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- Sep 9, 2019, 5:41pm
- ☁️ 70 °F
- Altitude: 438 m
- SpainNavarreEstella-Lizarra42°40’20” N 2°1’53” W
Reaping the Benefits of Past Lessons
September 9, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
Estella, Spain
After a great breakfast of bread, yogurt, sausage, cheese, fresh figs, freshly squeezed orange juice and café con leche, a veritable feast by most breakfast standards here, we crossed over the stone bridge leading out of Puente la Reina and headed for Estella. The 13.6 miles provided ample opportunity to reflect on lessons from many teachers in our past. Starting with my high school math teacher Mr. Esch, who taught me all about hypotenuses...good to know when trying to conserve energy and maximize distance. Sailing mentors Rick and Julie taught us valuable passage making skills applicable to the Camino, akin to a long passage but on land. Have your gear organized so you can find what you want when you need it. If you aren't going to use it, it's just deck fluff and not worth the space/weight. Monitor your water supply. Start with plan A, be cognizant of the elements, and adjust accordingly. Experienced pilgrims of the Tampa Bay Chapter of APOC (American Pilgrims on Camino) and elsewhere gave us valuable information and resources for equipment and strategy. Thanks to all the fitness instructors at the gym who whipped our sorry rears into shape. I could go on and on, but the point is that we are not making this journey on our own. We feel extremely blessed to have all the people in our lives who have pushed and pulled us forward to this point. Hopefully we have and will do the same for others. While traversing the Rioja region of Spain we passed beautiful countryside. The soil has turned from pasty clay to a rich umber, with fertile fields of vineyards, olive trees, and asparagus in addition to little vegetable gardens. You know you are in wine country when you see barrels of wine rather than bottles of milk on the doorstep! History is ever present as we walked remnants of ancient Roman roads, the superhighway of the Roman Empire. Our lodging tonight is in an ancient hostel built in 1795 as a tannery. Accommodations this trip have run the gamut from bunk beds in multi person rooms with exam table paper coverings masquerading as sheets and a shower down the hall with your only token getting you 5 minutes of water to private hotel rooms with genuine sheets and private bathrooms. We're just always grateful for a clean bed. We've learned mundane things like toilet seats are optional but toilet paper essential and sometimes you have to wave as you heed the call of nature to keep the timed light sensors from plunging you into darkness at the most inopportune times. It's the simple things in life that mean so much.Read more