Distance: 5.8km (198.4km).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 489m / 545m / 560m.
Weather: Nice.
This day marked the beginning of the second part of my Camino. Today, I had to say goodbye to the group that I had spent the time together with on the Camino so far. It was a heavy decision, but I felt that it was necessary. I saw them continuing towards Santo Domingo de la Calzada, to me it became a partly zero day where I only walked to Azofra.
Early in the morning in Najera.
The reason why I felt that this had to be done was simple. My father had wanted to go the Camino with me, but not the whole route. Instead, we had agreed that he should meet me in Ponferrada and walk the last 200km together with me. To come up with a good meeting date so neither of us had to wait several days for the other was not easy, but we did land on a date, 15th. of October. Still several days left, but with the same speed as I have been walking at, I will be in Ponferrada about four days before he will arrive.
Cruz Malpica above Najera.
Which I did not want to, too many days to wait. Apparently, I was unsure of how long I would come to manage to walk each day, but then I have never set out on such a long walk as this before. Since Emma also had said she had to travel back home today, I thought it fitting to stay behind today. Not with a light heart. It will be strange to continue walking from now.
View from the cross of Cruz Malpica of the zona natural outside Najera and the forthcoming landscape around the Camino.
I still had to walk a little, so I set sight for the next place with an albergue to walk to. Azofra, just about six kilometres away. Just one problem though, you have to be out of the albergues before 8 o'clock in the morning. With such a short distance to walk, I would have liked to sleep longer.
Sunrise over Najera seen from Cruz Malpica.
I walked through the streets of Najera in the darkness and afterwards up into a zona natural. I carried breakfast with me in my backpack. Above Najera is the Cruz Malpica and my plan was to go and eat my breakfast there. And at the same time, see the sunrise and the sunrays illuminating the town below. It was brilliant. When I arrived at the cross, it was still relatively dark, so below me the lights from Najera and the small places further back in the horizon twinkled up towards me. Then the sun spread its rays across the landscape. A good start on an otherwise moderate day.
Sunlight through the trees in a zona natural, Cruz Malpica to the left.
From the cross, I could see the small rolling landscape the Camino continued through. The six kilometres to Azofra was quickly done, although I took my time. A short, but pleasant enough walk past acres and a small irrigation channel.
The Camino between Najera and Azofra, the hill with Cruz Malpica to the left.
There are 250 villagers in Azofra and the number is dwindling. This is one of several small villages on the trail that is probably kept alive only of the reason that the Camino goes through it. A steady flow of pilgrims leads to small revenues each day. The village seemed pleasant enough.
Small irrigation channels before Azofra.
The albergue was relatively new and to my joy, there were only beds for two persons in each room. I looked forward to a night without snoring. Outside the albergue, there was a small garden with a small pool with water in it. There were also a nice and well-equipped kitchen and dining area.
From the albergue in Azofra. A small pool (or fountain), places to sit in and in the background the kitchen and dining area. A nice albergue.
I did not do that much in Azofra. I took a walk in the village, quickly done. Otherwise, I relaxed in the albergue, took a footbath in the pool as well. Later on, pilgrims started to arrive and the rooms filling up. I shared my room with Jo from Malta.
Azofra, a small sleepy village.
For the first time on the Camino, I made my dinner myself, pasta with parmesan. Later in the afternoon and evening, I get to know for me the 'new' pilgrims, but my thoughts often went to the group that I now had left. However, I am just half a day behind them, but I know that I at least have to take a whole zero day later. I think I will be going to Granon tomorrow.
Ornaments on a house in Azofra.
<- NajeraGranon ->
No comments:
Post a Comment