Everyone else in Logroño seemed to be getting up at 5 AM, so I did too. Got dressed, retrieved still-damp washing, packed up, and left with Richard in the semi-darkness at 6. Spotted loads of people coming home from their nights out on the town, and a few of them were kind enough to direct us correctly when we couldn't find the yellow arrows in the darkness. Made great time; had coffee and pain au chocolat in Navarrete, 11 km away, at 8:30. Well, it got the ould heart started.

I lost Richard en route to Nájera -- he'd gotten talking to a fellow Aussie who was walking very slowly (and he probably wanted to wait for his cutie friend to catch up!) Just outside Nájera, a factory has a long pilgrim poem painted on its wall. In Nájera, I had a café solo and continued on to Azófra.

Navarrete (960x720, 41K)

Distant Hills from Alto de San Anón (32K)

That Poem outside Nájera (960x720, 64K)

I passed loads of people en route, only to find that someone had apparently block-booked rooms at the Azófra refugio, so people who arrived well after I did were shepherded into their rooms, while the volunteer official talked to me in Spanish: two very helpful Swiss girls translated, saying that they'd be putting mattresses in the church later on to cope with the excess of pilgrims, or that there was another, unofficial, private albergue further downtown run by some foreigner called Roland. After marvelling at the sight of a cat drinking from a running tap, I opted for Chez Roland. It turns out that Roland lived in Crosshaven in Cork for years during the eighties: he'd owned The Anchor Bar there, where I had had a pint not five weeks previously. Small world. But I wouldn't like to have to paint it.
I dumped my stuff, did my washing, had a shower, and ventured out.

Not very far, as it turns out, since Azófra is a small village. I watched the Spain-Slovakia World Cup game in an excellent little pub packed full of locals talking nineteen to the dozen. After a nap back in the albergue, had dinner there later; and was impressed again by how good fresh food, simply prepared, can taste. Or it could be, as my mother always says, "Hunger is the best sauce."

Monastery of Santa María la Real Nájera (720x960, 54K)

Ahhh! Cat & Tap in Azófra refugio (48K)

Fuente de los Romeros Azófra (960x720,77K)

Roland and his Albergue Azófra (960x720,64K)

Slept like a log, sharing a room with a pleasant elderly French couple.

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