On to Los Arcos

Our day timings are set by the time our two suitcases need to be at the hotel reception which is always 8 o’clock. We have enjoyed our daily walks with lighter loads rather than having to carry everything. Breakfast is usually available from 7:00. After this we’re normally on the road about 8:15. Typically we arrive at our destination around 2 pm.

Our route today was through magnificent country with varying views of hills as we climbed up to Villamayor de Monjardin. The scale of these hills is much larger than the south of England with heights up to 900 or 1,000 metres whereas the highest point in the whole of the south of England is Leith Hill at 300 m.

The limestone cliffs we’d seen from a far can be seen on the map above. They did look impressive in the morning sun. One of the joys of walking is the appreciation of the landscape as we slowly walk through.

We spent some time deliberating whether the top of Monjardin was a natural outcrop or had a building on top. As we came closer we could see it was an old castle, Castillo de San Esteban.

The church at Villamayor was simple and austere compared to others we visited. Does this reflect different traditions in Spanish Catholicism? Interestingly the windows are covered with alabaster which gives a dim light. No need to capture all the light possible as in northern Europe.

The second half of our day was through wheat fields along straight white roads. Fortunately the landscape kept changing as we walked through. We’re enjoying the way the route is as it is and we are mere followers of the Way.

The flowers continue to be splendid with large stands of dog roses with a delightful scent. We also saw wild irises and what I think are a form of scabious. The tamarix will soon be in flower but not quite yet. It is great to be here in May to see all these flowers.

We’re getting into the swing of enjoying refreshments at the end of our day’s walk. It’s very pleasant to sit in the plaza with one of us enjoying a beer and the other ice cream.

One more day’s walking before we have a rest day in Logroño. We’re in good form with only one blister between us. Our legs are definitely getting more flexible and we can keep going for longer. 28 km tomorrow so we’ll see how we get on with that. In the distance we can see higher mountains which we’ll need to surmount in the days ahead.