Day 8 Logrono – Navarrette Generosity of Spirit

Lifes lessons come in many ways. Many just seem like a coincidence but couldn’t possibly be.

As I walked into Logrono yesterday afternoon after a very long day, I went first to the municipal albergue and then decided to look at another one to see. I decided I would go back to the municipal one and on the way back a man hailed me from behind. He was very scruffy looking, was wearing sandals and obviously a peregrino like me but something about him and his beard and long straggley hair made me uneasy. He asked if I knew where the albergue was, so I pointed him in the direction of the one I had just been too, not wanting him to really join me.

I checked into the albergue and went to my bed. I was on the top bunk. The bottom one was empty. I went for a shower, got cleaned up and dressed to look around Logrono. While I was organizing my things at my bed, the man I pointed to the other albergue showed up and was assigned the lower bunk. How about that! I said hello and went out.

It was the worst nights sleep I have had on the Camino. The man snored louder than anyone I had heard. The room was boiling, and my knee was swollen from the day’s walk. To make matters worse I got bitten during the night by I’m not sure what.

I woke up (figure of speech) around 5.30am in a bad way. Tired, hot, itchy and sore, I prepared to get ready for the days walk to Nejara about 30km away. As I set out my knee was killing me. I basically slow limped to Navarrette a modest 13 km.

I wished I had shown some generosity of spirit to this man.  Paid him the respect he deserved as a person. Given him the right directions. And things might have been better with the world.

As I hobbled into Navarrette I ran into 2 Australian women, Sharon and Jan. We had walked together a couple of days earlier. Sharon gave me some anti-inflammatory pills (yes 600 mg) for my knee. They showed care for me.

I found a place to stay. The staff were great, helped me find accommodation in the next town, where the pharmacy was, I unpacked my pack and put almost a kg of stuff I don’t need in a parcel and sent it to Santiago. So I am a little lighter now.

The chemist gave me more ibuprofen and some arnica gel for the knee and cream for the bites.

As I re read this I am wondering if I have over-analysed the situation. Seen too much into it?

Coincidence? Unlucky?

Just show more charity…….

I did see a couple of interesting things along the way today. First was the Bull statue on the hill – all very Spanish…

I actually saw this image in the road in Logrono this morning. It’s the one I used for this site, so now I don’t feel like I have ripped it off….

In the square yesterday afternoon with a glass of Rioja…

And where I checked into tonight, as its my Camino not anyone else’s…really nice….