Fields of Dreams

Total walked today: 22 kms
Total walked: 68 kms
Kms left until Navarrete: 40 kms

I think today might be my favorite day of walking the Camino, ever.

We departed Estella at 7:45am, surrounded by many other pilgrims. This is notable because we're usually the last ones out- most pilgrims leave before 6am. But there was a reason for the early birds' late start: Less than an hour's walk from Estella is the famous Wine Fountain of Irache...which opens at 8am. The Wine Fountain is legendary on the Camino Francés- the Bodega Irache Winery sits right on the Camino, and wanted to pay tribute to the many pilgrims passing by. So in the 1990s, they installed a tap into their external wall, and every day it's stocked with 100 liters of free wine. Pilgrims are invited to have a small cup for "strength and vitality" on the day's walk. It's amazing...the wine itself is a bit rough, but it's free and fun so I'll forgive that.

Nearby the Irache Winery is the La Forja de Ayegui (The Forge of Ayegui), a heritage blacksmith's shop. The blacksmith works the hot, live forge while you wander his outdoor shop- I've never seen anything like it. Matt was so impressed that he purchased a small iron Camino shell.

A bit farther on past the forge and the wine fountain, we stopped for coffee at a café owned by a former pilgrim. She had set up the garden with easy chairs overlooking the valley, and it was kind of perfect.

Today's walk was 22 kilometers; however, once we passed this café's town, at kilometer 10, there was absolutely nothing but Camino path for the remaining 12 kilometers. We had to pack enough food and water, plus hats and plenty of sunblock because not only was there no civilization for 12 kilometers, but also NO SHADE, and today's temp was about 88°F/30°C. But while that may sound painful, it was actually glorious. The landscape was stunning: Rolling hills, green valleys, fields of flowers, and an endless blue sky, with nothing but the sounds of the birds and our feet crunching on the gravel. I loved it.

We had heard rumors that halfway into this 12 kilometer stretch was a food truck. This mythical food truck appears regularly in the summertime for just a few hours, selling drinks and snacks, and we had our fingers crossed that today was a lucky day. Imagine our glee when, a bit before the halfway point, we saw a whiteboard propped up by the road saying that the Pilgrim's Oasis Food Truck was just 1 kilometer away. We nearly ran that last kilometer.

The Pilgrim's Oasis food truck is a Camino highlight. It's run by a Canadian couple, who also own a café in Viana, an upcoming Camino town. They're welcoming and kind, and let all the pilgrims set up picnics at their tables under some shady trees. We bought ice creams to go with our picnic, ate lunch with 20 other hot, tired pilgrims, and it was amazing.

The final 6 kilometers to Los Arcos, our stopping point for the night, was fairly easy, despite being in the direct, hot sun. We arrived in Los Arcos before 4pm, and I was excited to have a bit more time to explore the town- I feel like we missed a lot of Estella with our later arrival. But imagine my surprise to note that despite it having history and architecture from Roman times, and being a major stop on the Camino...Los Arcos does not give a fuck about the Camino or pilgrims. Nothing was open at 3:30pm; no bar offered pilgrim's menus (special discounted menus for walkers); there is zero Camino iconography anywhere; there isn't even a grocery store walkable from the Camino. Huh. Looks like a very quiet evening tonight.

Tomorrow we walk to Viana!Read more