Camino Diary Entry # 15

Emails home from the Camino
Rest day in Logrono
#15 Chatting with Barbara and Jordan this evening we are thrilled to learn that young Jordan says we have ‘ the best feet he has seen!’ (not bad from a 24 year old!) Barbara is apparently quoting our feet in her diary notes and has also evidently made mention of my last skipping dance way back at the 14 km mark on day 1!
Gwyneth has mentioned on several occasions now that she is hanging out for a glimpse of the sea!That is simply not going to happen, we are at least 800 kms from the coast!
We are delighted by the economical meals and wine! For 11 € we can have a 3 course Pilgrim meal (bottle of red included). Tapas tonight , 3.5€ a plate and the wine 7€ for the bottle.
We lunched enroute today at Viana (a beautiful walled town), for 5€ each – a plate of spaghetti bolognese and an .80 glass of wine!
Tomorrow is a big fiesta in Logrono. We gather everything will be shut so tonight we have indulged in sending off our laundry to be dealt with! Such luxury! But essential when the laundromats are closed!
We eased into our rest day with an indecently late breakfast. A beautiful city, but so many people! Being a big day of celebration and festivity all were parading in varied and colourful national costumes. There were markets, balloons, bands, medieval sports,  fights on horseback in armour. More parades, more people, much drinking and in general, mayhem!
We survived until early afternoon having walked forever and seen more than enough. Assuming they would all adjourn for a siesta we headed back to our hotel in anticipation of reappearing later in the day for some moments of sanity.
Our poor feet were in need of rest  but still intact – thank you Patron Saint of Foots and wool. Just when a wee doze was looking like an option the brass band started up – outside our hotel window!The band played on for a whole hour and and a half. By late afternoon we gave up and set off again.
As we locked our door we stopped to gaze at the outside world – a central space within the hotel. Looking up one floor we smiled at the washing pegged on a line behind a wire grill. A second glance and we realized it was our own clothes pegged out! So much for the 24 hour service of high tech laundry!
We started with a rather grand gin and tonic poured into a very large bowl on a stem, complete with juniper berries. Our thoughts then turned to food. The crowd had never gone home for a siesta and the drinking and celebration had clearly continued for many hours. We eventually found ourselves an outdoor table at a restaurant showing promise of opening soon. By now the throngs were positively seething and the whole band, yelling, babies on parade thing was getting a bit much for these kiwis! We did indeed enjoy a very nice meal – indoors, and hang the cost of a more expensive menu – we are worth it!
We shoved our way back through the crowd to our hotel, waiting for yet another parade to pass. I was all for gunning it but have since learned that when Gwyneth says ‘I don’t think I could put myself through it” – that means it is NOT going to happen!
In the hotel lobby we enquired after our laundry and were assured it was all awaiting us in our room. Oh dear! I was missing one Injinji toe sock! Major crisis, not only is one left foot sock absolutely no use under these circumstances, but for 24 € worth of laundry one does not want to have to replace a $33 pair of socks at this point!
In great despair and trying to remain positive, we got really organized for a second early get away to face yet another 31 km walk  this time to Najera.
The night passed very slowly as the whole city continued to party well into the wee small hours. Much drinking and hearty song rang out!