Highway to Ventosa

Monday April 13, 2009
Day 6: Viana to Ventosa (Walk - 27km)
Elma Fakt 5: Spanish units for measuring distance are all relative.

Day 6 on the Camino and I have learnt that when a sign by the trail tells you that something is for example 4km away - it is an approximation, that could be 4 or 5 or 6 so far it has not been less. The 4 km between Navarette and Ventrosa turned out to be closer to 6.5km of walking which does not sound much but I was busting to go to the loo and have already walked over 20km and was keen to get off my feet. Met a Korean guy from Vancouver yesterday who is walking with a GPS - the stated distances between places are driving him nuts because they do not correspond to his GPS readings.
Waldens quote "May your search through nature, lead you to yourself" came to mind yesterday as I admired the grand mountain range surounding the valley after Villamajor. Today very little nature was to be found along the trail. The path, while off the road was never too far from the highway as it meandered through vineyards. Then passing Logrono which is the largest city I have walked through so far. The problem for me today was the whizzing cars and being in a city reminded me of what I was getting away from and here I was not far from it all today.

I wandered what the medieval pilgrims would make of the path today. Had dinner at Meson San Anton with a French lady who is travelling light. She sends her gear by courier to the next town where she will be staying so she walks with a verly light day pack. Now that is organised. We also discovered that we each have left a husband at home to look after a dog. She showed me a picture of her dog but did not carry a picture of her husband. I have never laughed so much.