22/09/2023
Ayegui to Los Acros
Sad day, Last day, Great day, Brilliant night.
22.92 Km. 538m elevation gain 5hours 12minutes walking time.
Nice sleep, we are up at something early o’clock, again it is just under six hours of sleep but doing okay.
While I do not think we were that slow in getting out the door we were the last ones to do so and the look on the morning caretakers face told us she was less than impressed. That is because she did not have a chance to get to know what lovable human beings we are, then she would possibly have wanted to keep us for cuddles…..alas it was not to be. No sign of Francesco, he most definitely earns any sleep ins he can get.
While I do not think we were that slow in getting out the door we were the last ones to do so and the look on the morning caretakers face told us she was less than impressed. That is because she did not have a chance to get to know what lovable human beings we are, then she would possibly have wanted to keep us for cuddles…..alas it was not to be. No sign of Francesco, he most definitely earns any sleep ins he can get.
We had breakfast in the same bar we frequented last night, I learned the Spanish word for butter or is it the butter: La Mantequilla. Recognised several faces on different tables; including the younger Josh I had met on the second day and a French friend of the so considerate young Valentina. I left the two T’s here and headed off into the last day of this walk for me.
Just after leaving the village you have two highlights of the Camino de Frances: 1) The blacksmith of Ayegui. No matter how busy he appears to be I recommend you stop here and take a bit of time to view his work, a true artist. Never a big fan of Metal Work while in School; I was always drawn towards working with wood. Looking at what this man created with his two hands and his imagination…..just amazing. Looking back I should have purchased more….most definitely should have picked up something for Mum. Perhaps when I get the chance to return to the Camino….all going well with the world I will start in either Ayegui or Estella and do so. I purchased 4 charms. One for Jennie and two for the T’s if they did not stop here or if they had done and got their own then so for Joanne and Monica my two sisters. And of course one for yours truly.
Next stop up the road is and you come to the famous Bodegas Irache where the wine in flows from a fountain. I did not linger as long as I would have liked, there was a large group of pretty loud people, I did however manage to fill half a 500ml bottle with delicious juice of the grape. Not without comment from some around might add, still everyone is entitled to their opinion, I do feel perhaps too many people share theirs too often with the world. Folks not every thought needs expressing.
It was a beautiful day, too beautiful to dwell on the trivial so I quickly left that moment quickly behind me.
Just after leaving the village you have two highlights of the Camino de Frances: 1) The blacksmith of Ayegui. No matter how busy he appears to be I recommend you stop here and take a bit of time to view his work, a true artist. Never a big fan of Metal Work while in School; I was always drawn towards working with wood. Looking at what this man created with his two hands and his imagination…..just amazing. Looking back I should have purchased more….most definitely should have picked up something for Mum. Perhaps when I get the chance to return to the Camino….all going well with the world I will start in either Ayegui or Estella and do so. I purchased 4 charms. One for Jennie and two for the T’s if they did not stop here or if they had done and got their own then so for Joanne and Monica my two sisters. And of course one for yours truly.
Next stop up the road is and you come to the famous Bodegas Irache where the wine in flows from a fountain. I did not linger as long as I would have liked, there was a large group of pretty loud people, I did however manage to fill half a 500ml bottle with delicious juice of the grape. Not without comment from some around might add, still everyone is entitled to their opinion, I do feel perhaps too many people share theirs too often with the world. Folks not every thought needs expressing.
It was a beautiful day, too beautiful to dwell on the trivial so I quickly left that moment quickly behind me.
The weather was fabulous and throughout this leg of the walk the scenery was possibly the most diverse I had came across so far. Despite this being my last day on the Camino ( for now at least……...hopefully ) and thinking of home I could not help but enjoy my surroundings.
