A cold, damp and dull day mostly, but only a short walk – 17.6 km and 3:42 (see map).
The wind had a certain chill to it and the rain drizzled on and off. Nonetheless a good walk through easy undulating country, much of it given over to grape cultivation (it is the La Rioja region we’re in after all).
At the outskirts of Ventosa. Breakfast stop.
Kilometers-to-Santiago markers are becoming more common.
A new vineyard being planted.
Heavy rain skirting around the hills to the south east. I went south west.
Wild flowers blooming near Nájera.
Industry – cement works and gravel crushing – at the outskirts of Nájera.
Only 89 km by road to Burgos (a little longer on foot; it will take me four days at the rate I’m going – I expect to arrive there Tuesday next week).
Poppies.
The Rio Najerilla in Nájera.
The daily walking cohort is changing daily, as I catch up with others and others catch up with me. Makes for interesting conversations with new friends while walking and while stopped. Despite the changing faces, there are some familiar ones, peregrinos that have been level-pegging with me all the way from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port (seems like such a long time ago I was there).
Received a few days back a photo of the folk who stayed at Beilari in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port the first night I was there. I’ve added it to the post for that day.