Termaeuropa el Olivar Arnedillo

... peņa has its own distinct neck scarf, and you see these worn throughout the town.

The week consists of numerous events, including several food tastings each day prepared by a different Peņa, traditional grape pressing, bull fighting and concerts but we saw only two of the events - though two of the main ones. The first was a long parade with floats from each pena, the different regional communities and the lots of dances. The second was the "quema de la cuba ...

... Sometimes the America talk gets exhausting...

Since being here, I´ve had to tell so many people that I am from the United States. With each repetition, I am hearing myself say the words and wondering more and more about their implications. i´ve only met one other American here, and I am becoming more concerned with my identity as an American. I think I have always felt somewhat disociated from the nation... for various reasons... it is so big, i am so ...

... easy but we spent lot of time walking on a road! we prefer the pilgrimage by walking on footpaths... since that day we hate walking on roads!

Navarrete is a small village with a charming refuge and all the services u may need (supermarkets, ATM...)

... Viana we saw 8-10 ladies cleaning the church - - dusting, vacuuming, sweeping.

Stayed at a refuge run by Padres Reparadores - 72 beds - great grass courtyard where we relaxed all afternoon. Municipal refuge in Ayegui was located in a sports facility. No charm and we thought at first a huge mistake, but temperature during the night was cool, only with only 4 of us it was very quiet and we purchased breakfast in the AM ...

... cities in the Camino, we visited the whole city in a few hours cuz is a little bit small. We finished our first walking week in this city so we made a farewell party in c/Laurel, the most famous street in Logroņo, many people get drunk that day... i don't know how they felt for walking the day after that party...
We will come back in my next free week to continue the camino from Logroņo to Burgos...

This stage has no difficulties, the landscapes begin to change, we left the woods behind us and we begin to see beatiful fields til we reach our destination.

In Los Arcos I don't recommend the main refuge... when we were there we saw lots of bugs, an unpleasant smell, a small kitchen... the village is not very impressive but the main church (worth to see)

... people bring down their backpack's weight to around 8kg, I seem to be stuck around 14 or 15. Too much, anyway. The afternoon sun is hot like hell, I'm tired because lack of sleep, everything hurts. Tomorrow I'm going to take a day off. I hope that resting one day will help my limbs recover. Best thing about the refuge today: it's called Casa de Austria, operated by Austrian hospitaleros and they promised real Austrian dark bread for tomorrow's breakfast. So looking forward to that!

... knees and feet. Today I walked those 9km into Logrono for breakfast. I had a later start than normal and spent some time exploring the town centre. (No, I wasn't lost!) Unfortunately by the time I left it was 10.30 and already getting very hot, maybe 26 degrees and rising fast, and there I was with 12kms still to go. The sky was an endless, parched, deep blue stretching from horizon to horizon without a cloud. Luckily it ...

... on the wet cobblestones, go wide, go down, and get up mad and start goring. This has nothing to do with that turn, though. The police let people fill up the entire mile-long track, but then evict everyone beyond just before that turn. Not exactly sure why although I think it is to set up a clear run with fewer people, but I found out the hard way the morning of June 8. Doh! 10. When running, you have two choices. One, you can get up near where the bulls are let out. I watched June 8 ...

... aren't allowed to put their sign along the Camino outside town any longer. They have been the only stopping place here the for the past four or five years. People find their way here anyway and are served a delightful dinner and breakfast for the 4-5E that they charge. The refugio, by contrast, provides only coffee or juice and perhaps bread and coffee in the morning. The refugio only has coffee and bread and perhaps some fruit. The ...