Camino Day 8: Los Arcos - Logroño (16/03/15) Part II

Looking back at Viana

 Descending from the hilltop on which Viana sits, we walked on through some modern semi-industrial suburbs which finally gave way to vineyards again and we came to the 17^th century baroque Hermitage of Trinidad de Cuevas. There was a Trinitarian convent at this site as far back as the 13^th century caring for pilgrims.

Hermitage of Trinidad de Cuevas

Beyond this we took an optional route to the ornithological nature reserve of Pantano de las Cañas. A lake and low lying meadows here are favoured by wildfowl such as Great Egrets, but according to the information board the area was noted in the 16^th century for it’s witchcraft activity; covens would attend from all over the area supervised by the Wizard of Bargota and the “queen” of the witches covens; a blind girl from Viana nicknamed Endregoto. The poor demon possessed girl that St Paul exorcised in Acts 16:16-24 came to our minds.

Wild Euphorbia

As we returned to walk alongside the N111, we came to the border of Navarre and entered the small autonomous region of La Rioja. This was an exciting moment for me – I had had walked all the way across Navarre from that September day in the Pyrenees when I entered Spain with Matt and Ben. I know it is a relatively small achievement but I felt elated to enter a new Spanish region!



Entering La Rioja

After the border, the final section into Logroño became very tedious; we were tired, but apart from this, the walk involved passing under the modern road junctions of the city’s bypass through graffiti decorated concrete tunnels and walking along soul-less coloured asphalt paths.

Near this tedious section we passed near, but couldn’t see anything of, the archaeological site of ancient Cantabria; a pre- Roman and Roman town which flourished until the 6^th Century when it was destroyed by the Visigothic king Leovigild in about A.D. 640.

Eventually though, the path descended towards the city and we found a small lady sitting at a table beside the path where, for a donation, we could have our credencials stamped. This was Felisa, niece of another lady of the same name who in years past was a famous sight on the Camino. Felisa stamped our credencials and laughed at our attempts to pronounce tomorrow’s destination - Najera, and in a good naturedly way kept getting us to repeat the correct pronunciation, which we found found very difficult and sounds something like “naagh – era” where the second part of the first syllable is hawked at the back of the throat! But I am probably doing Spanish pronunciation a great injustice – no wonder Felisa laughed at our attempts!

White Storks

At last we reached Logroño; a modern tastefully designed promenade, with a Camino water feature and plenty of seats led alongside the mighty Ebro river. David recited the names of the main Spanish rivers he had learnt in Geography at school and we were delighted to see nesting White Storks on top of an electricity pylon greeting and displaying to each other with their characteristic bill clattering which drew our attention. A wide and impressive bridge, the Puente de Piedra; a 19^th century replacement of a medieval one built by Alfonso VI, an early developer of the Camino de Santiago; led into the university city which looked resplendent across the Ebro with it’s towers and spires.



Puente de Piedra

We had spotted an albergue in John Brierley’s book which we though had sounded interesting; according to Brierley, albergue Check In Rioja on Calle Los Baños had thirty individual rooms! This sounded interesting as we had never seen an albergue like this before and anyway a night off from David’s snoring in an individual room sounded attractive to me (I just can’t help putting that comment in for David’s benefit ;-) ).

We made our way to Check In Rioja which seemed to be in the slightly scruffy outskirts of the city centre and looked like a very unpromising small warehouse from the outside and certainly not big enough to have thirty rooms. We were standing outside vacillating and wondering whether it was a mistake to go in or whether we should try another albergue, when the owner swung open the door and pleasantly greeted us – we felt we had no choice but to go in and anyway we were now very weary!



However, we were jaw droppingly amazed at the quality of the albergue when we went inside – it truly is the best albergue I have EVER stayed in so far whilst walking the Camino! It didn’t in fact have thirty individual rooms – John Brierley’s book had made on a printing error on this point, but no matter, the albergue was finished to a very high standard. The owner spoke excellent English and informed us that the building had been a dance hall in the 1930’s and then had eventually been turned into a car garage. Her brother is skilled at construction and DIY and since they had a friend who was an architect, they had bought the building and refurbished it themselves.

The dormitory in Check In Rioja

The result was small spacious albergue which was light, airy and very tastefully fitted out with contemporary furniture and fittings. A wide entrance foyer with sofas and an open plan kitchen area, where pilgrims were free to help themselves to a variety of teas and coffee, led through to a corridor, off which were six individual bathrooms fitted out to a hotel standard.

