Day 3 - Logrono to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

A better day from a weather perspective. We started early in the Logrono And went to try and find some breakfast. We found a nice café where we had croissant and coffee. Derek went back to the hotel to get ready while I have a second coffee. We waited for 9 o’clock as we expected that churches to open and we could collect our “Sellos” from the churches that were open. The problem here is that the churches appear to be never open and these are major sources for the stamps we need for our pilgrim Credencials. As today was Sunday we were lucky. We collected two and set off on our journey for the day. Derek was photographed with some Walker pilgrims. His knee continues to be a big worry as it is very painful and slows him down a lot on hills (and we haven’t reached the mountains yet). Tomorrow is Monday and a search for better painkillers will be made. 



 Once we had cleared Logrono’s centre our path meandered through a beautiful park with gravel tracks and a nice lake for about 6 miles. It was Sunday and there were lots of walkers, joggers and pilgrims on the route. We met Salah from Bordeaux who was walking today as far as we were cycling! We agreed to try to meet for a beer in Santo Domingo. The profile today was:



Our first stop was Navarette at 8 miles which is famous for pottery. It has a lovely church. Navarette is on a hill (ar they now all on hills?) and the view across to the mountains lovely.  We had coffee and bought provisions for huge sandwiches which we made, and ate, on the wall of the graveyard. 










The next stop was at lunchtime in Najera at 18 miles. We didn’t need food but had a couple of drinks at two bars. The waitress at the Bar Buenos Aires was worthy of note and we picked up a Sello.  We left on the N-120 and I hah, due to inattention what my grandchildren would call an “Ouchy”. This was not a consequence of the two glasses of Rioja Blanca in Najera. 




Looks worse than it was by quite a bit.  More gravel paths through wonderful country, entirely without traffic and only the occasional foot pilgrim. Stopped again for rehydration and a Sello in Azofra.





Finally arrived in Santo Domingo de la Calzada for a night of luxury in the Parador.  Met with Salah for some beer and had a great meal in a fancy restaurant - well deserved I’d say. Finished off with, as usual, with some (quite a lot of) Patxeran. Long day tomorrow to go to Burgos and up at 5:00. Hoping to meet up with Christian who knows Burgos well. Weather forecast good. 
  

SANTO DOMINGO









THE PARADOR






THE PATXERAN!



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