Day 7 - Monday, 28th April, 2014 - 28.0 km
[Camino sign - Lorca on the way to Estella]
I wasn't too sure that Eila would like today's destination. The hostel I had stayed at before was a rather serious affair run by Dutch ecumenical volunteers. It was housed in an old building in Villamayor de Monjardin and was an unusual experience, but the dormitories were definitely cheek by jowl.
Villamayor de Monjardin is a very beautiful village on the edge of a very symmetrical hill which can be seen on the horizon very soon after you set off from Lorca. It continues to tantalise you throughout the day and as you approach it, all you can see is the very top of the church tower peeping over the hill.
[Coffee pit stop - Villatuerta Sports Centre]
There were however other things to see on the way and we set off for Estella the main town at the day's half way stage. We visited the very plain but beautiful Cathedral there before continuing. Soon after Estella we passed the Monasterio Irache, where there is a vineyard that offers passing pilgrims free wine from a tap in the side of the winery to help them on their way. Eila and I filled up two glasses and used these to augment our lunchtime picnic.
[Eila getting free wine - Monesterio Irache]
[Villamayor de Monjardin - just out of view]
[Moorish water reservoir - Villamayor de Monjardin]
[Villamayor de Monjardin]
We continued on to two little hilltop villages the second being our destination for the day. The fairly serious Dutch volunteer lady gave us beds in a five single bed room right at the top of the hostel with it's own rooftop balcony - no bunk beds bliss! After sorting out our things we went and sat in the terrace outside and were joined by Michael from Battersea. He said that he had spent a fair amount of time in Estella that morning sending stuff home as his pack had been too heavy.
Eila: "So how heavy was your pack?"
Michael: "Oh, about 3 and a half kilos"
Eila: "But that's not heavy, that's pretty good"
Michael: "Oh no, that' just the pack!"
Michael anyway had ditched his pack and bought a lighter more modern one and had sent things home, which is apparently very easy to do from Spain. We were soon comparing Camino stories and we caused so much noise laughing at supper that the Dutch ecumenical volunteers remarked whether we had all come together and were slightly bemused when we said that we had only just met. They just put it down to extraordinary British humour!
Buen Camino.
[Hostel attic room - Villamayor de Monjardin]