A few kilometres on and I had a snack and a drop of wine in the small hamlet / village of Azketko. There was quite a few Peregrinos ( or should that be Peregrinas ?) regardless there be a lot gathered here. There was only one small café open but it managed the numbers very well. Among several familiar faces I exchanged a smile with the lady that I had met outside of Roncesvalles, she had stopped to help the injured coal tit. Her hand was still in a bandage…...the mystery remains. Not long and along came Polly….wait that is the name of a film….along came the T’s. We chatted briefly and then I disappeared off down the road…..regrettably and not intentionally…..leaving my last drop of wine from Irache behind me.
A few kilometres on and I had a snack and a drop of wine in the small hamlet / village of Azketko. There was quite a few Peregrinos ( or should that be Peregrinas ?) regardless there be a lot gathered here. There was only one small café open but it managed the numbers very well. Among several familiar faces I exchanged a smile with the lady that I had met outside of Roncesvalles, she had stopped to help the injured coal tit. Her hand was still in a bandage…...the mystery remains. Not long and along came Polly….wait that is the name of a film….along came the T’s. We chatted briefly and then I disappeared off down the road…..regrettably and not intentionally…..leaving my last drop of wine from Irache behind me.
For the next couple of kilometres the landscape changes to rolling hills where until now it was mainly shaded pathways. Not long up the road and you come across a building alongside the path. It is a standalone structure with a typical gable roof, there are two large open archways where upon entering you descend perhaps a dozen or so steps that lead down to a water covered floor. In the centre of the water there is a square cement basin, also filled with water. I image it is fed by an underground spring coming down from the hill directly above and it is used primarily for watering the fields and vineyards directly below. However the open archways and the neatness of the steps down to the water give it a look that says perhaps at some stage in its past it was used for ritualistic purposes…..must look it up…….someday. I have since heard it called The Moor Fountain…..
Since leaving Azketko I find my eyes continuously drawn towards a rather impressive looking building that stood atop a hill to the north, definitely had the look of a Castle, Monastery or similar. I image many pairs of eyes are drawn to it. I think I saw a path earlier that may lead up to it…..hopefully someday I will discover if it does. So the name of the place is Castillo de San Esteban de Deyo o de Monjardín…..I did look it up, not a name that exactly rolls off an Irish tongue. I checked it out on maps and see that the path I spotted earlier led nowhere near it. However you can access it from the village up ahead and it is approximately a 2 km hike ( sticking to the main dirt track, apparently cars are not allowed ) and a ascent of 100 meters. Fingers crossed for another day then.
Since leaving Azketko I find my eyes continuously drawn towards a rather impressive looking building that stood atop a hill to the north, definitely had the look of a Castle, Monastery or similar. I image many pairs of eyes are drawn to it. I think I saw a path earlier that may lead up to it…..hopefully someday I will discover if it does. So the name of the place is Castillo de San Esteban de Deyo o de Monjardín…..I did look it up, not a name that exactly rolls off an Irish tongue. I checked it out on maps and see that the path I spotted earlier led nowhere near it. However you can access it from the village up ahead and it is approximately a 2 km hike ( sticking to the main dirt track, apparently cars are not allowed ) and a ascent of 100 meters. Fingers crossed for another day then.
The village up ahead in question is Villamayor de Monjardín, as you approach you see the spire of the church and it is impressive through the foliage. The day I entered there were street works going on with various sizes and shapes of bollards and tape around the main street…..there was a café open there, with customers, albeit it among said tape and protective bollards to me it was uninviting, I did not stall….another day definitely a possibility. I continued on around the corner to the Church of Iglesia de San Andrés Apóstol.
Here I found comfort within and without. Within: I entered and signed the registrar, stamped my Camino passport. I then went on to light a couple of candles before taking a seat towards the front of the church. Here I found for a few minutes a peace that is rare, in the past I found it regularly on mountains in Ireland and gorges in Crete, now Churches on the Camino….
