Awoke at a ridiculous time again and got ready by 4:00. Left the Albergue after donating some money for a 
sleeveless t shirt I’d 
found in the lost property, I made my way through the streets Of Logrono. The town proper once you left the Historic bit was very modern in deed but lit up like a Christmas tree. I had no difficulty finding my way and crossed the entire town leaving the outskirts behind before 5:30 and having seen only three people, two immigrants who looked like cleaners and one other and three Police cars. I felt very safe and I doubt I would have made the same journey through a British city so easily or in a such a relaxed frame of mind. The Pick n Mix was my walking fuel so it’s probably no surprise that everything was cramped up and sore even after a good warm-up. I reached the edge of town, following a tarmac bike trail and coming into an area specifically built to provide residents of the town with a beautiful place to exercise and spend time with the family. As it is I was disgruntled and already felt like collapse but made my way to a shed whose windows and doors were never fitted or had been removed by whoever had covered the outside with graffiti. It looked like a hangout for youths but was spotlessly clean inside, so I got my sleeping bag out and cursed my decision not to donativo a few Euros for one of the camping mats back at the Refugio’s lost property. That didn’t work, because the floor was too cold and I couldn’t get comfortable so I moved on through the early morning, still dark.
Walked around the edge of a huge lake which I am sure would have looked a lot nicer, later in the day. Made my way along the fence line where former pilgrims have created a spectacle, hundreds of feet of fence with makeshift crosses filling every square inch, I tried to find some twigs to add my own, it was quite an eerie sight. Walked past the huge Toro on the hill overlooking Navarette as the sun started to come out. Kept walking straight through until I reached Ventosa. The Refugio there was 24 hours a day, my plan was simple-ish. Sleep there from 11 until 3 or 4 then carry on to Najera where the local Municipal Swim
ming Pool was across the river from the Albergue and gave free entry to Pilgrims. The Refugio at Ventosa was closed so it was a three hour 
wait there, my book now almost thoroughly being ignored and hated by me I carried on after a short break at a bar to Najera.
I hadn’t used my mobile phone as anything other than a camera and a means of keeping everyone updated on my progress. I broke out the headphones, set-up my Jamiroquai albums and danced my way to Najera, probably on instinct and Ad
renalin by now, where I found the Scandinavian madman and the old Italian guy. Made my way after lunch/evening meal depending on how many hours there should be between waking and having your supper, to the Refu
gio which was closed. Thought about burning my guide book but decided to make the most of it instead and chatted in my gradually improving Spanish with a fellow pilgrim who had been at Logrono the night before. Finally allowed to enter the Albergue only to find that the Swimming Pool wasn’t open yet, this year! Ok so nothing has worked out right and I’m exhausted, perhaps this is my lesson!!! Forcing the issue isn’t working, you need to go with the flow because continually pushing yourself is going to end in tears…
As it is Stephen from Kentucky arrived as they were opening, so we explored the old town looking for shopping possibilities, found caves in the hillside, experienced Chocolate (the end bit pronounced
like pate, over there, this is seriously thick hot chocolate which you need to eat with a spoon at times) but no Churros oh well, there’s still time. I went to the supermarket and got enough food for four people, luckily there was a hunger in me for two and several other pilgrims with no pride to get in the way of it being used up. Cooked for the first time, chicken with random cupboard spices pan fried slowly with Boiled potatoes and salad. Stephen introduced me to a grilled cheese sandwich. I’d heard of them before as I am a massive fan of Americana but had never managed to work out what they entailed. Now I know, and so simple too. Bread, cheese, pan nuff said.
Tried in vain to share the wealth, with ‘American guy who speaks good Spanish’ and others, although they did share the chicken amongst themselves I had a lot of potato salad to carry around until the next night and the rest of my home-made baked beans in tomato sauce had to be eaten for breakfast the next day.
sleeveless t shirt I’d 
found in the lost property, I made my way through the streets Of Logrono. The town proper once you left the Historic bit was very modern in deed but lit up like a Christmas tree. I had no difficulty finding my way and crossed the entire town leaving the outskirts behind before 5:30 and having seen only three people, two immigrants who looked like cleaners and one other and three Police cars. I felt very safe and I doubt I would have made the same journey through a British city so easily or in a such a relaxed frame of mind. The Pick n Mix was my walking fuel so it’s probably no surprise that everything was cramped up and sore even after a good warm-up. I reached the edge of town, following a tarmac bike trail and coming into an area specifically built to provide residents of the town with a beautiful place to exercise and spend time with the family. As it is I was disgruntled and already felt like collapse but made my way to a shed whose windows and doors were never fitted or had been removed by whoever had covered the outside with graffiti. It looked like a hangout for youths but was spotlessly clean inside, so I got my sleeping bag out and cursed my decision not to donativo a few Euros for one of the camping mats back at the Refugio’s lost property. That didn’t work, because the floor was too cold and I couldn’t get comfortable so I moved on through the early morning, still dark.
Walked around the edge of a huge lake which I am sure would have looked a lot nicer, later in the day. Made my way along the fence line where former pilgrims have created a spectacle, hundreds of feet of fence with makeshift crosses filling every square inch, I tried to find some twigs to add my own, it was quite an eerie sight. Walked past the huge Toro on the hill overlooking Navarette as the sun started to come out. Kept walking straight through until I reached Ventosa. The Refugio there was 24 hours a day, my plan was simple-ish. Sleep there from 11 until 3 or 4 then carry on to Najera where the local Municipal Swim
ming Pool was across the river from the Albergue and gave free entry to Pilgrims. The Refugio at Ventosa was closed so it was a three hour 
wait there, my book now almost thoroughly being ignored and hated by me I carried on after a short break at a bar to Najera.I hadn’t used my mobile phone as anything other than a camera and a means of keeping everyone updated on my progress. I broke out the headphones, set-up my Jamiroquai albums and danced my way to Najera, probably on instinct and Ad
renalin by now, where I found the Scandinavian madman and the old Italian guy. Made my way after lunch/evening meal depending on how many hours there should be between waking and having your supper, to the Refu
gio which was closed. Thought about burning my guide book but decided to make the most of it instead and chatted in my gradually improving Spanish with a fellow pilgrim who had been at Logrono the night before. Finally allowed to enter the Albergue only to find that the Swimming Pool wasn’t open yet, this year! Ok so nothing has worked out right and I’m exhausted, perhaps this is my lesson!!! Forcing the issue isn’t working, you need to go with the flow because continually pushing yourself is going to end in tears…As it is Stephen from Kentucky arrived as they were opening, so we explored the old town looking for shopping possibilities, found caves in the hillside, experienced Chocolate (the end bit pronounced
like pate, over there, this is seriously thick hot chocolate which you need to eat with a spoon at times) but no Churros oh well, there’s still time. I went to the supermarket and got enough food for four people, luckily there was a hunger in me for two and several other pilgrims with no pride to get in the way of it being used up. Cooked for the first time, chicken with random cupboard spices pan fried slowly with Boiled potatoes and salad. Stephen introduced me to a grilled cheese sandwich. I’d heard of them before as I am a massive fan of Americana but had never managed to work out what they entailed. Now I know, and so simple too. Bread, cheese, pan nuff said.Tried in vain to share the wealth, with ‘American guy who speaks good Spanish’ and others, although they did share the chicken amongst themselves I had a lot of potato salad to carry around until the next night and the rest of my home-made baked beans in tomato sauce had to be eaten for breakfast the next day.
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