Well, today was our first time getting incredibly lost, and we managed to carve our own route, actually minimizing the expected distance and seeing more of the beautiful countryside than I originally thought. We arrived in Alcanadre and found a free hostel without electricity or heat, the height of luxury! I’ve learned that I enjoy trying new foods and different kinds of coffee and tea! I was a very picky eater back in the states and without the ability to eat seafood, I’ve had to learn to get creative with my meals, try new things as they may be my only option, or starve! We have an incredibly long day of walking ahead of us, roughly 19 miles through pouring rain to Logroño. We’ve planned our route and schedule so that we don’t overdo ourselves like we did last week, leaving ample time for a break midway. It’s a bittersweet feeling making our way to the Camino Francés. Up until this point we haven’t come in contact with a single other pilgrim, and all of a sudden we’re about to meet up with hundreds who have all had an entirely different experience than us. Though we have each other, we’re still in a country full of strangers walking on routes entirely unknown to us, mainly in areas without albergues or where the albergues aren’t open yet. Half of the people in each town try and convince us that this isn’t a route, or that pilgrims don’t come through anymore, even though the pilgrim logs in the few places we’ve found indicate that there may be others a day or two ahead of us. I’m excited to share this experience with others but long periods of solitude have been very revealing to show me what this trip truly means to me. Being surrounded by others often marrs one’s ability to clearly see and address personal strife. I’ve struggled with anxiety for years and having the chance to meditate and spend hours in silence thinking about how it’s affected my life and how I can take control has been a godsend. I am grateful for everything that I’ve learned up until this point, and I can’t wait to see what an entirely different, more touristic (or at least much more populated) route has to offer.

On Wednesday in Tudela we came upon our first authetic albergue, though it wasn’t pilgrims-only. It was a beautiful historic building with many small rooms, bunk beds, an expansive kitchen and a large, sunny courtyard. David, the owner, told Hunter and I that when we made it to the next town that we should specifically ask for the oficina de tourismo and they would know the best albergue for us to stay in. Yesterday upon arrival in Alfaro, a kind mother and her two virtually identical daughters showed us through town. It’s amazing how asking simple questions such as directions in the native language makes the locals open up to you very quickly, at least in this town! They took us to the office of tourism which was closed, and instead of giving up insisted on taking us instead to the library where the gentleman at the help desk welcomed us into a free pilgrim-only refuge. He walked us all the way there, made sure we were comfortable and even directed us to the best, least expensive pinxos in town and the nearby supermarket. After having a delicious dinner and chatting with multiple locals in the bar about the Camino, we headed back to the refuge to enjoy the view from the porch. A group of young men from Morocco came up to talk with us about our walk and the town we were in. It was incredible to feel so welcomed by everyone around us since we’ve been moving to a new place every day and it’s hard to make yourself feel at home! We got the whole house to ourselves as we still have yet to run into another pilgrim on our route, it was like pretending to own a magnificent home in Spain together! We walked from Alfaro to Calahorra today which was surprisingly easy. Every day that passes increases my mood and stamina, which is good considering that we’re going to have two very long days of walking to get to Logroño. We’ve come up with many clever ways to keep ourselves entertained on the road! Today we sharpened our bamboo walking sticks  by dragging them along the concrete and did some crazy ninja moves with our makeshift spears. A few days ago we sang 99 bottles… The whole song… Which was much less amusing by the middle than we thought it would be. I keep my eyes peeled for birds and other animals and teach Hunter everything I know about them whenever I get the chance! He teaches me about the biblical stories that I’ve forgotten from my youth and explains the different agricultural systems that we see along the way. We’ve also learned the value of silence, though I still tend to talk more than I need to sometimes. We’ve taken every opportunity to transition from strangers to acquaintances with the locals in each town, such as a friendly Ecuadorean truck driver and many adorable children who want to learn English! Many people are interested in speaking with us because they assume that Hunter is French or that I am Russian, Swedish or Romanian. Explaining our travels from the United States to walk the Camino has become an excellent icebreaker! I can’t wait to meet more people and continue to absorb all of the incredible cultures like a sponge! Buen Camino to my pilgrim amigos, and Buenos Dias to all!