled roads. Several small villages along the way, each with its little church. Lots of grain fields, a surprising number of medieval bridges, and occasional flocks of sheep.

I am in a small town tonight, Monreal. My very dear Camino, buddy Alun and his pareja Olga, have driven up from Madrid, and we just had a very long pizza dinner in the only place in town.

Alun and I will walk for two days, and Olga (the one with the car) will join us in the evening. She offered to take my backpack, and I thought about it, but ultimately decided to just keep on lugging my own stuff.Leia mais