Ages
After Granon we pedalled on, bit of a headwind, the rolling hills of La Rioja province crunching beneath the tires. The Camino runs right along a busy highway a lot of the way today, which sucks a little, but the surface is pretty good, and we make the kilos roll behind. The book we have said there were 3 hills to climb, and each bigger than the rest. We didn't want to wake up with those ahead of us, so at 2pm we start up the first. Yes, it is steep, and long, but it seems to be newly bladed. We zoom down the far side, abruptly stopping because the far side was another creekbed...lovely. Pushing a loaded bicycle up a creekbed is a great way to get exercise! NOT
However, after resting a bit in preparation for the last hill, we start off, and it is a no-show! Jota and I race ahead, wide dirt road ripping by, dodging puddles and peregrinos...zoooooooom! At least a halfhour at 15-20mph, we were 2 beers ahead at the next bar by the the time Dad got there, and ready for a nap by the time the lowpokes showed up. Tom seems to get a tummyache when hills show up, but has no problem tossing down icecream and cokes at the stops. We heard Camino gossip about headlice and fleas at this towns alberge, so we push on to the next, in Ages. This one was brand new, new oak bunkbeds, 3 showers... dinner, bed, breakfast - 15 euros! Dinner was a fantastic wine, salad, and a paella made in a pan about 3' across, with matching gas burner. Yumm! I had high hopes for breakfast after that, but the spanish don't believe in a big breakfast, it was cold microwaved coffee, toast, and jam. It had rained pretty hard during the night, and we have heard a lot of horror stories about the mud here, so we set off for Burgos with a little trepidation.

David Russell