Logroño

Logroño--you can see it on the map above!  After Pamplona it rained and rained off and on. We walked to Puente la Reina and on the way (it was Sunday I think) we encountered a procession of huge statues called the Gigantes. Each village sponsored one and the men wore costumes and danced during the parade. Cindy is the only one who got to see the actual procession--I´d taken a detour to see an old church and I don´t know where Tom was. Anyway, it was quite the fiesta.

Then, in Reina, we stayed in an alburgue where I had a great view of a big stork nest built on the bell tower of an old church. The pair of storks stood out in the rain--they apparently don´t have any eggs in the nest yet. Have seen several more nests since then.

There is definitely a big difference between France and Spain. Our travel through France was much quieter and less chaotic due to fewer people. Now we almost always walk within sight of others. In France we usually got breakfast for the price of the bed, and sometimes dinner for a little more. In Spain we have to forage, but there are a lot of great options. Last night we had dinner plate sized salads, then grilled trout, and flan for dessert. Spain is a lot less expensive than France. There are also a lot more Americans.

We walked 28k today and are facing 31k tomorrow unless we decide to stop much earlier. Cindy continues to improve, but long days back-to-back aren´t much fun for any of us.

Buen camino!