Once again (as stated on Day 6):
One quick item to start: I have discovered that my iPhone will not send/receive text messages while I am abroad. With cellular disabled, and since my phone is locked due to some warrantee silliness, I can't figure out how to make stuff work.
Today was a shorter walk, but seemed more challenging than yesterday's 18 miles. We left Los Arcos at 7:15 this morning. Services were much more limited for this stretch, so we brought whole load of grapes and oranges and cherry-tomatoes (and chocolate and a baguette). And the remains of our vino. Other than the chocolate and baguette, this was a lot of added weight. So we decided to partially offset this by shipping our jackets rather than carrying them (since the forecast was that the morning would generally be warmer than yesterday, and no rain).
Turns out, we chose... poorly. The morning was really cold (I think high 40s), and very windy. The sky kept threatening to dump rain (forecast was 0%, even while we were walking and it was sprinkling). It never really rained enough to get us wet, but the threat of rain, and seeing heavy rain in the distance, made us regret our coat-decisions. Though the discomfort was not severe, there was enough going on to make it difficult for us to get our heads into the game today. After a snack after about 4miles (in Sansol), and a little warming of the weather we both managed to get back on an appropriate mental track.
Turns out, we chose... poorly. The morning was really cold (I think high 40s), and very windy. The sky kept threatening to dump rain (forecast was 0%, even while we were walking and it was sprinkling). It never really rained enough to get us wet, but the threat of rain, and seeing heavy rain in the distance, made us regret our coat-decisions. Though the discomfort was not severe, there was enough going on to make it difficult for us to get our heads into the game today. After a snack after about 4miles (in Sansol), and a little warming of the weather we both managed to get back on an appropriate mental track.
The scenery was less grain-fields, and more vineyard (very hilly), so there was much more topographical variation. The trails were rockier, so we had to be paying more attention to our walking, which also helps to keep outside thoughts from creeping in.
The towns here were further apart. So we stopped at a food truck to eat some of the food we brought with us, to lighten the load (the food-trucks set out tables to create a makeshift park). Then climbed into Viana at 1PM and had a good lunch.
We did have one difficulty - the Delivery Service for our travelling-bag was unable to reach the reception-host for our place tonight, so delivered our suitcase to the main hotel at the very peak of the city. Which was more than a 15 minute walk, and at the very bottom of the hill (photo of city below will show the steepness). The service said that they would not pick up the bag tomorrow where we are staying, and that we would have to take the suitcase back up to the top. Our host tried to convince them to pick it up, and the service still refused. Lugging this back up to the top would not be a great way to start the day... Fortunately, our host has a friend who works for a competing service and will take care of the delivery tomorrow.
We continue to run into a subset of the Camino travelers, who have become friends. Running into them has become a real joy. It is always good to see a familiar face on the trail or at a cafe or restaurant and join for a while.
Oh - and we ran into the large teen-group again, for about the 3rd time in 3 days. We learned yesterday they are a group of about 30 French students (14yr old) and are walking 5 days of the Camino. If they started in France, this is probably their Day-5 and I am guessing they will end in Legroño tonight (about 6km from where we are now). They sure can keep pace up and down the steep inclines...
Today's summary: we left Los Arcos at 7:15 and arrived at Viana at about 1PM. 18km progress. Ascent 387m, descent 366m.
Week 1 stats: For the first 7 days, we have now walked 127km of 'trail progress' (which is a smaller number than our actual walking), with a total trail ascent of 2687 meter and 3163 meter descent.
Remaining - 626km. 83% remaining.
Sorry for the mix of English/Metric units.
The next few days are going to be a little shorter than what we would like, because towns are further spread, and accommodations are more limited (if choice between available rooms is 10 mile and 22 mile, and there is a lot of climbing, we don't have much choice - it will be 10mile).
We are going to have to maintain or increase our pace to get to Santiago within our time-budget (have to be in Rotterdam in 5 wks). This should be very possible one we hit the plains, assuming that we (Jana) can book rooms... Booking has become a time-consuming challenge (for which I say "thank you, Jana").
