After dinner went to Los arcos cathedral the priest called the pilgrims forward for an individual blessing he started with spainish and then called English American Irish to come forward just in front of me was the slovakian pilgrim I sat next to on Pamplona after receiving the blessing he blessed a rosary I've been carrying for my wife they belonged to her mother.
I left Los arcos at about 7 the landscape is still gentle rolling hills the sun rising directly behind me bathing the cropped fields in a bright golden light, and on a hill in the distance the pueblo of Sansol and Torres del rio a further 800metres further on. All the cafe's in Sansol were still shut and carried on to Torries del rio were I sat and ate my toast and marmalade to the sound of Don Maclean's "America. Pie" blearing out of the radio. After that I carried on still singing it to myself. I reached Viana at about 1 pm and stopped at a sports store and. Bought some walking sandals as I've been walking in my beach sandals all day and they weren't coping with some of the paths. I left the store wearing my new sandals and went in search of lunch and bumped into Brendan and his wife an Irish couple I met at Cizur minor . After lunch I decided as it was still quite early I'll carry on to Logrono. Just 2 kilometres outside of Viana my left ankle started playing up and thinking about the smart thing to do would be turn back, but I don't do smart so I carried on after all Logrono was only
Just over 9 kilometres away. So after a 30 kilometre day and the first albergue being full and I was refused entry I carried on up the road to the church run albergue of Iglesias Santiago . I rang the bell outside the giant double doors on the intercom I heard "si", I replied "peregrino" and they opened. The hospitaler took my pack and could see i was in pain, after a quick shower we were told that there would be a pilgrims blessing after mass . After mass we had a communal dinner the priest who held mass said grace and served us. He apologised that the albergue was over full and some had to sleep on floor mats but said the never turn a pilgrim away. After supper he led us through a passage way that led back into the church where we read psalms and prayers in our various languages . So those of you in the know, will be asking what about his little legs , well me and my little legs got up at 5 am this morning and after breakfast I hobbled across the city of Logrono and open country side and as I write this update I'm 15 kilometres further along el camino in a town called Navarrette standing on a shady street corner having watched the Vuelta De Espania speed past I'm showered and fresh, with a leg that at the moment isn't working like it should and I'm waiting to go for dinner with a japenese pilgrim that looks like a cross between Mr Miyagi from karate kid and my dad and you know what despite all that's happened so far.......................................Life is Good Adios
Rod Brookstein
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