DAY 3 – CAMINO LA RIOJA

The one with the wine fountain, the mountain trail, and a spiritual moment

📍 Location: Estella → Sansol

🥾 Miles: 18.4 miles

⛑️ Health: A real mix of the good, the bad, and the ugly! Blisters and sore feet are part of the package now, but this group is determined. Tomorrow is our last day and everyone’s digging deep.

🌦️ Weather: Bloody hot!

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🥶 8:10am – Market mornings

It’s a chilly start in Estella as I wait outside a little café for everyone to gather. We’re scattered across different apartments near the plaza, but soon enough, the group appears and off we go. Within minutes, we’re swallowed by the sights and smells of Estella’s market, stalls piled high with ripe tomatoes, glossy peppers, and fresh fish (“pescado,” though in my tired state it came out as “peacado”!). The Camino always feels more alive when it passes through a town like this.

🥾 8:58am – Back on the trail

Ten minutes later, the yellow arrows are under our feet again and the pace picks up. Our first big milestone comes quickly: the 100km café. The stamp here is special, the one that says you’ve officially walked 100km. From now on, every pilgrim in our group qualifies for their Compostela. Cue big grins, more stamps, and lots of “woohoos!”

9:12am – The Blacksmith of Estella

🤩 Just around the corner we stumble upon the famous blacksmith’s workshop. It’s impossible not to “ooh” and “ahh” at his creations – Camino shells, iron sculptures, and his magnificent cast iron tree that climbs up the building, dotted with shells and ladybirds. Even Paul gets into the spirit, picking up a keyring for his collection. When an American pilgrim’s walking pole breaks, the blacksmith fixes it in seconds with his trusty vice. The gratitude on her face was priceless.

🐺 We also meet Henry, a Canadian gentleman of 72 who looks uncannily like Doc from Back to the Future. He regales us with tales of nearly being eaten by wolves in the Pyrenees (we suspect artistic license, but who are we to question the Camino?). Henry becomes our group photographer for the morning, happily snapping away.

🍷 9:31am – The wine fountain!

Ah yes, the Fuente de Vino at Bodegas Irache – the legendary fountain where water and wine flow side by side for passing pilgrims. Henry, camera in hand, captures us all attempting the traditional sip from our shells. One lady, in true pilgrim improvisation, decides to fill hers while it’s still dangling from her rucksack. Watching her twist and slurp was comedy gold. A quick wander through the Wine Museum earns us another stamp – two before 10am!

🏔️ 9:44am – The “up or down” choice

At the crossroads we face the age-old decision: flat route or mountain trail. I haven’t been “up” since 2017, so I quietly hope the group fancies it. Eight say yes, two choose the village route (more stamps, of course). The climb is worth it, shaded pine forests, views that stretch for miles, and that sweet silence you only find on high ground. It even reminds me of sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in California – that same wild, open beauty.

☕️ 11:35am – Luquin oasis

Descending into the sleepy village of Luquin, we find a café complete with swimming pool (yes, really!). I tuck into avocado, tomato, and goats cheese on bread, drizzled with olive oil. I’ve always sworn I hated avocado, until today. Creamy, rich, and utterly divine, especially washed down with a frosty lemon beer. Heaven.

🐑 12:26pm – Asparagus and sheep

A shout from Maxine: “Is that asparagus?” Sure enough, we’re passing fields of feathery green asparagus plants. Soon after, a flock of remarkably well-behaved sheep lines the road, watched over by a shepherd who has them under perfect control. From here, it’s wheat fields and dusty roads stretching to the horizon. Paul keeps spirits high with chatter and random questions: “If you could only eat one chocolate bar for the rest of your life, what would it be?” Hours vanish in laughter and debate.

🍺 1:30pm – A desert oasis

Out of nowhere, a bar appears in the middle of the dusty road. Cold drinks, shade, and, joy of joys – familiar faces. Cheryl and Allie! These Camino reunions never fail to lift the mood.

🍕 2:50pm – Los Arcos

We finally roll into Los Arcos, collapsing under the shade of a parasol in the plaza. Sangria, pizzas, pastas, you name it, we devour it. It would be so easy to stay, but we still have four miles to go. With heavy packs and heavier legs, we trudge out into the afternoon heat.

5:30pm – Sansol and The Palace

🎵 And then… Sansol. I adore this place. Our accommodation, “The Palace,” is one of my absolute favourites on the Camino. Thick wooden beams, flower-print duvets, and glorious hot showers, bliss. On the terrace, wine in hand, we find Leigh with her guitar and a Dutch pilgrim. Before long, we’re singing along to Country Road and Sweet Caroline under the fading sun.

🍽️ Dinner is homely and heartfelt: artichoke with bacon broth, salad, burgers or tortillas, melon, and plenty of red wine. Meno, the man who runs the show, does everything – reception, bar, cooking – with quiet charm. I’m saddened to learn the original owner, who lovingly restored the Palace, passed away last year, followed by his Dutch friend who had once entertained us with stories and Camino games. Yet, their love lingers in the walls.

To close the evening, Maxine leads us in a meditation on “letting go.” We each hold a postcard, share what it means to us, and release whatever needs releasing. It’s emotional, raw, and beautiful. The Camino isn’t just about walking – it’s about these rare, unexpected moments of connection.

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REFLECTION

Today reminded me why the Camino is so much more than a long walk. Yes, it tests your body – the blisters, the heat, the endless dusty miles. But it also fills your soul: with laughter, with strangers-turned-friends, with music, with wine, and with small but powerful rituals. Tonight, in Sansol, surrounded by good people and good energy, I felt it deeply: the Camino gives back far more than it ever takes.Читать далее