It was very comforting there, however no sooner had I settled my mind a little, shed a couple of tears, next I heard a bit of a kerfuffle going on behind me ( I think its Irish colloquial for a discussion where there is a not a meeting of the minds, if it happened in Ireland there may be a bit of physical contact...but nothing serious, in this case it being a church and not in Ireland the dispute was just verbal ) I gleaned a couple of the words but not a lot. So the local parishioner's had opened up the church for the Pilgrims and another group of locals turned up to disagree with that decision…..It had rained heavy yesterday and many people had dried mud / dirt on their boots and when they entered the church, be it just to get their passport stamped or to say a few words were leaving a some of that dried clay behind them. As I sat towards the front of the church I could hear the large doors being closed. I shared a couple of more words with the universe before getting up and leaving the church. Why is there always conflict: on days like these, which I image are pretty regular in this part of Spain, the answer would be to have someone at the front door of the church admitting anyone so long as they left there boots out front. If the rain happens to be falling at the time and the floor is the priority then leave the doors closed.
Here I found comfort within and without. Within: I entered and signed the registrar, stamped my Camino passport. I then went on to light a couple of candles before taking a seat towards the front of the church. Here I found for a few minutes a peace that is rare, in the past I found it regularly on mountains in Ireland and gorges in Crete, now Churches on the Camino….
It was very comforting there, however no sooner had I settled my mind a little, shed a couple of tears, next I heard a bit of a kerfuffle going on behind me ( I think its Irish colloquial for a discussion where there is a not a meeting of the minds, if it happened in Ireland there may be a bit of physical contact...but nothing serious, in this case it being a church and not in Ireland the dispute was just verbal ) I gleaned a couple of the words but not a lot. So the local parishioner's had opened up the church for the Pilgrims and another group of locals turned up to disagree with that decision…..It had rained heavy yesterday and many people had dried mud / dirt on their boots and when they entered the church, be it just to get their passport stamped or to say a few words were leaving a some of that dried clay behind them. As I sat towards the front of the church I could hear the large doors being closed. I shared a couple of more words with the universe before getting up and leaving the church. Why is there always conflict: on days like these, which I image are pretty regular in this part of Spain, the answer would be to have someone at the front door of the church admitting anyone so long as they left there boots out front. If the rain happens to be falling at the time and the floor is the priority then leave the doors closed.
Views outside the Church are comforting to say the very least, I went around the corner, the mountains are in the distance, the sun is shining…..so okay; everything is not right with the world….it never will be…but right at the moment….taking in what was around me and also consuming a dram of Spanish brandy from my hip flask…..I cannot exactly tell you when I learned to appreciate singular moments in my life but right then I felt something, not sure what, I thought briefly of shedding a tear, took another sip instead and a photo of my hip flask before leaving the church grounds and saying hello / goodbye to one of the village cats before heading off down the road.
I remember looking ahead and smiling…….and thought….they will be time for tears down the road…..right now smile.
At the far end of the village you are heading downhill through a vineyard, the first row is picked clean, I presume by walkers that have preceded me…..I can see some of the second rows have also been selected for early harvesting…but not by the owners I suspect...I thought about it….briefly….but cannot do it. There is no fence up so the grower / owner of the land is trusting or possibly too mean to put up a fence, I’d go with the former….
As the path levels out and you leave the vineyard, if memory serves me, did I mention that I have a notoriously bad memory, notoriously in this case is a kind word, you start along a very open and uncovered path that goes on for quite a bit….a grasshopper would struggle to find shade here..is there something wrong with me that I kinda enjoyed this stretch of the walk? Once you cross the tarmac road onto a well maintained dirt track you will possibly see a sign; Food Truck 1km. Or something to that effect…...unless they move it about a km closer in the future you can read that as 1km plus another kilometre for good luck.
I remember looking ahead and smiling…….and thought….they will be time for tears down the road…..right now smile.
At the far end of the village you are heading downhill through a vineyard, the first row is picked clean, I presume by walkers that have preceded me…..I can see some of the second rows have also been selected for early harvesting…but not by the owners I suspect...I thought about it….briefly….but cannot do it. There is no fence up so the grower / owner of the land is trusting or possibly too mean to put up a fence, I’d go with the former….
