Today the forecast was for severe thunderstorms starting at 1 PM and continuing through the afternoon. We set the alarm for 5:30 and were ready for the breakfast buffet when it opened at 6:00.
Yet somehow we didn’t exit Hotel Jakue until 7:00. Still, it was a pretty decent start. No major elevation changes, nor a long distance - this was our easiest stage yet.
Perhaps due to our early start, we only saw Michele from Ireland of all of our new friends. (I keep listing all the other people we meet because it was
quite enjoyable to talk to meet people from all over the world, and then when we met them again further down the road it was like reuniting with long lost friends.)
I kept seeing one couple who looked to be in their seventies with packs that appeared pretty heavy (I am so glad we are using the luggage transfer service!).
Neither one is taller than about five feet, but they keep trundling doggedly onwards. They don’t speak English so all I could do was wave and smile each time seeing them.
We met Patrick and Michael from Ireland. Michael told us that he had pins in his knee but was still planning to walk the entire way to Santiago de Compostela.
He said that when he was younger he was texting and walked into a pothole and tore up his leg. After a long recovery period, now he was out here attempting to do all 33 stages of the Camino.
Lil got the Good Samaritan award for the day. We came upon a German guy lying on the ground with blood leaking from the bridge of his nose where his glasses had cut him.
His friend was offering Kleenex. Utilizing her Girl Scout Troop Leader training, Lil pulled out alcohol swabs, wipes and bandaids and got him fixed up. The only English they seemed
able to speak was thank you. We saw them later down the trail, so the accident didn't make them quit.
We first heard thunder as we approached the town of Villatuerta. It started raining as we were leaving Villatuerta, so rain gear, pack cover and umbrella were employed.
Honestly, the rain was not bad. Sometimes it was just a drizzle, sometimes it stopped entirely. However, when we arrived in Estella we could see that the river was running high and fast - I think the heavy
rain must have fallen to the north of us. We got lucky! We walked into Estella at 1:15 PM; our easiest day so far. The rain stopped, so we went out to explore Estella. Either everything closes on Mondays, or else it was still the siesta, but hardly anything was open.
However, we did find an open restaurant and it was only 5 PM!! So we ate in a restaurant - we selected from the pilgrim’s menu then had to find a place to sit. When we went looking for a table, we
saw our friend Michele from Ireland; she was sitting with two other women (Michele from Melbourne, Australia and Laura from Paris France). They made room for us and we had a rollicking time.
Laura had just quit her job and was searching for the next job after the Camino. She worked in International Relations and hoped to be employed by the Vatican. Michelle from Australia was an
epidemiologist and traveled all over the world; we got some stories about various outbreaks and medical crises. Michelle from Ireland worked politics and didn't want to elaborate any further on that subject.
Her husband and 3 sons are all chefs.
Still Photographs
