Hello again! Today was a pretty good day! We are in Los Arcos for the night before heading off to Viana tomorrow. Today we walked 22km, with an approximate temperature high of 26 degrees. My Dad said he didn’t notice the heat much at all, whereas I did notice it but also wasn’t very bothered. It’s set to get even warmer tomorrow though, so we’ll see how we hold up.
This morning we tried something new – my Dad started earlier than I to get a head start, and so I could sleep in. I started later and caught up to him in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I got lost getting out of town with my friend, so I was much farther behind than anticipated, but we eventually met up!
The first 10km were fairly good with multiple little towns. The next 12km had nothing at all, so you certainly had to be prepared with enough food and water. As we walked, a police car drove by as it seemed to be checking on pilgrims to make sure they’d get to the town ok. They asked if we needed a ride and we kindly declined. Later, I was ahead of my Dad and they drove by me. Not too long after, they were coming up behind me, stopped, and there was my Dad in the back! Sounds like they didn’t give him much of a choice and had my Dad hop in for a complimentary 5km ride to town, hahah. I gladly joined and the police officers took us straight to our hostel. It was a lovely reprieve from a long day on our feet, getting lost (me), and being in the heat.
Early on in the day we passed by a fountain that pours WINE! Only in Spain, right? This is a well known and popular stop for pilgrims and a must-see. I was still walking with a friend before meeting my Dad, so we stopped and had some wine and photos. I used my water bottle which I emptied, then refilled after I had wine haha. There is a sign by the fountain which reads:
Pilgrim: If you want to reach Santiago with strength and vitality, take a drink from this great wine and cheers for happiness. Irache wine fountain. Fountain of wine.
So. Cool. And honestly some pretty good wine (coming from someone who doesn’t like red wine very much). I also had some fresh orange juice from the grocery store, which is very common. It’s literally made right in front of you. You just hold a lever, watch all the oranges be juiced and fill your bottle. It’s the best orange juice I’ve ever had!
Tonight was slow. We showered, did our laundry by hand and basically laid down until bed. We’ve planned out the next few days and are ready to keep pushing through. I’ve been offering up many prayers for everyone, and I know my Dad has too. We are missing you all!
Buen Camino!
Hannah + Tony
