Al P. Manlangit
Camino de Santiago Day 2: Estella to Navarrete, 74 km.
Previous Post – Camino de Santiago Day 1: Pamplona to Estella, 44 km.
Yesterday’s ride from Pamplona to Estella was just a practice run of 44 kms to test my bike and myself and see how it went. The 10 kg. The bags on the saddle weren’t much of a problem as I had feared, though I should have taken a lesser load.
Estella to Navarrete, 74 km.
It was tiring, and though I practiced religiously for almost 5 months in Kuwait, nothing came close to anticipating the difficulty in climbing the steep gradient of the rolling terrain, which alternated between wheat fields and wooded areas.
So today I left early, headed for Navarrete, 74 kms. away passing through the beautiful towns of Los Arcos, Puente la Reina, where there was an old stone bridge dating back to the 8th century, and Logroño. There were many wineries along the route, and I fought the urge to stop by for some wine tasting! It was hot at 32 degrees, so every now and then I had to stop to refill the bottle from stores along the way.
The road wound up and down the mountainous terrain, and every now and then, some cyclists overtook me, and we greeted each other with the customary Buen Camino! It made me wonder, though, why, in spite of being laden with stuff on their bikes, they still managed to climb faster than me. Was it their expensive bikes or did they simply have more leg power? Probably both, I told myself.
I stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant in Puente la Reina that served what they call the Pilgrim’s Meal. For 8 or 9 Euros, you get a starter of salad or beans, a main course of the local dish (fish or meat), and dessert. Plus half a bottle of wine or water. I dunno, but I always craved for an ice-cold Coke, which I had to buy separately. The wine I did not touch for it made me feel woozy – not good for a tired cyclist!
In Logrono, I tarried awhile near the river that runs through the city and watched other cyclists cross the bridge, their flags waving on their panniers. Most of them were South American – Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina – and made me wonder why I didn’t bring a Philippine flag, too. I was tempted to stay the night, but there were too many distractions, so I decided to push on for the last 17 km. leg as quickly as I could.
On the last part of the way, it was all downhill, and I screamed with joy just for the sheer fun of it, like riding a roller coaster! My sore legs were ecstatic too that I had to pedal no further.
It was almost 7PM, with the sun still up, when I checked in at the local albergue (pilgrim’s lodging, also called hostales) after paying 10 Euros for a bunk bed you share with 4 or 5 other people for the night. There was nobody else except myself, which was good, for I craved some peace and quiet.
At the church, there was a wedding going on, and I watched and applauded along with the rest of the entourage waiting outside in the plaza when the bride and groom came out! Then I walked to a small restaurant nearby, where I ate salad and a big platter of grilled seafood, washed down with cold beer on the verandah while watching the sun go down. All seemed to be at peace with the world.
Back in my room, the moment my aching back touched the mattress, I was knocked out for the night……
Note: This was my daily journal throughout the pilgrimage route, which took all of 12 days from Pamplona to Santiago de Compostela.
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Read:
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- Camino de Santiago Day 3: Navarrete to Belorado, Spain
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- Camino de Santiago Day 5: Burgos to Ledigos, Spain
