From Estella to Los Arcos

 

This morning, the sky is cloudless and promises a beautiful sunny day; nonetheless, I can’t do without my sweatshirt and windbreaker because it’s still quite chilly.

I leave the hostel at 07:15, and once outside Estella, the route continues along a dirt track.

 

After walking just two and a half kilometres, between the villages of Ayegui and Irache, like all the other pilgrims, I also stop at a very peculiar spot: the Fountain of Wine.

On one of the outer walls of the Bodegas Irache winery, there is a double fountain that quenches pilgrims’ thirst, not only with water but also with good wine.

This stage of The Way of Saint James was already known in the 12th century as the “Land of good bread and excellent wine.”

As you can imagine, I find quite a few pilgrims here, intent on sipping the wine that flows freely from the tap.

There is no one from the winery supervising the use of the fountain, but there are signs inviting people to drink just a sip of wine rather than filling bottles or flasks. However, not everyone follows this recommendation to the letter.

Personally, I limit myself to a few sips, partly because I’m a “good boy” who respects the rules and partly because it’s still eight in the morning, and it doesn’t seem appropriate to start the day with Bacchus’ nectar.

It is estimated that the fountain provides travellers with one hundred litres of red wine a day.

There’s a queue not only to drink but also to pose for a photo while drawing the fine wine from the tap.

Interestingly, no one shows any interest in the water tap.

A few metres from the fountain is the Benedictine Monastery of Santa María la Real: a cluster of medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque buildings.

The impressive complex is the oldest pilgrim hospital in Navarre and was built in the 12th century, a hundred years before the one in Roncesvalles. Over the centuries, it has also served as a university, a war hospital, and a religious college.

I only take a look at the monastery from the outside, even though it’s possible to visit it for free.

Unfortunately, I have to skip the visit. It opens at nine, and I can’t wait an hour since I’ve only covered ten percent of today’s planned route.

All around the monastery and the winery, there are vast fields with long rows of vines.

 

I resume walking in the company of Rocco from Turin and Dante from Civitavecchia; we’ve built a good rapport, as we generally maintain the same pace.

I often lose sight of them because I stop to take photos, but we always manage to find each other again.

 

Dante is a character that can’t go unnoticed along The Way. He’s a pilgrim who doesn’t carry his backpack on his shoulders but drags it by hand using a self-built cart.

He also told us that, initially, his peculiar contraption was even more elaborate: it had a spring-loaded attachment to fasten it to his waist, allowing him to keep his hands free.

Unfortunately, he left this entire setup, along with his camera, on the train he took from Civitavecchia to Rome.

– But that’s not all! –

To fully capture the character, I have to recount an episode that occurred in the early days of The Way.

This cheerful friend, after paying for his drink in a bar, walked away leaving his wallet on the counter. Luckily for him, I was still there when the waitress asked the customers, “Who is Dante?”—having identified the name from the documents.

Knowing the “forgetful” owner of the wallet, I took it upon myself to return it to him, thus saving him considerable trouble.

When I caught up with him and handed back the precious holder of money, cards, and documents, Dante was utterly surprised, as he hadn’t even realised it was missing.

– Better that way! At least he didn’t suffer even a second of anguish over the precious loss. –

 

***

Between today and tomorrow, I’ll cover the final kilometres in Navarre before entering the province of La Rioja.

Today’s stage is relatively easy, as the terrain is mostly flat, and the few ascents and descents are very gentle.

The landscapes remain stunning, and today nature’s colours stand out even more, thanks to the bright sun that finally shines and accompanies my journey.

A gentle breeze occasionally ripples through the vast wheat fields, creating the impression of a green sea with soft waves.

Completing the picture painted by Mother Nature are splashes of yellow from the rapeseed flowers and touches of red from the poppies.

The temperature has become milder, and I can finally shed some of the heavier layers of clothing.

 

Finding one’s way along The Way is quite straightforward: on walls, stones, trees, signs of all kinds, and mojón (milestones), the yellow arrow and the stylised scallop shell of Saint James are everywhere, unmistakable symbols that leave no doubt about the direction to follow.

