Porridge for breakfast, with honey from Remy and pastries from John, who also uses his professional skills to make coffee with the machine in the bar. This place is quite easy going. John talks about his vision for some family land in Croatia: a project teaching children agricultural skills.
I love hearing people's dreams.
Remy and I set off on the 31km stage to Najera . . . keeping to the route out of the city is tricky . . . a little colder today and a few showers . . . and so, two hours of philosophy in French . . . Remy is walking five continents, so the camino is more of a warm up than major trek.
At Navarette we meet Dylan and Joe at the church . . . the most ornate I have seen, with gold leaf all over . . . and over the top for me . . .
Remy decides to rest there after his 40 km day yesterday . . . Joe, Dylan and I push on to Ventosa, coffee and a simpler church . . .
We catch up with Francisco, struggling with his feet, then I push ahead to Najera, feeling fit and fancying a 40km day on the plains ahead.
The municipal albergue is run by volunteers, in this case Juan-Luis, who retired after 30 years a policeman and two motor cycle accidents. He walked four different camino routes before becoming a volunteer here. He makes tea for each arrival, using herbs gathered from the hills. Delicious. Will he keep it up when it's 90 pilgrims not the 9 here today? As a policeman, he served in the Basque country during the ETA uprising. Maybe that was his thing then. Seeing him here, he is certainly doing his thing now. Loving the pilgrim life, serving the pilgrims with love.
John arrives and we enjoy a shared meal in English and Spanish.
Dylan finds a guitar, which makes him happy. Music is his thing. Makes us happy too. He's good.
There are three types of albergue: parochial, church run and usually by donation or €5; municipal, usually €5 to €10, though this one is by donation; private, usually €10 and often offering meals too.
Since the camino has become big business for small businesses, there is often resentment from the private sector at what they consider unfair competition from the church and local government. Though in the main season, July and August, with 300,000 people on the road every day, they are all full. Imagine a 90 bed dormitory, on a hot summers night with all the snoring, coughing and farting. Late autumn and winter seems like the best time - cool for walking, plenty of space at the albergues.
As long as it doesn't snow.
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