We are going to have to maintain or increase our pace to get to Santiago within our time-budget (have to be in Rotterdam in 5 wks). This should be very possible one we hit the plains, assuming that we (Jana) can book rooms... Booking has become a time-consuming challenge (for which I say "thank you, Jana").
Today, we saw many fewer different birds from yesterday. I am guessing that part of it was due to the cold. Part of it was a more 'consistent' terrain. Part of it was due to the surroundings (a lot of birds we heard stayed very well hidden or were too far away to spot). Part of it was due to the relatively shorter walk. In the end, we identified 25 species today, one of them being new to us.
Now - OTTP!:
Started the day at 7:15, walking out the gate of the old portion of the city of Los Arcos:
A Eurasian Collared Dove, just like in US:
A Eurasian Collared Dove, just like in US:
The path out of town. Rain in the distance. Cold, and windy.
Hoping this rainbow portends good fortune for the day.
Another look at the ominous weather - this time looking backwards, with Jana coming up the trail. A lot of nice wildflowers today.
On at least three occasions today, we saw folks tending to the vines. Cutting off dead leaves, weeding, and tying vine tendrils to the wires.
More wildflowers:
Hoping this rainbow portends good fortune for the day.
Another look at the ominous weather - this time looking backwards, with Jana coming up the trail. A lot of nice wildflowers today.
On at least three occasions today, we saw folks tending to the vines. Cutting off dead leaves, weeding, and tying vine tendrils to the wires.
More wildflowers:
A city on the hill (Sansol). Our first town today. Cities on hills are going to result in much stronger calves...
After lunch, and leaving the city, looking back for a last view of Sansol:
The next town, Torres del Rio. A view from same point as the picture above. A steep descent down one hill and climb up the next. Steep streets. And a Church. And a Mural.
Obligatory field-of-poppy photo. In the buffer between the path and the green-bean crop.
A long look back at Torres del Rio. The last town until we will hit Viana in 8 miles.
A new bird today - a Rock Bunting. The overcast made a lot of the images very shadowy today. A blown up image will show some nice details around the eyes. Visually (and not captured well in the photograph), the upper portion of the chest was a darker grey, and redness to the belly.
Still headed the right way!
I am going to preface this caption by saying that I am using the actual name of the two birds below. I was lucky and caught two of them in the same frame, with one on a small branch and the second a blur flying over the first. This is a photo of a pair of "Great Tits".
At this location, there is a monument plaque. And a dozens and dozens of remembrances from other Camino pilgrims for lost loved ones.
Another wildflower. I have not yet been able to identify. AI suggests it is 'deadly carrot' but that is not correct. Other labelled images do not provide identification, or say 'plant not identified'.
A pair of images looking down into the valley. I was hearing many bevies of Common Quail over this several mile stretch. Almost continuously. But not a single one made an appearance. They stayed very well hidden in the tall grass in the fields.
At about the halfway point between towns, we encountered this half-dome emergency shelter - which *is* labeled on the map.
Slugs be doing what slugs do:
A Food Truck along the path. We stopped here to join some other travelers to eat our 2nd breakfast. Or maybe it was 1st lunch. Either way, there were chairs, and we further lightened our packs.
More tadpoles. Looks like it is going to be a good year for frogs.
Grasshopper in poppy:
A vineyard with some very old vines:
And another steep climb:
More wildflowers:
This is either a Cinereous Vulture, or a Eurasian Griffon. AI wants this to be a vulture, but based on what is more common to the area, I am leaning the other way.
The tail-end of the pack of French students, passing us yet again, and Legroño in the background (the first town we will hit tomorrow, about 10km past where we stopped today.
And panning to the right is Viana, where we will spend the night:
More wildflowers:
Viana - another city on a (steep) hill:
A Barn Swallow zooming past:
One commonality between Viana and Portland - horse-rings! About 5ft up and 2 feet to the right of the door.
Finally had a chance to catch up on the travels. Great blogging for what looks to be a great journey so far.
ReplyDelete