As the path levels out and you leave the vineyard, if memory serves me, did I mention that I have a notoriously bad memory, notoriously in this case is a kind word, you start along a very open and uncovered path that goes on for quite a bit….a grasshopper would struggle to find shade here..is there something wrong with me that I kinda enjoyed this stretch of the walk? Once you cross the tarmac road onto a well maintained dirt track you will possibly see a sign; Food Truck 1km. Or something to that effect…...unless they move it about a km closer in the future you can read that as 1km plus another kilometre for good luck.
I honestly didn’t mind the extra distance to the food truck as I really was enjoying today, I appreciated it was my last day for now, on the walk that is. Beautiful weather, amazing vistas, what was not to appreciate. This was the first time I really did miss my camera…
After I had indulged in a sandwich and a couple of beers I sent T a text to say that in case she was having doubts; the food truck did exist. I was right to do so…..apparently she was thinking perhaps the truck had trucked off elsewhere ( or something similar ). I hung around for another few minutes until they appeared: Said Hello...Goodbye….See you down the road.
It is a nice 7km walk from here to Los Arcos ( or as I keep calling it Los Acros ). It is a nice mix of open country, mostly open with a small wooded area. You enter the town from the north and this possibly gives a false impression of it’s size. You feel, at least I did, that if you kept walking on this stretch of a street you might well come out the other side of the town without seeing much apart from a lot of old doors and doorways that a lot o wandering people like myself love to photograph.
I found us an Albergue along this street….Albergue La Fuente Casa de Austria. It appears to be a double name. Albergue La Fuente I believe means Albergue of the Fountain and Casa de Austria House of Austria dates back the to Hapsburgs in Spain. I did not have to look this up, I do like my history.
Not long before the T’s caught up…..T called the place quirky…..I was a bit relieved, it is not always easy picking a place for other people, especially when you do not know them that well…...however both of the ladies are so easy going I thought it would be okay.
After I had indulged in a sandwich and a couple of beers I sent T a text to say that in case she was having doubts; the food truck did exist. I was right to do so…..apparently she was thinking perhaps the truck had trucked off elsewhere ( or something similar ). I hung around for another few minutes until they appeared: Said Hello...Goodbye….See you down the road.
It is a nice 7km walk from here to Los Arcos ( or as I keep calling it Los Acros ). It is a nice mix of open country, mostly open with a small wooded area. You enter the town from the north and this possibly gives a false impression of it’s size. You feel, at least I did, that if you kept walking on this stretch of a street you might well come out the other side of the town without seeing much apart from a lot of old doors and doorways that a lot o wandering people like myself love to photograph.
I found us an Albergue along this street….Albergue La Fuente Casa de Austria. It appears to be a double name. Albergue La Fuente I believe means Albergue of the Fountain and Casa de Austria House of Austria dates back the to Hapsburgs in Spain. I did not have to look this up, I do like my history.
Not long before the T’s caught up…..T called the place quirky…..I was a bit relieved, it is not always easy picking a place for other people, especially when you do not know them that well…...however both of the ladies are so easy going I thought it would be okay.
Not sure when I told T that I was heading off but it was obviously earlier as I believe I remember getting her to help me book my return flight from the Albergue. Once that was sorted I headed off for a shower, okay so the act in itself should not warrant mention….it’s possibly a step down from those who share images of what is about to go through their digestive tract…. ( I honestly think that 99% plus of the friends, family, weirdos that view the picture of what you are about to eat do not care. ) Anywho as I just started to dry myself the shower door gets opened and outside is one really, and I do mean really irate middle aged lady ( so about my age ), a tall man ( turns out it is her husband ) the receptionist and two Police officers ( one male one female ). And in case you are wondering weirdly it did not turn into an orgy. Someone had apparently made off with her husbands shirts while he showered. She goes to the trouble of picking up my clothes, rather aggressively and slams then down back down on the shelf, I think she was demonstrating what had happened to his clothes but they done it without the putting down bit, she done it so fast I had barely time to say Hey they are mine before they are back down again, I am also holding on tight to my towel wrapped around me…..just in case they had also pinched that on him and she decided to emphasise it’s absence.
