Day 6: Estella to Los Arcos - 22.5 km.
Getting out of town was challenging so I didn't even get my coffee. I just got up, loaded my pack, and started walking. The day started with a 2km trek to the ancient Monastery of Irache in Ayegui, a former Benedictine Monastery founded in the 8th century. Adjacent to the monastery is a winery called Bodegas Irache, which continues the tradition of viticulture dating to monastic times.
This happens to be a favored spot for some pilgrims, and certainly one of the spots I was most excited about, due to the fact there is a fountain on the premises that freely flows fresh water AND red wine. Missing out on my morning coffee, my first drink of the day was red wine at “the fountain of happiness.” AND why not?!? Legend has it drinking from the red wine fountain ensures you arrive safely in Santiago.
So I started today in my happy place, drinking red wine out of a plastic cup at 8 o’clock in the morning.
There are two signs at the fountain: “We are pleased to invite you to drink in moderation. If you wish to take the wine with you, you will have to buy it.” AND “Pilgrim, if you wish to arrive at Santiago full of strength and vitality, have a drink of this great wine and make a toast to happiness.”
I met a new friend there that morning, Marina from England, and we shared a toast to health, happiness, and a transformational Camino. We walked together the rest of the day. It was a true gift to have such a wonderful person to share this day’s journey with. The last 12km was through stunning fields and breathtaking landscapes, but no villages for rest stops and sustenance. Walking alone and at clip much faster than ours, Hannah from New Zealand caught up with us. There we were, the only 3 in the middle of wide open spaces and no other souls in sight. We were brought together in that special way of The Camino, walking our final 12k side by side, sharing the experiences and the magic of the day.
Out in the middle of nowhere, with 6k left to go, a food truck was mystically conjured up like a true oasis in the desert, calling us to rest and refresh. Where it came from, only The Camino knows. We called this our “angel stop,” and would soon come to cherish these moments that pop up unexpectedly, just when needed and with no warning, all along The Way.
From there, we limped & hobbled together the remainder of our journey to our “home” for the night. On our final 5K, we could see the destination and yet it felt like as we kept walking and walking it got further and further away. We all agreed and often referred to this phenomenon as “the final 5k” being the longest part of our daily journey. It seemed to last forever. Yet, arrive we did, always one last uphill into town.
To my very pleasant surprise, Los Arcos offered up a pilgrims menu that was vegetarian as well. Life on The Camino today was good, very very good!!
