Day 12: Navarrete to Najera
(June 12, 2023)
Before embarking on my day's journey, I joined my roommates for breakfast. Rick kindly offered me a packet of medicine he had picked up from a local pharmacy. He had heard about my coughing last night, and I mentioned that I had caught a minor cold from my roommates in Logrono. Rick, as it turns out, is a doctor and had carefully checked the medicine's ingredients, assuring me that it would be beneficial during the day. During our breakfast conversation, we learned that Rick had walked the Camino 25 years ago and was now embarking on the journey again, this time with his 18-year-old daughter, as a gift for her heading to college.
I started my walk at 7:40 am and noticed that there were not many walkers on the trail by 9:30 am. The roads were mostly flat and adorned with an abundance of wildflowers. The weather today was pleasant, not too hot with a gentle breeze. The entire trail thus far had been beautiful and mostly flat.
There weren't many fellow walkers until later, when the walkers from Logrono caught up.
While on the road, at the junction of Ventosa, I paused to examine a sign. A friendly Spanish cyclist greeted me and suggested that I visit Ventosa, mentioning a church with a breathtaking view. He then accompanied me on foot and engage in conversation. His name is Alexander. He spoke excellent English and shared insights about the olive trees and local flora. At one point, he plucked leaves from a plant, crushed them in his hand, and encouraged me to smell their delightful aroma. He urged me to explore other plants with my hands, making our walk informative and enjoyable. During our conversation, I asked him about his reason for walking the Camino, and he shared that he and his wife had a passion for mountaineering. However, a year ago, his wife suffered a severe shoulder injury while climbing, and she was still in the process of recovery. He intended to reach Santiago to offer prayers for her recovery. Additionally, he had lost his job at an international bank and was currently searching for legal recourse at the age of 57. His retirement age was still six years away, leaving him uncertain about his future, which led him to undertake the Camino. He was a talkative companion and also inquired about my reasons for walking the Camino.
Together, we ascended a hill to visit the church in Ventosa, only to find it closed. Nonetheless, we discovered a splendid viewpoint overlooking the town from the church's vicinity. We captured some photographs and returned to the village. On our way back, we spoke with a local lady, inquiring why the church was closed. She informed us that someone had stolen the church's bell and other items, a revelation that struck me as quite absurd, as one wouldn't expect theft from a place of worship.
After exploring the town, we bid farewell, with the cyclist returning to his bike and me continuing walking towards Najera.
The remainder of my walk were uneventful, and I reached my Albergue at around 3 PM. As I pen down my memories of this day, I can't help but feel a deep longing for the Camino, to the extent that it's almost a painful ache.
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