From Ayegui to Torres del Rio

Day 7, Friday 30 August 2013

Distance to Santiago: 690,6 km

Because I am not physical able to walk more to catch up, Marinda decided that we should start walking early in the morning to miss the heat of the day. Therefore we woke up at 05:00, took our belongings as silently as possible out of the communal sleeping hall and get dressed in the bathrooms. We left the Albergue at 06:00. Outside it was still dark and we walk through the village in a few minutes reaching the unlit camino road. Being from Africa we were too afraid to walk in the dark with our headlamp and decided to follow the national road with was illuminated. From the road we noticed the  Bodegas Irache wine fountain where pilgrims could fortify themselves for the journey ahead. It was still dark so that we were not able to take any photos. I enjoyed the freshness of the morning and was more energetic and in high spirit.

Early morning approaching Villamayor de Morjardin Statue of Sancho Garces I King of Pamplona at Villamayor de Morjardin

Early morning walk to Luquin
Vineyards on the way to Los Arcos

Enjoying the walking.   We noticed when walking the Camino that sometimes people came from the opposite direction. It might be locals or people doing the Camino other way round.

This photo was taken by one of these people who volunteered to take a photo. When finished he started to walk with me introducing himself as a voluntary Camino official, while Marinda was doing a short cut through a farmer’s cornfield. The volunteers walked parts of the Camino to  assist pilgrims who needed help. He also told me that he was a retired system engineer who worked in agriculture environment. When he was younger, he walked the Camino several times.  He even ran it. It took fifteen days to run it by doing 50 km a day. The current record is 12 days. He told me more about the surroundings. He pointed out a monastery against a hill ran by six monks for centuries, they never stopped praying by switching shifts.

 
In Torres del Rio is the 12th century church, Iglesia de Santo Sepulcro linked to the Knights Templar.  The cupola with its cross-ribbed vault forming an eight-sided star is emblematic of the Knights. We stayed in Casa Mariela for €7. We walked 27 km for the day.