Tourist in Spain 4 - 24 May. Logrono, Maria, Viana

I left the hotel at 9am and followed the Camino path out of the town towards Maria's table. Many pilgrims passed me going into town. As I approached her table she recognized me and we hugged, doing a little jigg on the path! We sat inside talking about her daughter and grand children, her knees where she'd had operations in 2012 and her eye with the cataract which was now clear.  Pilgrims came in and she held up a credencial for me to see - a South African credencial.  The pilgrim was from Cape Town and was having a miserable time, not enjoying the Camino at all. She was walking with two American pilgrims and when I mentioned my name, Patty from Oregon asked if I was Sillydoll from the forum and knew Annie who had led groups in 2012.  We had our photos taken and they went on their way.

Back outside at the table, a car pulled up and I recognized Acacio from Villoria.  I was thrilled to see him because I had an envelope for Tomas of Manjarin that I was going to leave at his albergue on the way to Belorado. He told me that he had received a message and photo from Tomas that morning telling him that it was snowing at Manjarin.   I thought of the pilgrims walking in those cold mountains and hoped it would clear before our group arrives there in a few days time.
I said goodbye to Maria and walked back to the city. I packed the last box of chocolates in my backpack and got the bus to Viana.

I phoned Jose and we met in the square where a fiesta celebrating ethnic Basque dancing was in progress.  Jose left to direct some pilgrims to the apartment and I sat with his 8 year-old watching the dancing.  When Jose came back he invited me to have lunch with them at their home.  His wife, Pili, made us pasta and salad and I played computer games with the son.
I kept looking at my watch because the last bus was at 3.30 but Jose told me to 'tanqilla' -he would drive me back which he did, right to the hotel. Many pensions and hostals (different from hostels) are owned by families and the people are friendly and kind and make one feel at home.
Kathy was arriving at 7pm so I walked back to the station to meet her.  We stopped at the Carefore supermarket on the way back to the hotel so that she could by a yoghurt for her breakfast.
We shared pita and cheese sandwiches for dinner and had an early night.  Not much good it did with Spain playing 2 football matches and the bar across the road packed with screaming fans until 4am.

Tourist in Spain 3 - 23 May. Pamplona to Logrono

We met downstairs and I showed them the way to the cathedral. We had breakfast at a cafe bar and then I left them to go to the Bus station. This time I carried three boxes of Amarula chocolates - one for Marian in the tourist office in Estella and one for Jose in Viana and one for Maria outside Logrono.
When the bus stopped at Puente la Reina,  I saw Sharon Kalidene from our May group in the queue. She sat next to me and told me that she hasn't been walking because of a painful knee.  I thought she was very brave to get buses on her own from town to town - not my idea of fun.

We got off in Estella and walked to the tourist office.  Marian recognised me and we had an emotional reunion.  We left our packs with her and visited San Pedro de la Rua across the road.  It was the first time in 12 years that I had been able to get inside the church which features prominently in my novel.

We had tea with Marian and her coworker. They offered us Rooibos tea. I asked about Maria who worked in the tourist office with her and she told us that due to cutbacks, Maria had been retrenched.  This is the story for many people in Spain,  factories closing, offices moving, people losing jobs.
Sharon and I walked to Hostal Cristina and then I left her to go to the bus station.
I decided not to stop at Viana and continued to Logrono.  I had my map and a fair idea where the hotel was close to the cathedral but still I got lost and walked up and down trying to find it. It is in a side street right opposite the cathedral and I must've passed it 10 times! The hotel Numantina is clean and the rooms are comfortable but it is 7 flights of stairs to the hotel floor and the walls are so thin i could hear the person in the next room coughing.
I checked in, left my bags in the room and found a supermarket to buy food for dinner and breakfast. I ate in the room and although I could hear the TV in the room next door I slept dead until the morning.