Estella to Los Arcos on a good day Distance 21.5 km (13.3 mi / 13.4) togo - 643.4 km

With only one "room mate" last night it was easy to get an early start. I had declined the breakfast option, opting instead to go a couple miles down the road before stopping to eat. As long as I stopped by the time I got to Irache (Spanish for someone who lives in Iraq?) I'd be good. There was a decent sized climb shortly afterward and I didn't want to do that on an empty stomach.

Then I came across Skip and Liz! We had just about cleared the outskirts of Estella (with a population of about 14,000 it is a substantial city) when we had bumped into each other, done introductions and decided to walk together for awhile. We hadn't gone more than 20 yards when a local called to us, indicating we had just missed a turn.

We blamed that one on Liz, but she took it well. A divorced mother of two boys (a lawyer and a Peace Corp worker), she moved to Portland, Me about a year ago to redirect her life. She had been working in L.A. and had grown very tired of city life. She tried a visit to Boston but got the same bad vibe that she wanted to leave behind in L.A. Than a friend invited her to visit Maine and she fell in love with it. She has had an interesting life, working in Park concessions at Yellowstone and on cruise ships. Her family lived for awhile in Billings, Mt., but she travels extensively, having recently travelled to Madagaskar (or was it that her son is in the Peace Corp in Madagaskar so she wants to go there? I couldn't keep track of her adventures because I was trying to spot the trail markers and keep us on the right path).

We walked at a comfortable pace with Skip, a psychologists that has worked as an experimental researcher training Protozoa for studies. Training Protozoa isn't difficult except the darn things keep talking in class! He's between jobs with a couple of offers with Universities in Florida, and also writing a book while studying what makes us do what we do. Should be good research possibilities on his Camino.

We had a wonderful hike but took an "alternate route" (there are many of those). Good thing was that it was a slightly lesser length and less rugged climb. Bad thing was we by-passed the town where I was going to eat breakfast. So we stopped at the only "bar" (as apparently defined here - an establishment that serves liquids and limited food options; no menus). They did have a ham and cheese sandwich left over from the Victorian era! When Skip and Liz were ready to go I was still finishing breakfast so I bid them adieu, confident that we will meet again.

I walked about two hundred yards down the road and there was Liz, going back to the bar (she'd forgotten her trekking poles). Skip was waiting just ahead so I told him I'd keep moving and wait for them to catch up. They did not... until I had stopped to take a mid morning break. Shortly after we had parted ways the trail turned north and rejoined an almost steady flow of pilgrims on the main Camino. As I merged from the left I found my once pedestrian pace automatically increase to meld with the faster lane of traffic. The result was a quick, flat 6 km, terminating at a food truck that had been there long enough to show on the map as "Cafe Movil". While there a young man came up and said, "You must be Frog!" He was Tanner and had talked to someone (turned out to be Yogi). When he told him he was from Moscow, Idaho, Yogi said he "had to" meet me. He was all excited to meet me!

The countryside was colored a brilliant yellow by these Canola buds. The European name for this is Rapeseed, but U.S. manufacturers knew that would never sell. So Canola was invented as an acronym by the Canadian Government. It stands for Canadian Oil Low Acid, and is sold as a heart healthy oil and in the production of bio-diesel.

We walked together again for the final 6 km, with easy conversation devouring long level stretches of the Camino.

When we arrived in Los Arcos we had completed 13.4 miles and it was only 12:45! 

I stopped in a large town square for lunch and thought briefly about continuing on my way after lunch. The next little town is about 5 miles but appears to have only one albergue. What if I walked the five miles and found no available bed? You know what they say, A bird in the hand is worth squat if you can't find a bed!

Tonight I'm in a room with 11 beds. We've got 3 couples (Netherlands, Belgium and Germany), two young English cousins and me. Still two beds available if you want to join us.

There was no food option available for dinner here so I walked a few blocks back into town to eat at the restaurant in the square. I was spotted by Yogi and invited to join him, Steve and Conner (two computer I.T. friends), and Kara from Ireland. She has to return to work as a marketing supervisor for an International Cosmetics company (I think that's right). She is hiking the Camino in stages, something a number of people from the U.K. are doing. Food average, conversation great.

I went to one of the farthest albergues in town to find a bed, choosing to opt out for the breakfast option. I'll hit the trail early and stop after 5 miles for breakfast. That is unless I bypass that town!