Najera to Granon . . .

A brisk hour to Anofra and coffee and wifi . . . the albergue in Najera was wifi free, which is not to be confused with free wifi . . . one gives you peace and absence of frequency agitation, the other communication . . . after some writing and posting, last night's salad of spinach, tomatoes, asparagus and avocado, followed by soup with potatoes, onions, carrots, beans, chick peas . . . some Rioja for the last day in the area . . . was processed and ready to return to the earth . . . a clean servicios . . . another coffee, this time with a splash of brandy . . . the other pilgrims go by, except Mani, who comes in for coffee . . .

. . . fall in with Joe, John and Dylan for a while . . . discuss national stereotypes . . . our attractions and aversions . . . three Americans and a Brit . . . Joe is drawn to the Latin temperament and Irish . . . Northern Europeans not so much . . . what about you, they ask . . . well, my problem was always with Americans, I say . . . and you three are wonderful . . . it's the mind that creates difference, the open heart finds similarity. . .

. . . once judgement is suspended, our attractions and aversions may be about common vibrations . . . soul tribes . . . within any national stereotype, we are going to find people we are drawn to more than others . . . if that's the heart speaking, it's a reminder to connect . . . as for my current favourite national stereotypes, it's Greeks, Spaniards and Portuguese . . .

Joe stops to talk to a local working in the field . . . I get back into my favoured brisk pace, forge ahead . . . walking alone is best, the occasional companion welcome . . .

. . . at Ciruena, a golf development . . . the club offers pilgrims cheap deals . . . imagine a golf club in England encouraging scruffy pilgrims . . . this place is tumblewood town . . . off season and maybe victim of the economic crisis . . .

. . . to Santo Domingo, past a potato packing plant . . . some potatoes in a puddle . . . hmm, I picked some cabbage leaves earlier, from some strays from a previous crop, now free spuds, ready washed . . .

. . . lunch of bocadillo con tortilla at Miguel's . . . with wifi, of course . . . . . . on to Granon and a completely different kind of albergue . . . bed, shower, dinner, breakfast, all by donation . . . it has the feel of a hippy squat (and I have lived in some of them) arty graffiti on the walls, a box of felt tips to encourage you . . . the world's tallest Christmas tree with a bottle of wine on top being constructed, ready for the television cameras tomorrow . . . . . . more after dinner, when I have had a chance to find out . . .