Day 10 - From Sunrise to Sunset : Los Arcos to Viana

Up until today we have generally stuck to the suggested stops in the John Brierley guidebook for the Camino (which many English speaking pilgrims follow). However, Brierley's recommended hike for today's section is 27 kilometers, and with an estimated 36 degrees and 99 % humidity forecast for today, we have decided to stop in the village of Viana, which is only 19 km from Los Arcos. As a result, tomorrow's section in the Brierley guide will also be broken up, meaning we will take 3 days to hike the distance we planned to cover in 2 days.

This morning, we awoke at 4:30 to a sweltering 31 degrees, and dozens of other sweating pilgrims preparing to leave the stifling room. While we had paid for breakfast (a self serve setup), an individual was asleep on the floor of the kitchen across the front of the stove and fridge, so not wanting to disturb him, we settled for some bread and jam. Happy to be heading out, we grabbed our gear and discovered that despite the hour, there were dozens of other pilgrims who dotted the landscape with their flashlights along the trail! The race against the heat had clearly begun earlier in some establishments. 

We made good time through the morning, and were soon 1/2 way to our destination even before the 8 am sunrise. As night's darkness faded, the rich colours of the landscape began to emerge across the landscape to provide an incredible feeling experience. 

The pathway of the Camino today took us through Sansol and Torres del Rio in a series of short but steep climbs and meandering dissents which providing little shade from the sun. 

Our trek also took us through farmland containing the now familiar huge stacks of hay, and through vineyards teeming with huge bunches of ripe grapes.

Given the shortness of our hike, we arrived in Viana around 10:30 am. On the edge of town we passed through a section of new residential developments, before climbing to the historic part of town where we were fortunate enough to get a room in Izar albergue.

Thankfully, we were allowed to check in at 11 am, whereupon we each had a cold shower, hand washed our clothes, and rested until mid afternoon while reading about the region in our cool room. While the temperature outside had reached 34 degrees Celsius, we nonetheless set out to have lunch at a local bar, and were grateful to be able to find a place still serving food. We enjoyed tortillas con patate, a pitcher of orange juice, and two cafe con leches. Afterwards, we explored the side streets throughout Viana, and again found that off the Camino route, much of the town was surprisingly run down, with many buildings being merely shelled structures with curtains hung in the windows and flowers on their balconies.

Surprisingly, when we spoke of this to other pilgrims, we learned that many of our fellow hikers rarely leave the albergue once they arrive, and almost never stray off the Camino proper. I know that everyone walks their own way, and some would argue vigorously that our experiences tend more toward the touristy than the spiritual, but I can't help feeling that growth, compassion, and understanding can come from acknowledging and learning from the world around us, as well as from solitude and inner reflection. I still find it amazing how we can travel through a foreign country, and fall into such a state of following, or become so consumed with our end goal, that we fail to notice the realities around us. What else do we fail to see here in Spain, or in these beautiful towns full of warm and compassionate people? What do we choose to ignore in our own home towns? What do we never see in our own country?

Leaving these thoughts aside, the town of Viana was beautiful and immaculately clean, as the vast majority of Spanish villages and neighbourhoods seem to be. Perhaps our favourite part of Viana were the ruins of Iglesia de San Pedro, a church whose imposing structure stood at the edge of town overlooking the surrounding valley. The ceiling of this church had long since collapsed, and in its place the glorious remains of its rose window, domes and artwork were all that remained. It is here that we spent the remainder of the afternoon, sitting in the shade of the church's structure on the seducing soft and relaxing lawn. 

 

In the evening, tired of tourist paella and pizza, we opted for the pilgrim dinner at the albergue - which despite assurances of vegetarian options consisted of canned pasta and undercooked pork chops as well as luncheon yogurts as desert. Regardless of the poor fare, our Camino meals have always been more about the people and conversations around the table, and tonight was no different. As we talked during dinner we soon discovered that many of our fellow pilgrims are now taking days off, taking cabs forward due to injuries, shipping their packs, or travelling only to the larger metropolitan centers. As a result, the group of familiar hikers we have been seeing since St. Jean has slowly, in a myriad of different ways, begun to break apart as we all begin to shape our own Camino paths. 

After dinner, again free of curfew limitations, we wandered the town to enjoy the cool night air, and took the time to enjoy watching the sunset over the nearby valley while sitting on the city walls. Feeling refreshed and relaxed we again explored without direction or destination, and ended up enjoying an ice cream and watching the night life in the town square. By 9 we were tired enough and returned to the albergue and our beds for the evening. Tomorrow's goal is the town of Navarette approximately 22km away. 

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Practical information:

Distance: 18.4 km
Max Temperature: 34°C
Accommodations: Izar alberge (10 Euros/person for a double room)