La Rioja! Where the Wind Comes Whipping down the Plain…

09 April 2013

When you think that the Camino can´t get more demanding, it usually does.

We left Ventosa (which apparently means “windy”, which should have been our first clue) at about 7:30, despite our best efforts to be out the door by 7.

By 9:30, we were drinking our cafe con leche´s in Najera, 10 km on.

In Najera, we visited the beautiful Monasterio de Santa Maria la Real, where some of the kings of Navarre are entombed. It was a grand building, despite a rather ignoble period of its history after the Spanish state dissolved the monasteries.

It served as a barracks, a prison, even a bull ring, before it was declared a national cultural treasure and given over to the Franciscans about 150 years ago.

We spent rather too much time in Najera, but the walk through the vinyards to lunch in Azofra was pleasant enough.

It was after this, that the rather strong and constant winds we´ve had the past few days suddenly became the most absurd headwind ever.

They were listed at 30 – 40 kph, and Patrick mentioned that he´d been in tropical storms that were less windy.

We fought these winds for 15 km that seemed like 30.

We passed through the eerie and apocalytic town of Ciruna, full of new, modern housing developments, but utterly bereft of people.

We expected zombies at any moment.

And then, back to the wind.

Eamon and Petra surged ahead, propelled by youth and long legs. Patrick, Viola, and I struggled, exhorting and encouraging each other, occasionally shouting and swearing at the wind.

When we crested the (almost) last hill and saw the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada in the valley below us, we shouted and wept for joy.

It was, we decided, the most beautiful city ever built by human hands. The streets are paved with chorizo and jamon, the fountains flow with vino tinto and the river is surely cerveza.

Angels sing of its wonders. If we could have danced for joy, we would have.