One of the bathrooms in Check  In Rioja

The corridor in turn led to the dormitory, which was presumably the old dance hall, with high curved ceiling and was fitted with a range of single, double and bunk beds and another area of sofas to relax surrounded by bookcases. Large pictures adorned the walls and the whole effect had an IKEA / Scandinavian feel. What also impressed us was that whilst the owners could have maximised their money making potential by cramming a lot more bunk beds into the albergue, they had chosen not to do this, but instead had focussed on quality over quantity. We were also not surprised to find out that the owners were best friends with the owners of Albergue Abuela at Los Arcos, as it too was of a high standard.

San Bartolomé

Amazingly, no other pilgrims turned up, so we had the entire albergue to ourselves and were given our own personal bathroom each! A laundry service was available and after a shower and a rest, it was time to explore Logroño.

Inside San Bartolome

The city has a population of about 130,000 and is the capital of Rioja; I really liked it and enjoyed its vibrant old city centre. The city’s origins are shrouded in obscurity – according to Lozano, it may be built on the site of the ancient city of Vareia, but it was after it was destroyed by El Cid in 1092 and Alfonso IV ordered construction of the bridge, that the city began to grow. The city centre runs parallel to the river in a rectangle with the two main streets Rua Vieja (the old pilgrim’s route) and Rua Mayor running parallel to each other.

Imperial Church of Santa Maria del Palacio

We wandered over to the parish church of San Bartolomé first and enjoyed the elaborate gothic portal and sat for a few minutes inside enjoying the tranquillity. Then we passed the Imperial Church of Santa Maria del Palacio built on the site the royal palace that Alfonso VII donated to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and I was struck by the strange architectural combination of tower and 14^th Century ogival spire so close together.

Church of Santiago El Real

The sun was already setting and we wanted to see more of the city so we didn’t linger but made our way down Rua Vieja to the Church of Santiago El Real. According to legend, at the battle of Clavijo (near Logroño) in AD 844 against the Moors, St James appeared in the sky riding a horse and turned the tide of battle in favour of the Christians and in thanksgiving Ramiro I built a church on this site.

Retable in Santiago el Real 

The present church is of 10^th Gothic construction but features an impressive Baroque portal with a 17^th Century statue of Santiago Matamoros –St James the Moor-Slayer – mounted on his stallion. The portal looks even more impressive when viewed from the adjoining narrow street. Inside the church was another impressive gilded retable behind the high altar and near the portal is the Baroque Fuente de los Peregrinos – fountain of the pilgrims.

Fuente de los Peregrinos

It was starting to get dark now, so we walked on to the Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Redonda with it’s impressive 18^th Century twin towers – Las Gemelas, which face onto Plaza del Mercado. Originally the cathedral was built around an octagonal church – similar to that at Eunate or Torres del Río, but it is now a fine 15^th Century Gothic church and we wandered around for quite a while and obtained stamps for our credencials from the sacristy.



Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Redonda

Whilst standing in the main aisle I was pleasantly surprised to meet Andre who came up to me enthusiastically and hugged me like a long lost friend. I find it interesting how quick pilgrims develop a common bond as they share the experience of walking the Camino together and it was good to meet a familiar pilgrim friend in Logroño! Andre, Toby, Ricardo, Leo and another Brazilian were going to a Bar for food nearby that Ricardo recommended, so David and I joined them. Walking to the bar I was struck by the lovely atmosphere around the plaza with it’s interesting little shops and bars– as the sun set, the city was coming to life with families, friends and couples out strolling and chatting.

Inside the Cathedral

We enjoyed our meal together. The food was good and the company and conversation interesting. There was a lot of talk about why we were walking the Camino; Toby for example, explained how he had been engaged but his relationship had come to an end and as he was soon to start a new life in Berlin he wanted to take the time out to process the change that his new life would bring. He said he had appreciated meeting and walking with Andre who had a “lot more life experience than him” and it was good to see how Andre was obviously encouraging Toby with his quiet solid presence and friendship as they walked together.

Hat shop in Logroño

Finally, David and I made our way back home to our “private” albergue– it had been a very full day and we were tired!

