A long 28 km today so we started with the moon and once again were greeted by a beautiful sunrise. The path was quiet and rural, past grape vines and olive groves. We encountered RAIN just as we entered the village of Sansol, so were able to quickly find shelter to pull out ponchos and pack covers and to continue on our way. It may never rain in Southern California, but in Northern Spain it does, and along the Camino one keeps walking!
In Torres del Rio we stopped into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Romanesque temple now considered a funeral church on the Road to Santiago. It has a single octagonal floor with a dome overhead; a unique design for the period, 12th Century. It is linked to the Knights Templar, and the design is based on a church in Jerusalem.
It stopped raining after about 3 km, and became sunny and hot once again. We reached Viana about 11:45 which is ordinarily a quiet town with a long history as a way station for pilgrims. Cesare Borgia, the illegitimate son of Rodrigo Borgia, who was elected to become Pope Alexander VI in 1492, was assigned to defend the town, and died in a the siege of 1507.
The ruins of the church of San Pedro are stunning, and the Igelsia de Santa Maria houses the tomb of Cesare Borgia. Today Viana was in festival mode with all the residents dressed in white with red bandanas and belts. The bulls were scheduled to run through the town at 1PM. So I left my friends behind and headed on. And then we were one.
When I got to Logrono, another 10 km along, I met a woman in the lobby who was on her rest day from the Camino. I mentioned my plan to go tomorrow to find new shoes. So she gave me one of her pairs! Kim insisted — she was wearing others, and so she is now my angel of the Camino. We will meet for dinner tonight.
Somehow the Camino is like that. Angels and insights and experiences like no other.
starting out with the moon from Los Arcos
another beautiful sunrise
after the rain
Yay for your happy feet! An angel indeed! And I want to see the pictures of the ruins!!!
You’re in my thoughts!!
Keep up the great work! These posts and pictures make me feel like I’m there! It’s supposed to be 102 degrees in the valley today. Your poor feet. They should have a twitter feed with daily posts from their hiking abuse, bidet soaks and new friend shoes. Love that you’re having so much fun on this trip.
Nurse Lorrie had some good foot care karma!