September 24th, 2013

Ran out of computer time yesterday (won´teven go into the problems I´ve been having trying to find a halfway working computer in these parts! - Let´s just say it´s kind of like being on an advanced scavenger hunt where you don´t  have a map).  Anyway, I did wnat to write a bit more about the town of Viana.  So, to take up where Ieft off, besides the two albergues and the 16 matresses in the parish hall, therewere also a couple  of private pensiones and even a nice hotel where a few pilgrims spent a Camino whatever night.  I´m guessing this is because this  town  appears to be a touristy little place as well.  Apparently Viana has  been a pilgrim stopver since the12th century. It´s a beautiful town with narrow cobblestone streets between tall old buildings.  There´s the remains of a castle and a magnificent cathedral built in the 13th century in which are enterred the remains of Cesare Borgia.  ( you know, Cesare Borgia? Brother of Lucretia Borgia?  Two  of the children of the Spanish Borgia Pope Alexander VI played by Jeremy Irons on the HBO series?) Anyway, he´s buried in this town.  Of the two available albergues in the town (not counting the 16 matresses) Tom and I opted for the big, new modern one where there were plenty of showers (yay!) a washer (double yay!) and a sort of working computer (triple yay!).  For 10 euros We ended up shaeing an 8-person room with three friendly Australians in their mid-60´s, though when we woke up there was a young Russian kid sleeping in one of the beds - he´d come in s late (probably around 9 pm!) that none of us heard him.  We had our pilgrim dinner in a little restaurant where the tables were on the sidewalks  as well as in the narrow little street, so that when a car came down thestreet we had to hustle to move the tables out of the way!   For his first course Tom ordered the salad with tuna (all the salads include tuna.  If I say we ordered a salad, just assume that itincluded tuna).  I started with spaghetti topped with shrimp, mussles and octopus.  For our next course we bth ordered the pork filets with fries.  For dessert Tom had the fruit salad and I had the rice pudding (can´t resist those carbs!).  I can´t vouch for thequality of the wine, but Tom finished almost the whole bottle!  (He said it was  really good).  Next day we headed off towards Navarrete with a lunch stop in the big city of Logrono where we ate our usual park bench lunch, a loaf of fresh bread from the bakery, cheese, and the biggest honking pastries we can find.  I usually buy some chips fr a side but in Logrno I found some rice cakes.  ON the package it said,¨"Jamon" - ham.  I figured that must be a brand name, or somthing; surely they didn´t make ham-flavored rice cakes? But  surely they did! The Spanish are such meat lovers that even the rice cakes don´t get off the hook!  So we continued on to Navarrete where we found such a charming little albergue for 8 euros each.  Th ehospitaliero  was a really nice young guy -they  all are, really, but this guy seemed to especially be filled with the spirit of the Camino.  There was only one room with 18 beds, all full, but it was such a big, bright, light room that it didn´t seem over- crowded.  The town of Navarrete itself seemed tl have seen better times - looked s run down and sad.  We did find a pilgrim meal, though, and  for 9 euros tom started with the salad,I had the pasta bolognese (of course!) and we had pork chops and baked potatoes for our second course.  For dessert Tom had a pear and a fresh fig ( now he´s a new fan of fresh figs) and I had the rice pudding.  This morning we set off for the town of Aforza but we couldn´t find a cafe opened so we followed our noses to the bakery where the baker came fromback to wait on us with flour stil on his hands.  Tom had a huge chocolate-filled croissant and I had my ideal breakfast, a huge pecan-topped cream-filled croissant and a diet coke.  So,  all sugared-up, caffeined-up, and fizzed-up, I was ready to once again take on the Camino!  Two Caminos!  Three Caminos!  I wish you all a sweet day flled with good energy! Patti 8)