Camino Frances, Day 9

 Out the door at 7:19 on a cool morning. My watch says 49° , not sure if I really believe it. 

A little update on last night. Had a nice quiet night in my hostel, single room w/ private bath. After I showered & washed a couple things I was off to try and get something to eat. I had a short walk into town and when I arrived I was shocked to see what looked like hundred of people partying. It was like one big town party or some type of celebration. People were everywhere, drinking, laughing, kids were running around in every direction. I headed over to where all the restaurants were, it was even worse there. Everything was packed and only alcohol was being served. I asked a couple of restaurant employees at two different places about trying to get some food and they said no food until 8 PM. I finally did find a pizza place that was going to start serving food again at 7 PM and it was 5 PM at this point in time. So I just went back to my room. I had a couple of small snacks. I ate those and then I waited till 7 PM and went back over to the pizza place and I ordered a nice Spanish salad, which is lettuce a tomato, cut into four slices and white onions,  a ham mozzarella cheese pineapple pizza and one of their local beers. After I enjoyed my dinner, I walked back to my hostel and looking around at all the trash, empty plastic cups, empty wine bottles. This town of Nájera knows how to party!!!

It’s Sunday, April 26 Day 9 of my Camino. It’s a nice cool morning, the sun is just starting to peak out over the trees. I walk through the town of the Najera which is nice, quiet and calm compared to yesterday. The city workers are hard at work cleaning up the mess left from yesterday. No breakfast this morning, so I’m just gonna have to travel on down the road and find something as I come to the little villages. I starting right off were I left off yesterday, walking along through the countryside and the wine vineyards. As come to a clearing I gaze out across the valley and I can see 4 to 5 distinct little villages in the distance and the one common characteristic of them, there is a big church rising high above the village. I look at my map and I will not be heading to any of those villages, my first village is still about 1 mile down the trail. I first hook-up w/ Amy & Mike, from Virginia, whom I will walk with all day. 

Made it to Azora for my first stop of the day. Had my usual café con Leche, Napolitana and banana and I got a couple of snacks for later on down the road. I am soon joined by Jim- London & Ally- Washington DC. Soon after we are back in countryside the wine vineyards are being replaced by wheat fields. I keep leap frogging this large Korean groups of walkers. Jim, tells me he thinks they were staying at his Albergue in Najera. 

The terrain is mild up and down, dirt roads. Sometimes when I crest a hill I gaze ahead and see the tan colored dirt road cutting through the green wheat fields and see pilgrims that look like dots far ahead. Amy is suffering from blisters, while her husband has switched to just wearing his Teva sandals. Ally twisted her ankle a couple days ago and wearing a Neoprene brace, & Jim is having calf tightness issues. Typical Camino talk. Now doesn’t this want you all to get out here and join us🤣

We all stop at this little park after ascending the hardest climb of the day. Drink fluids, stretch and go behind the bushes to water them!! I look at my map and we are making are way towards Santo Domingo de la Calzada, about 5 miles head. We all put our packs back on, and make our way towards Santo Domingo. Farmers tractors, of all sizes, are passing us in each direction and few bicyclist also zoom by us. In the distance off to my left I can see mts with still a small amount of snow on them. We soon crest a hill and Santo Domingo lays straight ahead. It’s all down hill into the city. I notice a lot of Camino pilgrim Art work from metal sculptures to wood sculptures and paintings. 

Entering Santo Domingo de la Calzada around 12 noon.  On most Camino guide books, Santo Domingo de la Calzada is the stopping point for the night for most pilgrims . But I have decided to push on and go off schedule from what the Camino guide book says. My reasoning is Burgos, still three days away for me at this point. So I am going away from the guide book and stop at places in between the recommended stops, basically getting off the Camino guide book schedule.

Back to Santo Domingo, we all went straight to the Cathedral to go inside, but unfortunately they were wanting 5 euros to go in and we all decided to forgo that and go find something to eat. Found a nice umbrella shaded Café to plop are behinds down and eat lunch. I had a prosciutto ham and cheese sandwich w/ fries a two Coke zeros. We said our goodbyes to Ally, she was staying the night here in Santo Domingo.

Walked around the Cathedral Square, took a few pics,  got our direction to Granon. With just a little over three miles to go, off we went. This section of our walk takes along an Interstate highway for most of the walk. Clouds are forming in the distance over my left shoulder, looks like rain clouds for sure, but they were a long way from us. This section is also under the direct sunlight w/ no shade protection. I can feel my back is sweating, for the first time really on this walk. Of course the second hardest climb of the day is into Granon, why wouldn’t it be.

I reach my hostel, Casa Rural at 3:10. Just my luck the owner comes out as I show. I tell her I have a reservation for the night. We go in, I drop my pack, pull out my Passport, and get my Camino stamp. She walks me through the facilities and to my surprise they have a washer/dryer, free to us. She shows me to my room and the first thing I do is gather all my cloths and rush down to throw my close in the washer, woo hoo, no hand washing today!!!! Back in my room I noticed my first blister on the side of my left foot toe. It’s pretty small so I use my moleskin to put over it tomorrow when I put on my shoes and keep an eye on it. After my shower I went back into town to a cafe that was still open. Grabbed a bite to eat and talked to a couple pilgrims that I have not seen on my walk. Then Lawerence, Donkey Man, came up, he said Abies, the Donkeys name is tied in a field enjoying the green grass. Back in my room, all laundry done, now have to put it all back together.

Saw a mileage marker, just before Santo Domingo, 565km=351.0747 mi to go.

Drum roll please maestro… Stat Time,  Najera to Granon, Stage 9

Miles- 16.4

Duration- 6hrs 15min

Elev- 1,411ft

Weather- 49-71, mostly sunny

Song- You Will Never Walk Alone, Gary & The Pacemakers

Tomorrow takes me to Espinosa del Camino. Back to the 6 bed dorm. Weather looks nice again. My group I walked with today are all going to different places, so Looking forward what’s comes tomorrow.

Thanks for reading. I just keep putting one foot in front of the other.