I am sorry for the gentleman however I am glad to say that this was the first and only instance I came across theft of any sort or heard of the same while on my Camino. There is also the possibility that the person who took them did so by mistake and maybe when packing their bag the following morning may have just left them in the dorm….who knows?
I went up as far as the town square for a couple of drinks while the ladies done their nails and hair, you know curlers and all that…..sorry wrong century...it’s all curling irons now is it not. ( only kidding guys )
I am sorry for the gentleman however I am glad to say that this was the first and only instance I came across theft of any sort or heard of the same while on my Camino. There is also the possibility that the person who took them did so by mistake and maybe when packing their bag the following morning may have just left them in the dorm….who knows?
I went up as far as the town square for a couple of drinks while the ladies done their nails and hair, you know curlers and all that…..sorry wrong century...it’s all curling irons now is it not. ( only kidding guys )
There is a fine town square here which is guarded over by a magnificent Church, Iglesia de Santa María de Los Arcos. It was closed that evening but I got a chance to enter and light a candle there the following morning. I cannot help but be in awe of craftsmen that built and decorated it and the few Churches I had visited on my trip.
Returning to the square later with T and Trish we met up with Pilar, Eva, Mercedes ( aka The three Crazy Spanish Ladies with the Sparkling eyes ), Antonio, Joshua and decided to annoy each other over a meal. This it turned out was not going to be as easy as it sounds. The restaurant in the square could not accommodate us inside and the wind had started to blow a little, not too much but the square seemed to funnel it somewhat. We decided to take a mystery tour around the town using a guide book to discover ……. well no restaurants or café . That is until we came pretty much full circle and found a swinging Bar /Café / Restaurant just on the far side of the Church from where we had started out…..gluttons for punishment, apparently the days walk was not enough for us.
It’s a pretty large set up but then again so was the crowd, initially I believe we were told there was little to no chance of a table for eight being available before the kitchen closed. Not sure who but one of the three ladies must have worked their charm and we were told if we waited for a bit they may be able to look after us.
It was pretty awful, for the following 30 minutes or so we had to spend the time in drinking an alcoholic beverage and talking and listening to each other…..how did we survive...very well actually.
Returning to the square later with T and Trish we met up with Pilar, Eva, Mercedes ( aka The three Crazy Spanish Ladies with the Sparkling eyes ), Antonio, Joshua and decided to annoy each other over a meal. This it turned out was not going to be as easy as it sounds. The restaurant in the square could not accommodate us inside and the wind had started to blow a little, not too much but the square seemed to funnel it somewhat. We decided to take a mystery tour around the town using a guide book to discover ……. well no restaurants or café . That is until we came pretty much full circle and found a swinging Bar /Café / Restaurant just on the far side of the Church from where we had started out…..gluttons for punishment, apparently the days walk was not enough for us.
It’s a pretty large set up but then again so was the crowd, initially I believe we were told there was little to no chance of a table for eight being available before the kitchen closed. Not sure who but one of the three ladies must have worked their charm and we were told if we waited for a bit they may be able to look after us.
It was pretty awful, for the following 30 minutes or so we had to spend the time in drinking an alcoholic beverage and talking and listening to each other…..how did we survive...very well actually.
Thought about editing the video above.......but ya know what.....it works......though you really did have to be there.
In fairness we were not waiting too long to get seated in the main room and honestly, from when we sat down until we finished our meal and left it was a fun ride. So much of the fun was down to the Senorita that was looking after us and her interactions with the Three Ladies. Both Joshua and Antonio had good enough Spanish but when the four ladies above were conversing at supersonic speed they appeared to be totally lost when following the conversation. As a vegetarian and the Ladies enquired about the options available, I am possibly to blame for some of the confabulation that took place but considering it went on for a minute or perhaps 4 I will not take all the blame. Half way through this 4 way animated discusión en español Joshua said I hope someone is filming this….at which stage I started to do so. I managed a few seconds of so many words in confused Spanish followed by a few seconds of a dinner table to be complemented by another rush of the Spanish language spoken by four magnificent Ladies as 2 Antipodeans, 1 Italian, 1 American and 1 Irish looked on in awe. See video…..hopefully. It was one of those moments that ( hopefully occurs in everyones life at some stage ) you just had to be there for.
