Thoughts from my Camino Frances Journey- Day 9
Date: April 18, 2025 Good Friday
Where did I begin today?
Los Arcos (Casa de la Abuela)
Where will I stay this evening?
Viana (Albergue Izar)
How far have I come?
18.9km (11.74 miles)
Plaza de Santa Maria, Los Arcos
Sunny morning on the Camino
I ate breakfast at Casa Abuela, left my stuff sack in the lobby for the luggage transport service, then left around 7:50am carrying my almost empty main backpack. I’m learning that I can tackle hills well in the morning, but in the afternoon when it gets hotter, I feel more tired and that’s when shouldering my pack becomes a burden. Today’s stage will gain elevation in the afternoon so I decided to send my stuff ahead.
Saw lots of poppies today
Peaceful morning birdsong
The farmlands outside Los Arcos were lovely and flat, a good time for reflection. It’s funny how my perception of time and distance changes on the Camino. I feel more present in the mornings when it’s quiet and I’m walking alone. On flat ground like this, when I’m well rested and the weather is nice, time feels like it flies by. Meanwhile in the afternoons, every kilometer feels like they stretch on forever and time slows to a crawl the more exhausted I become. That’s when I start focusing more on the destination then staying in the moment.
Sansol in the distance
Bridge into Torres del Rio
Torres del Rio in the distance
Entering Torres del Rio
I felt strong through the first hilltop town Sansol so I didn’t stop but kept going to the second town where the hills would really begin. When I reached Torres del Rio, I stopped at a convenience store and bought a banana protein shake. While sitting at a table outside, I met an older man named John who cut his finger deep on his razor blade and decided to stop in this town for the day. I wished him well and continued on after my snack break. Before leaving Torres, I stopped in a small, medieval chapel with a unique octagonal shape to get another stamp. My credential is starting to fill up (I’m only stamping the front side because I want to frame it) so I might need to get another in Burgos.
Iglesia de Santo Sepulcro
12th century church linked to the Knights Templar
As expected, the hills past Torres were brutal, and I was very glad I sent my pack ahead. It also started getting hot. The last 7kms were hard because it was a continuous up and down in the sun with no shade. Some parts of the path were scenic, but some parts overlooked a road, thankfully not too many cars so it remained mostly quiet.
Torres del Rio
Sun is getting hotter
Start of the hills outside Torres del Rio
After descending into a valley, I stopped in shady spot with some picnic tables about 4.4km from Viana and removed my second shirt. I’d been wearing 2-3 layers every day so far, this was my first time only wearing one layer, which says something about the heat today. I sat there for a few minutes drinking water and enjoying the shade. An older lady sitting nearby offered me some of her mixed nuts which I gratefully accepted. If I learn nothing else on this walk, it’s about the kindness of strangers and how humans are more alike than we are different.
Cairns stacked along the Way
Occasionally passed by ruins
Crossed the highway several times
Very hot still, I trudged along road to Viana which had now switched to walking along an asphalt road shared by cars. Definitely not the most scenic. I arrived at Albergue Izar at 12:35pm, located in a very urban/industrial part of town in a tall, apartment style building with lots of stairs. Beggars can’t be choosers however, since this was one of the only accommodations I could find on Good Friday and it was still clean.
Almost to Viana
Last stretch to Viana involved walking on the main road
Not the most picturesque entrance of the day
I showered and went straight to Pilgrim’s Oasis Café at 1:45pm (it closes at 3pm) in the historic part of Viana. It was a relaxing atmosphere and I ordered tea, gazpacho, and carrot cake. I chatted with the volunteers about their work running the café and food truck and asked if there was anything special happening in town for Good Friday. Holly, Sherri, John, and Wes were all friendly and invited me to their house where they were hosting an informal worship time/Bible study for Good Friday at 5:30pm. They said I could meet them at the main square and we would walk there together.
Pilgrim’s Oasis Cafe in Viana
Bread, hot tea, & cold gazpacho
Yummy carrot cake
Meanwhile, I returned to the Albergue and did laundry by hand and hung it up to dry on the roof. I chatted with Anna (US) and Sally (UK) on the rooftop and we decided to go together to view the Good Friday procession in town that evening. They are some of the few people I’ve met on the Camino so far that are close to my age (both in their mid-twenties).
Up three flights of stairs in Albergue Izar
Then it was time to head to Sherri & Wes’ house for worship/prayer. They are a very nice group of people and asked me about my Camino so far and shared about their time in Spain. They warned me that the traditional Catholic procession might me a bit disconcerting for Americans because of the outfits they wear but not to be alarmed since the Catholic tradition predates the less pleasant American associations. They had an old, blind dog named Suki who normally is shy of people but loved me. She kept asking me for pets the whole time and was very cute. It rained as I was leaving so they drove me back to Izar. Sally had thankfully brought my laundry inside when she got hers, but it was still pretty soaked.
Sherri with her dog Suki
Fortunately, the rain let up before 8:30pm so Sally, Anna, and I went to see the procession in the main square. While we were waiting for it to begin, we shared our testimonies and our spiritual reasons for walking the Camino. Sally also shared a Christian podcast/meditation guide she’d been listening to while walking. Our journeys with faith are all different, but I was grateful to hear them discuss their experiences so openly. On Camino, people are more likely to have deep conversations with near-strangers. That or discuss foot and medical problems during dinner.
I see what the others meant by the procession outfits being disconcerting, but it was a fascinating cultural experience to witness. Apparently, there is an even larger procession in Logroño which is why hotels and Albergues got booked up by other travelers besides pilgrims. I’m actually happy to be staying in Viana because of all the people I met today that I wouldn’t have met if I’d walked all the way to Logroño. We went back to the Albergue and I was starving since I hadn’t eaten dinner yet. I bought an orange from a Chinese shop (most other stores/restaurants were closed for the holiday) and Izar had a few leftover tortilla slices from their large group dinner that I was able to take. Went to bed around 10:20pm.
