As I prepared to get up and get ready I tried to convince myself that the walk is good for me, that I have to do it and it is why I am here in the first place. It didn't really help much. I simply couldn't find the energy and the resources to walk 31 kms with sore legs, a painful head and with no motivation. I checked if it was possible to catch a bus which it was.
And then this happened! (And clearly I wasn't the only pilgrim to get on the bus) I wanted to take the bus to the place I had wanted to walk to but unfortunately it didn't stop there, so I opted for the stop after Los Arcos which is also on the Camino.
It took approximately 50 minutes getting there and during the first half of the tide I beat myself of by thinking what a failure I was taking the bus and so on. Long story short but I am at a place at the moment where I am being very hard on myself and find it difficult to permit even small tasks (which then again leads to me thinking badly about myself and then we have a visions circle..) and I am trying hard to stop going down that path. So on the bus I agreed with myself that instead of today being a cheat day I would call it a rest day. It has a better ring to it and obviously my body (and head!( could use the rest day.
The bus took me through a lot of the places I should have passed. I know Spain is truly hit by the financial crisis and it became very obvious when we passed the small villages. A lot of houses were for sale and a lot of the houses were in desperate need of renovation. The villages had a depressing feel to it and combined with my mood and the clouded weather it was a mix made in heaven. ;-)
Once I reached Los Arcos it was around 9 o'clock and since the albergue wouldn't open for at least another 3 hours I walked around the town to get a fe for it. It was so depressing! It looked like some of the places the bus passed. And it smelled like pee. I found the Albergue and quickly decided I didn't want to stay the. It looked like a present.
Church in Los Arcos. The only picture I took there.
So I did what any save person would do. I walked away. The next place was 7 kms away and that was a number I felt I could do. I was alone on the trail, so I sang out loud while listening to music.
The scenery has changed and it is clear that I am getting closer to the district of Rioja. I walked by endless and endless of rows of grapes.
As much as I like the flatter roads at the moment (as flat as Nothern Spain is, that is!) I do miss the mountain views. Here in Navarra it is very beige and boring. Of course it didn't help that the sun hid most of the day.
Once I reached Sansol I didn't feel lik staying there either. It was too much a "fake" village with overpriced beds and foods so I decided to carry on to the next place that was just another km away.
That was basically a replicate of the former city except prices were even higher here. They tried to explain it by saying I would get access to a pool. Couldn't care less and I didn't bring swimwear. So I walked on.
There was a sign saying that the next place was roughly 4 kms away. It was. But it turned out it was nothing more than an abindones church and a water fountain.
The next town, Viana, was another 7 kms away.
So I carried on. The weather cleared a bit. It was still warm even though the sun was a little shy today.
Monuments along the way.
I also passed a lot of olive trees along the way.
Baby Rioja up close and personal.
It wasn't as flat as it might looks and once I passed this sign I did regret a little that I didn't stay at any of the previous places. ;-)
Wine in the making.
In lack of bars during a long stretch a local had started his own business.
I finally I was there. I ended up walking around 20 kms. Not bad for a day where I couldn't even bring myself to walk ten steps.
I encountered this on one of the tiles and it hit me hard since that is exactly what I need to think about! I am always extremely focused on the destination and if I for some reason don't reach it I beat myself up over it instead of focussing on what I have learned. It seems like it is all r lying with me and I would love for it to change and be better to give myself credit and to allow myself to fail and be okay with it. Or just not deliver perfect result all the time. But how do I do that? I spent a lot of time today thinking about that but I am not really certain I am closer the answer. Good thing Burgos is not around the corner. ;-)
I am staying here tonight. Together with 17 other people in a sleeping room.
My bed on the right. The lower one.
The hostel is €8. I guess it is okay. I could get a bed in a room with fewer people for an additional €2. It wasn't worth it for me. 10 or 18 people hardly make a difference.
A Spanish youth club (or something similar are spending the night here. And they are loud! But I accept them. Mainly because their hot hot teacher keeps pulling up his t-shirt and scratching his stomach right in front of me. ;-)
I have not planned how far to go tomorrow since plans obviously change and going with the flow and my mood probably works best for me at the moment.
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