San Bartolomé



Camino Day 8: Los Arcos - Logroño (16/03/15) Part I

The previous day we had walked 19km in 6 hours and 20 minutes. The next two days would involve longer walks of 28.6 km and 30.1 km respectively.

I had slept well, but had woken up in the early hours with the vivid thought as I lay in my bunk that just as the Camino occasionally intersects with “normal roads and then branches off them again, so God wants me to journey with him along his paths in my life and not follow the “normal” paths others expect me to follow. I am to follow the path he has called me to…

The Hermitage of San Blas

We left Los Arcos as the church bell tower was striking 8am and ascending a slight incline, reached the chapel of San Blas. It is noteworthy how many little hermitages such as this, that one passes on the Camino and it is interesting to think of the many hermits and anchorites that must have lived in such places dispensing their spiritual “wisdom” to medieval pilgrims in times past, making a pilgrimage to Santiago quite a much more religious journey than the more secular one people experience today. The chapels are mostly locked and silent now and devoid of life, but bear testimony to a very different sort of pilgrim past.


David stopped to re-arrange the water bladder in his rucksack and I walked on to have a little time alone. We had already agreed previously, that at times we would walk separately so that we could spend time praying, worshipping or just reflecting. David was also using his time alone to memorise Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. The landscape opened up into wide fields and vineyards speckled with more wildflowers and almond blossom and although the wind was bracingly cold, I took the opportunity to sing some worship songs and pray for my mum who was having an operation on a torn ligament in her shoulder that morning and for a friend who was experiencing emotional and spiritual difficulties. Small birds piped from the bushes and the time passed pleasantly as I took a turn to the right past a little square stone structure which was perhaps another hermitage?

 Soon enough David had caught up with me as I stopped to examine more wildflowers and we approached the village of Sansol, named after a Christian martyr from Cordoba. Ahead of us as we walked up to the village was another of the Korean ladies and what amazed us about all the Korean women we saw was that they were walking the Camino in flip-flops which we felt could not be a good idea due to friction blisters and the lack of protection for the feet? Nonetheless, none of the Korean women seemed to be experiencing any particular foot problems!

Approaching Sansol

At Sansol we found a little café cum hardware store which seemed to sell everything from scallop shells to pliers, and we had coffee and plum cake. Richard the Anaesthetist and a young French guy called Louis arrived as we were leaving and walking up to the village church, where from the terrace in front of the church portal there was a fine view down into the valley of the next village of Torres del Rio.

David outside café at Sansol

Returning to the walk we passed two middle-aged pilgrims descending towards Torres holding hands and carrying matching rucksacks with their names printed on the back. We saluted them and commented on how very romantic the scene was!

View of Torres Del Rio from Sansol

I was excited to reach Torres del Rio because in the village is one of the most unusual churches on the entire Camino Francés – the 12^th century octagonal Romanesque church of the Holy Sepulchre. Similar to the one I saw at Eunate, this one to my mind is even more architecturally delightful because the central octagon is crowned by a lantern over the main cupola, with a cylindrical staircase on one side and a semi-circular apse on the other.

Looking back at Sansol Church from Torres Del Rio

The origins of Iglesia de Santo Sepulcro are obscure; it may have been linked with the Knights Templar, as octagonal churches based on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem are often linked with the Order and the exoticism of such churches is sometimes (probably wrongly) linked with the Templar’s demise. Other historians think that the church was built as a mortuary chapel for the burial of pilgrims; medieval burials have been excavated in front of the church where there was once a graveyard and the lantern may have acted as a beacon for bringing bodies from the surrounding landscape at night.

Iglesia Santo Sepulcro

A guardian sat at the door and stepping inside to have my credencial stamped was a wonderful experience. Above me was the wonderful lofty cross-ribbed vault which forms an eight sided star and is said to be emblematic of the Knights Templar. The extraordinarily complex design is Arabic in origin and owes much to similar vaults found in the architecture of the Islamic Caliphate of Medieval Cordoba. The names of some of the disciples were inscribed on the vault, a 13^th century crucifix hung in the apse and there was richly embellished carvings on the pillar capitals.

I spent a long time sitting in silence, tracing the ribs on the vault and listening to pigeons cooing. My reflections were abruptly brought back to the present when a friend of the guardian’s suddenly poked her head in the door and bellowed “BUENAS DIAZ!” at her friend and then looked sheepish when she saw me!