But apart from these symbols, there’s another sign that points the right direction—our shadow.

The route of The Way always heads west, so in the morning, with the sun behind us, the shadow we cast on the ground is consistently straight ahead. It’s an unmistakable signal that tells us we’re heading towards Santiago de Compostela.

 

***

I cross Azqueta around nine o’clock, in the company of my Spanish friends, Juaní and Salvador.

Meeting them and chatting for a while is always very pleasant.

 

After another hour of walking, I reach Villamayor de Monjardín.

Since this is the last village before reaching the destination and there are still twelve kilometres to go, I take a short break.

While there, I visit the Iglesia de San Andrés Apóstol, a Romanesque building of great architectural interest.

Its elegant façade stands out for its Romanesque portal, whose beauty lies in the proportionality of its forms. The interior consists of a single nave; among the various historical pieces housed inside, a processional cross stands out, considered one of the oldest silver pieces in Navarre.

 

The long stretch after Villamayor de Monjardín flows pleasantly, thanks to the mild weather and the always beautiful views along the route.

 

At 13:00, I arrive in Los Arcos at the Albergue de Peregrinos Isaac Santiago.

 

Once settled in the hostel and having recovered a bit from the fatigue, Rocco, Dante, and I come up with the idea of cooking something ourselves for dinner.

We even extend the invitation to other friends staying in the same accommodation.

Before we know it, in just a few minutes, we have fifteen participants, as each person we invite brings along someone else.

 

We head to the centre, crossing the small bridge over the Odrón River and passing through the adjacent Santa María Arch, which marks one of the entrances to the medieval part of this charming town.

Of the ancient walls, nothing remains today except for this arch and a few other gates that define and identify the historic stronghold of Los Arcos.

Just beyond the gate, on the right, we find the Church of Santa María overlooking the square of the same name.

It’s around 15:30, and to visit the interior of the church, we must wait for the afternoon opening.

 

As we continue our sightseeing tour, admiring the buildings and streets of the “casco antiguo,” we also keep an eye out for a supermarket where we can buy supplies for the evening meal.

After a while, we realise that there are no large or medium-sized stores for grocery shopping, only two small shops, one of which is closed and won’t open until 19:00.

So, with few options available, we decide to buy what we need for dinner from the only shop that’s open.

However, when it’s time to pay, the shopkeeper takes offence at a comment one of us makes about the price of some products, which he considers slightly too high.

Whether due to a language misunderstanding or the shopkeeper’s sensitivity—and the fact that our friend doesn’t try to defuse the situation—the end result is that we have to leave the groceries on the counter and walk out empty-handed. As a matter of principle, the lady flatly refuses to sell us anything.

We’re all a bit stunned by how quickly the situation escalated, and also by the fact that the shopkeeper turned down a substantial sale, given that we were shopping for fifteen people.

With no other options left, we abandon the idea of cooking and cancel all the dinner invitations.

 

Around 18:30, we go to visit the Church of Santa María.

This imposing religious building was constructed and renovated in several stages between the 12th and 18th centuries, which is why it features multiple architectural styles: Romanesque, Gothic, Plateresque, Renaissance, and Baroque.

An extraordinary series of Baroque gilded altarpieces constitutes the main treasure of the church’s interior. Among them, the enormous altarpiece of the main altar particularly stands out, dominated by a 14th-century wooden sculpture of the Virgin and Child Jesus.

The organ is also splendid, richly decorated with golden elements.

We complete the visit by seeing the late-Gothic cloister, dating back to the 16th century.

 

With the “do-it-yourself” dinner plan abandoned, in the evening we go to eat at a small restaurant in Santa María Square.

From the “pilgrim’s menu,” I start with paella.

It’s not the first time I’ve chosen this typical Spanish dish, but once again, it seems more like risotto with seafood than authentic paella.

Unfortunately, we don’t finish dinner in time to attend the 20:00 Mass in the Church of Santa María, where a blessing for pilgrims is given at the end of the service.

 

Around 21:30, we go to sleep.

Tomorrow’s stage will be a bit more demanding compared to recent days.

© Aldo Lardizzone 2020

CREATIVE COMMONS