At some stage a voice from another table offered that they heard an Irish accent, I am the obvious guilty party, he asked could he join us…….on saying yes he did. I cannot remember his name however he was cycling the route he mostly chatted to the two T’s, explaining to T that it was bit harder to meet people when cycling the route. Understandable there will always be pros and cons you get there a faster and will find it easier to make a diversion however as most people are walking The Way it is less likely that you will meet the same people the following night.
After a lovely meal someone, I think it may have been myself, asked the 4th Spanish lady if she would mind taking a photo of us. Our cyclist suggested he would like to be a part of that, looking back I feel like a bit of heel for doing this but I asked him if he wouldn’t mind leaving it at just the eight of us. Later T informed me about how he didn’t connect with many people as he was cycling……..I definitely felt once. However twas done.
We had barely time for coffee when time started to run out on us, we had to be tucked in our beds by 22.00…..or our glass slippers would turn into well worn sandals and hiking shoes.
We got the bill and just divided it in eight, when we tried to leave a tip it turns out that the Municipal runs the restaurant and it is incorporated in the bill ( possibly as a service charge ) ….I still would have like to….but not my call. The lady who looked after us was so kind and judging by the earlier conversation with The Crazy Ladies I’d say she was good crack to be in company with. I did however managed to ambush her as she left to kitchen and stole a squeeze and a kiss on the cheek while calling her mi hermana.
We said sad farewells, and they were too quick, to Pilar, Eva, Mercedes and Joshua and set off with a quick step, Antonio was staying in the same Albergue as us and we all just managed to get in as they closed the main door behind us. I had hoped to chat to T in the common room for a few minutes but we got a polite shake of the head from our shepardess and ushed to our dorm.
I can honestly say that I did not have a bad night on this walk but tonight was special.
Apart from been my last night, the three ladies were finishing up the following night in Logrono as was Joshua. Only the T’s and Antonio were going the whole hog.
At some stage a voice from another table offered that they heard an Irish accent, I am the obvious guilty party, he asked could he join us…….on saying yes he did. I cannot remember his name however he was cycling the route he mostly chatted to the two T’s, explaining to T that it was bit harder to meet people when cycling the route. Understandable there will always be pros and cons you get there a faster and will find it easier to make a diversion however as most people are walking The Way it is less likely that you will meet the same people the following night.
After a lovely meal someone, I think it may have been myself, asked the 4th Spanish lady if she would mind taking a photo of us. Our cyclist suggested he would like to be a part of that, looking back I feel like a bit of heel for doing this but I asked him if he wouldn’t mind leaving it at just the eight of us. Later T informed me about how he didn’t connect with many people as he was cycling……..I definitely felt once. However twas done.
We had barely time for coffee when time started to run out on us, we had to be tucked in our beds by 22.00…..or our glass slippers would turn into well worn sandals and hiking shoes.
We got the bill and just divided it in eight, when we tried to leave a tip it turns out that the Municipal runs the restaurant and it is incorporated in the bill ( possibly as a service charge ) ….I still would have like to….but not my call. The lady who looked after us was so kind and judging by the earlier conversation with The Crazy Ladies I’d say she was good crack to be in company with. I did however managed to ambush her as she left to kitchen and stole a squeeze and a kiss on the cheek while calling her mi hermana.
We said sad farewells, and they were too quick, to Pilar, Eva, Mercedes and Joshua and set off with a quick step, Antonio was staying in the same Albergue as us and we all just managed to get in as they closed the main door behind us. I had hoped to chat to T in the common room for a few minutes but we got a polite shake of the head from our shepardess and ushed to our dorm.
I can honestly say that I did not have a bad night on this walk but tonight was special.
Apart from been my last night, the three ladies were finishing up the following night in Logrono as was Joshua. Only the T’s and Antonio were going the whole hog.