Today we woke up in our albergue very late. In fact we were one of the last ones to leave.
When we finally got on the road, I couldn't help but be in a sombre mood. I felt that because we were so late and because we were only heading to Logrono (a mere 11km) that we would end up losing our friends. I really felt worried that we might never see them again. 
The walk from Viana was also quite uninspiring. For the entire walk we could see our destination and for some reason, that made it worse. It appeared we were heading into an industrial city in the middle of Spain and I was not happy about it. Once we arrived, still early in the morning, we went to the tourism information point. The staff were so lovely and friendly. They pointed out the Post Office (Correos) and the 'Donativo' Albergue. First stop was the Correos.
Charlotte had been lugging her extra backpack since St Jean Pied de Port and was finally giving it up. This was due to the fact her shoulders were starting to get numb from the weight of the pack. We found out that the extra bag she was carrying totalled a whole extra kilo! That's a lot when you're carrying it on your back! So she sent it home using the cheapest and slowest shipping method, untracked for extra cost saving benefits! After the Correos, guess who we run into?
Mykael and Abi!! They were having a coffee outside a cafe and relaxing in the morning sun. After chatting to them they felt as though they needed a rest day also. So we all decided to find the Donativo Albergue and check in. Before we could check in at 1pm, we went for a little walk around the city to kill time. And guess who we found?!
Brad the Canadian! I couldn't believe it, all the people I was worried about losing were appearing in front of me one after the other! He said he was staying another night here and we should meet up later. So we went to check into the albergue to guarantee a bed. It was attached to the Santa Maria Church in Logrono and the Hospitaleros were very welcoming! They showed us around, told us about the free dinner, free breakfast and the 'house rules'. This meant doors close at 10pm and all pilgrims on the road by 7:15am. We are fine with this because it encourages a good night's sleep!
Once we were settled in we went into the city for some lunch. Char knew about a vegan restaurant here so there was no question where we were heading. The lady was very confrontational when we arrived. She was very unforgiving that we didn't know too much Spanish and wasn't happy that I wasn't having a meal. We had a table of four and 3 had meals, I had a coffee but she did not like that for some reason. When our friends were finished with their food they were trying to sneak it into my mouth so that I could enjoy it without pissing off the owner too much. I thought she might end up charging me for a meal she was so pissed! Anyways, the food was good and for twelve euros and fifty cents we got a 3 course meal plus wine and bread. Not bad.
We went into the square after this and we met up with another familiar pilgrim. Marvin! He is a Canadian lawyer and is doing the Camino solo. He's quite a larger guy but he has a fantastic attitude and he has made an impression on everyone he has met with his generosity and kind smile. We sat down with our friend and enjoyed a few bottles of wine. We invited Brad down and he joined us with a big smile and bought a bottle for the table. We had such a good laugh and talked about the ups and downs of the Camino. I couldn't believe how much of a 180 flip my day had done! We had to scoot soon enough as our hosts were slaving away in the kitchen making a special vegan dinner for us. On the way home we went to the supermarket and got some supplies for the next day.
We arrived at dinner just in time for the pilgrims song and it was beautiful. We all sang the words in a 'french-latin' and enjoyed tthe dinner. The atmosphere in the dining hall was one of love and laughter. I cannot get over the beautiful community there is here on this journey. Everyone has this overwhelming feeling of belonging. It's what we humans seek and desire and I kid you not, it is right here in full effect on the Camino.
After dinner was done we proceeded to the secret underground tunnel connecting the church and the albergue. This was for a special 'Pilgrim's Mass'. Usually I wouldn't be too keen on something like this but because Char really wanted to go and plus we got new stamps in our passports! So we go into the church and sit around what I think is the choir chamber. Our Hospitaleros give a beautiful speech about the journey we are all on, on and off the Camino. Then we sing some Hymns, read some Psalms and say prayers. Each in a different language, by the representatives of that country. It was a beautiful little ceremony and we felt very privaleged to be a part of it. I took some night time shots of the church and I was pretty happy with the results.
We went back through the secret passage to the albergue and helped clean the dishes from dinner. Then it was straight to bed for a rest before a big walk the next day. We had to contend with Friday night shenanigans outside of our window but with good earplugs I was gone in sixty seconds.
