Longrono to Najera

5/22/19
I had a rough nights sleep so when the sun came up I was a grumpy little fellow, but the boots must go on.
Outside of town we circled the lake in Parque de la Barranca and headed west

This was where I found Bill and a Kaz when I walked in today,,Suprised.?

Just after the lake is the self proclaimed keeper of the Camino, Marcelo. Marcelo comes out each day with fruit donations, trinkets, and stamps you pass.

MARCELO, four yea s ago, and today. Great to see him again

Sometimes nature calls in the middle of nowhere , so shuffling off the trail into the brush to be respectful of the others walking by, was my option, good call I say,
The next thing I knew I was hurtling forward into a ditch that was hidden by branches, as I closed in on the ditch floor, I knew it was going to smart a little, I could tell my leg was going to take a hit, or the family jewels,,,dilemma,,,,,, what to protect.
Well I thought, I still have some life left in these legs I think, family jewels had not been called on in awhile, so,so that was the call.   Funny how natural instinct takes over in a split second, cos in a micro second before I came  to a sudden stop on my back at the bottom of the ditch, plans changed, the leg was going to have to take the blow. Laying there with my body pinned by my 23 lb back pack, I heard a muffle. I looked up to see a black silhouette outlined in the vibrant blue sky, then in a broken Danish accent it hollered out” is it broken?,,,is it broken?
I shouted back, I don’t know, I’ll check...
And as I slowly uncupped my hands he shouted ,,,,,,,no no,,,,, your leg, your leg
I looked at my calf and thought, this isn’t good.

We walked out of the town plaza and bypassed a coffee shop in the hopes of catching one later, as it turns out , it took over an hour to walk out of the city limits and didn’t see another coffee shop.
Coming into our night stop of Najera, we had a knights Templar on the pedestal showing the way, and a very interesting ruin of a Templar run hospital

The remnants of a hospital built three centuries ago to help pilgrims