Day eight – August 16

It was a magical start to the day…

Still dark when we woke just before 5am, there were party-goers playing music and dancing who had been up all night!

Quickly repacking our backpacks – we were finally getting this routine down (!) – we left our albergue just before 6. As we walked down the street, I kept having a nagging thought that we’d forgotten something. Finally two blocks later, it came to me… our poles!! Feeling foolish, but really glad I remembered, I went back up to our room to retrieve them (we forgot to check the closet!) and we were on our way, soon exiting the small town of Los Arcos and using our headlamps for the first time.

Matti was already on the road and told us that someone had started playing the Macarena near his room at 4a. 😂 We were soon joined by several more pilgrims and after the Buenos días and Bongiornos, no one spoke for a long time. The only sound was the meditating crunch of our shoes on the gravel path. We could see lights of the distant town where we would have our first coffee and some breakfast; and the waning moon was peeking out of a high light cloud cover.

As the day dawned, the dark shapes became vineyards and olive groves. Rolling hills of golden stubble from harvested hay and sunflowers lit up with the rising sun. The cloud cover kept the morning cool and we looked forward to a pleasant 18 mile walk, the longest distance so far.

As we approached Sansol, the rising sun painted the horizon in pinks and peaches and the steep climb to the quaint little village made the sip of that first coffee and the bite of egg tortilla all the more delectable. 

While we sat and ate, I video chatted with Justin to wish him a Happy Birthday. After he said a quick hi to Cindy, was introduced to Onno and Matti, I finished my breakfast, bought a chocolate croissant 😋 to have as a snack later and gathered my gear to continue the easy 11k to the next village.

A few miles later, as we approached a grove of trees, we heard music and saw some pilgrims sitting and lying in the grass listening to a man playing beautifully on his Spanish guitar. A good place to take a break and air our feet, we joined them. What an emotional experience. The man, who’s name is Juan, said he is retired and has a house nearby, but prefers to play outside. We were all entranced by his music and listened for awhile. But we still had some miles to go, so shoes and backpacks back on, we were on our way to Viana; the last stop to have some lunch before we arrived in Logroño for the night. And the first rest day for Cindy and I.

I was feeling really good. My “sea legs” were kicking in and the walking was getting easier. The weather was cooler, my backpack felt more a part of my body. We were beginning our second week!

However, I would not make it to Viana.

Part of the Camino is just a narrow path close to the highway, so some of the time we walked on the shoulder. I was walking there and as it was narrowing, was moving to the path which was a few inches lower, when I took my eyes off the ground to look at something and my foot didn’t land where I expected it to. I went forward, and with 18 lbs of weight on my back, could not control my fall. One minute I was upright and the next, I was on the ground – Matti shouting, ‘Call an ambulance, call an ambulance!’ I remember thinking ‘why!?’  But when I saw the concave in my elbow… I knew there was a problem.

I won’t go into all the details of having to be taken to a hospital for x-rays, being told I had a major break plus two fractures and would need surgery. The most amazing and heart warming part of the whole tragic experience is that at least a dozen fellow pilgrims helped with communicating, wrapping my arm, giving me encouragement, and STAYED until the ambulance came. They had their own Camino; had miles yet to go before they stopped for the day. But they wouldn’t leave. I will never forget the kindness of these wonderful souls.

It was at the hospital, that I had to make the devastating decision to fly home. But first I had to get to Logroño to catch a train to Madrid. The doctor put a splint on my arm and I was finally – with the help of Cindy and a kind woman at the hotel she had booked – able to get a taxi to meet up with Cindy. (She wasn’t able to go with me in the ambulance, so had gone on to Logroño). We made arrangements for a train to Madrid the next day and flight home the following day. Cindy decided to go back home too. What an amazing friend!! 😭 💖

Frederick and Benedicte

Arrangements made and knowing we’d be saying adios to our Camino family, and also given the fact that Logroño is known for the famous pintxo crawl, we decided to make our last night a memorable one. Almost all of the wonderful friends we’d made were there. Onno, from Amsterdam; Benedicte and Frederick from Belgium; Alejandro, Bruno and Pablo from Seville, Madrid and Barcelona; and George “from Albania living in Italy”. Several of these amazing people we’d met at the pilgrim dinner in Roncesvalles on our 2nd day.

L-R back; Onno, me, Cindy, Pablo L-R front Bruno, George, Alejandro

We shared pintxos and wine; laughs, tears and hugs. And the promise that we would be back next year to finish our Camino! And hopefully be able to meet up with these wonderful pilgrims again.

Not everyone we met had planned to walk all the way to Santiago; some were finishing their Camino here in Logroño. Cindy and I had planned to; so this interruption was sad and heart breaking. Yet we have both learned so much in only a week. And we heard more than once “the Camino will be waiting for you when you return”.

Pablo was stopping in Logroño – and as we were talking on that last evening, he said “though my Camino was short, it was profound”. That it was.

And the Camino will be there waiting…

“We are carried by life. “