Camino de Santiago Day Six
Day 6: Estella to Los Arcos
We stayed at the municipal pilgrims albergue in Estella in close quarters: two showers, toilets and sinks for 22 people in our room. There were four more rooms like it. Many share meals together buying food at the store and cooking in the kitchen. We got an early start at 6 o’clock–grabbed a coffee out of the vending machine (it was good) and jam on bread.
Within 2 miles we were at Bodegas Irache that serves free wine or water to pilgrims from a spigot to give strength for the journey.
We are now at lower elevation, and we had full sun as we walked today. Across the fields we saw a beautiful mountain range, Sierra de Lokiz—the white cliffs in the distance that are keeping the storms in Cantabria at bay.
As we walked into Villamayor de Montjardin we found the Arabic baths. These are three of our Italiano friends. Whenever we see them they say "eh, California!"
We are still in Navarre, and walking through the vineyards. The soil is red, and the road is dry and dusty. No fences, no crowds, just fields. This is the time of year when farmers just let their crops grow–vines and wheat still green with no fruit. Branches have been pruned and young leaves and branches are growing on old vines. The analogies are way too easy.
Pruning on the Camino takes place in many different ways. Two days ago we met a Canadian man who had to spend the day resting because he had blisters on his feet. He couldn’t wear his shoes, and a British woman gave him her hiking sandals. She told us today that he arrived here in Los Arcos with his wife and sandals. I love that strangers are tangibly caring for each other.
This small village built on hillside has a castle (built by the Moors and conquered by the Christians) at the top of the peak and a humble chapel of San Andrés built in the 12th century (and the tower added in the 14th). There is very little light inside except for the small room and window above the altar that draws you in. I was thinking “I am the light of the world. Whoever believes in me will never walk in darkness. “
As I walked outside, a man from the village told me about the silver cross inside the church and kept in a niche behind iron bars. Es un tesoro, he said. It was made 1300 years ago. It was found in the castle and they moved it to this humble church. A Spanish cyclist told me the expensive cross in that humble church is like Grace. As we walked away I thought about a treasure in clay jars. That church doesn’t deserve a cross that expensive or that precious and yet someone chose to put it there.
We are still in Navarre, and walking through the vineyards. The soil is red, and the road is dry and dusty. No fences, no crowds, just fields. This is the time of year when farmers just let their crops grow–vines and wheat still green with no fruit. Branches have been pruned and young leaves and branches are growing on old vines. The analogies are way too easy.
Pruning on the Camino takes place in many different ways. Two days ago we met a Canadian man who had to spend the day resting because he had blisters on his feet. He couldn’t wear his shoes, and a British woman gave him her hiking sandals. She told us today that he arrived here in Los Arcos with his wife and sandals. I love that strangers are tangibly caring for each other.
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