Day 10 Estella to Los Arcos

Red sky in the morning, shepherds’ warning……..

I wore layer upon layer, but it was definitely a very cold and windy day…… getting out of Estella was easier than finding my lodgings yesterday and I was back on the Camino within about 40 minutes having asked the way only once. Soon I was out of the urban sprawl and walking through a forest of evergreen and cork oaks……..

The undulating terrain was easy and pleasant, although always a steep climb to the the villages on the way, which many tend to be old fortified hill towns….

I then came to open county with huge skies and equally huge landscapes……

The rain clouds were gathering and the wind enough to cut me in two…..

And does anybody know what this is, a giant spider-web ball? There were lots of them and certainly stirred my imagination…….

Way before reaching the village of Villamayor de Monjardin the ruined monastery can be seen……

Next the well, which is about eight steps down into the water and looks quite deep and just a tad scary, the building is classic and beautiful…….

And inside, the deep water…..

But onwards and upwards, especially when the graffiti offers such a bonus……

The sun shone the rain stopped, Suddenly there was the swish of Lycra on leather and I found I had risked my life to take this picture of the locked (and it’s Sunday!) Church in Villamayer…..

Next to the water fountain at Iguzuiza, not yet turned on, too early in the Pilgrim season…..

But spring at the fountain quite definitely was turned on……

And did this pilgrim have a spare pair of shoes with him/her?

And to Argos, no sorry, Arcos. My lodgings tonight being a room about the size of a broom cupboard and bitterly cold as the heating doesn’t come on until the evening, ditto the hot water. So I found the local bar and had lunch, a glass of wine in these parts is 1€, a cup of coffee 1:50€, no contest, but I do miss my breakfast coffee…….

Every thing is carbohydrate based, I haven’t eaten meat or fish for what seems like days, on the other hand it is so cold that maybe it’s just what I need….

The hot water has at last be activated and my washing is done, although if it will ever dry is another matter. I just read the instructions in my walking trousers, “hand or machine wash, to re-waterproof, use a cool iron or tumble dry on a cool cycle” you guessed it, I forgot to pack the iron, or the tumble dryer, or indeed the bicycle……

I have a rest day here in Los Arcos tomorrow, so I may have to stay in bed until at least the trousers are dry. Sounds good, but as I’m a five-thirty riser it could be a little tedious. The most exciting thing in this town apart from the locked Church is the supermarket, I may be forced to check that out tomorrow and I promise not to send any pictures……

But have to include Jose my guardian angel of yesterday……

All in all not the greatest day, mainly because it/I was so cold….. Pilgrim count six,….. could anyone bring me a hotty bottle right now my feet are freezing, it’s definitely a fleece and sock night.

Love Susan x