Those of you who follow me on Instagram will know that this summer, I spent 7 days walking around 120km along the Camino de Santiago, from Logroño to Burgos in Spain. This was the second leg of the Camino that I started in 2016 (if you’re interested, I wrote a Q&A post in response to some of the questions people had asked me along the way). This is Part 10 (Parts 1-9 linked at the end of this post).
Camino Frances Day 10: Logroño to Navarrete (approx 14km)
Logroño to Burgos. It doesn’t look that far on the map does it? In fact, it’s not – around 120km which wouldn’t take that long in a bus or a car. Walking the Camino does make you appreciate the convenience of vehicles, that’s for sure! This leg of the Camino isn’t that long but we split a couple of the longer days into two, making for 7 days’ walking in total. This first day was one we opted to split in half – Neil had just arrived from Canada two days prior, we’d spent a night in Bilbao before heading to Logroño to start the walk but I didn’t think a 28km day on the first day of walking was wise. So we eased into things with just over 13km on the first day.
The first place we stopped for a rest (Parque de la Grajera) we got to discover the beautiful Rose of the Camino…
And some foosball…
We didn’t stop to play sadly (it was just too early in the walk to deem a stop necessary!)…
A little way down the trail, our first “pilgrim shop”…
And an actual hermit stamping Pilgrim passports…
Moving on, we immersed ourselves in the Riojan countryside (sadly not in the wine itself…)
It really was very pleasant strolling through the vines…
Soon we came to Alto de la Grajera where the track runs parallel to (but above) the main highway and where pilgrims have places crosses made from scrap pieces of bark (from the adjacent sawmill) on the fence…
And then we got to cross the big road (with many warning signs – it IS easy to forget about “big road etiquette” on the Camino and it’s always a bit of a shock to come across a major road…
But it’s ok, *someone* was looking out for us all…
Navarrete was in sight and soon we came to the outskirts of town…
(vines everywhere!)
(uh huh – always looking for the bodega!)
SUCH a pretty little town (pop. approx 3000).
We checked into our hotel, showered and set out to find some food…
This place – the Bar Deportivo – looked inviting. We headed in for a cold beer and as we were drinking, the pinxtos were being brought out. We were in heaven!
LOTS of veggie options (pretty rare) and everything was fresh and tasty. After a 14km walk, it was just the ticket…
We wandered around that afternoon a little bit, knowing we had to buy some fruit and snacks for the next day. We were happy with the tiny supermarket choices!
And later that day we checked out some Riojan red and white. Because, when in Rioja…
Yup, l’heure de l’apéro tradition continued…
For dinner, we weren’t super hungry (haha in retrospect and given what you are about to see!) so we planned on just having some more pinxtos. But then we realised that the Pilgrim Menu was probably a better choice money-wise. We clearly were missing something… our friends to help us eat the food!
Neil had paella and I had a TUREEN (not joking) of soup served – for the starters! Then there was this:
Beautiful ribs and tasty chicken. And, um, enough for about 4 people! Because then…
The ubiquitous flan. Which I love, but after a huge meal it was a bit much. The meal, at 15€ each (including a bottle of wine and a bottle of water) was on the higher end of the Pilgrim Menu prices but the food was such excellent quality that it was worth it. I do hate wasting food though, so had I known, I might have told them I would pay the same price but just have a main and dessert. In any case, one of the best meals on the Camino (so far) in such an unassuming little bar, definitely a highlight.
FULLY fuelled for the next day, we headed off to bed ready for an ever-so-slightly longer day (just under 17km).
This was a really nice start to the Camino this year especially since there is NO WAY either Neil or I could have enjoyed a 29km walk on the first day (that’s longer than any of the days last year and though it’s flat terrain, it’s still a long way!).
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Disclosure: I researched Camino trips independently and chose the Camino Travel Center based on a number of features such as flexibility to accommodate a couple of “splits” in some of the longer days, price and customer service. They were, in fact the first company I came across in my very first Google search and the one I ended up booking with. From the initial inquiry to the actual trips, they have been a pleasure to deal with and we have been very impressed with the service provided (bag transportation) and the accommodation choices. I was not compensated to write about this trip in any way but I love sharing companies and products I believe in with my readers. I couldn’t recommend the Camino Travel Center more and, in fact, am booking another Camino walk with them for next summer (and every summer until I reach Santiago!).
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