Returning outside I noted some inscriptions in the ancient stonework. David was sitting on a low wall and suggested we read the two Psalms of Ascents allotted for the day. How surprised I was and how appropriate it seemed then, given the architectural connection of Santo Sepulcro with Jerusalem to read:

“I rejoiced with those who said to me,

“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together”

In that moment it seemed like the compacted little village of Torres del Rio with it’s marvellous little temple stood symbolically in for Jerusalem and it’s ancient Temple and for a moment as Psalm 123 begins, we lifted up our eyes to Him.

Leaving Torres, David walked on ahead whilst I lingered to take a last look at Santo Sepulcro and then walking on I was delighted to find on a grassy embankment a stand of delicate Sombre or Dark Bee Orchids - Ophrys fusca. I kneeled carefully on the ground to photograph them and enjoy them close up. This was nature’s mimicry at it’s best. Orchids do not reward visiting insects to their flowers with nectar – it’s all take and no give with them! In this case the velvety deep red-brown flowers of the orchid stand out against the light green of the rest of the plant and resemble the rear end of a female bumble bee – right down to markings on the flower that look like wing tips and the female bee’s rear legs. The hapless male bumble flies in excitedly to copulate with what he thinks is a suitable female who has her head stuck in a flower, but all he gets for his trouble is a back full of pollen ready to fertilise another orchid as he tries again on the next flower!

Sombre Bee Orchid

I was lying on the ground when Richard appeared wondering what I was doing. I pointed out the orchids and he was surprised to hear that there were ground orchids in Europe. Richard was walking fairly slowly as his legs were giving him a lot of trouble and this was the last time we saw him as he apparently stopped for the night at Viana.

Hermitage of Nuestra Señora del Poyo

I caught up with David and we ascended the 570M hill of Nuestra Señora del Poyo. Poyo in Spanish means raised platform or podium and at it’s summit was another hermitage after which the hill is named. Beyond this the Camino descended steeply down a ravine picturesquely called Barranco Mataburros – the Mule-killer ravine!

Church of Santa Maria, Viana

Louis the young Frenchman who had been walking with Richard, caught up with us. He told us he was 18, from Clermont Ferrand in the Massif Central and had already walked 800 km with a 20kg pack to get this far! He hoped to walk home again too after reaching Finisterre! Although his English was not great we enjoyed talking to him and to him and he asked us about our professions and why we were walking the Camino and we explained that we were Christians. It is always interesting to hear the reasons why people walk the Camino and what was clear was that Louis had some deep family hurts in his life but was walking the Camino to face and work through them. David and I were impressed with his courage and willingness to confront his hurts. Eventually Louis stopped to have his lunch and we went on, wishing him well as we had not brought a picnic ourselves and needed to find lunch. We took the time to pray for him as we walked.

Recessed Doorway of Church

By the time we reached Viana, a lively town of about 3,600, we were ravenous and dived into a bar opposite the church portal for pintxos. As usual, the bar looked closed outside and was dead inside with only a meagre selection of pintxos, but no sooner had we ordered and started gulping and guzzling our food and vino tinto, when rent-a-crowd arrived again. The bar filled up, the selection of pintxos increased exponentially and we sampled more food and wine!

Thus fortified, we were able to take a quick look at Viana. In 1423 Charles III had founded the Principality of Viana and made it a property of the heir to the throne of Navarre. Surrounded by imposing town walls and old large townhouses the town was lively and impressive.

Portal of San Pedro

The church was closed but featured an elaborate recessed doorway and in front of it, under a slab on the ground, lies the grave of the infamous Cesare Borgia. He was the illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI, the first person in history to resign as a cardinal, a mercenary soldier, he eventually fell foul of Alexander’s successor Pope Julius II who exiled him to Spain where he was killed in battle near Viana at Mendavia in 1507. An elaborate tomb was built for him inside the church but this was vandalised in the 17^th century and he was re-interred outside the church in front of the porch. Some say that he was the model used by Leonardo Da Vinci for the face of Christ which became the classic way Christ was portrayed in Renaissance paintings!

Surviving fresco in San Pedro

Further down the town we examined the ruins of the once impressive 14^th century church of San Pedro where surviving fragments of fresco and a ruined rose window hinted at it’s former splendour. Why it lies in ruins was unclear to us – was it war or neglect?

Ruined nave of San Pedro