Well, the rain came this morning, just as forecast. It was due to clear up after 9 or 10am but I couldn’t wait that long so off I went at my usual 7:30am. Luckily it was dry for the first 2 miles, then it came down in a torrent and the Camino came to a halt as everyone dove into their packs for their rain gear. 2 miles later it eased to a sprinkle and then magically a bar appeared. A bit early to stop for a break but a warm cafe con leche sounded delicious right about then.

I shared my table with a Finnish lady who had worked in Venezuela for 6 years as a missionary; we spoke in pre-school level Spanish about the weather and various Caminos we’ve done.

10 minutes later the sky was clearing and just an arc of a rainbow graced the sky. The temp was perfect so it it was happy walking until the next bar and the next cafe con leche. The problem with stopping so much is that it seems as though it takes all day to get to your destination, though I do have all day to get to my destination….

So, with all the stopping I was quite happy to reach Estella. My reservation was unfortunately in a hostel at the furthest reaches of town but it turns out to be a very nice place. Apparently it’s only been open for a year- there’s hostel rooms as well as regular hotel rooms.

It’s Sunday today so there’s a more limited schedule to the cafes serving food. I decided once showered that I couldn’t really wait for a late Spanish dinner so I visited the local supermarket and stocked up on salad, pre-made Pasta Carbonara, cookies, yogurt, and of course, wine. I’m set to relax for the rest of the day in the pleasant kitchen/lounge, perhaps having a little nap, then imbibing a few with fellow pilgrims.