“Bumpin and Fryin” Estella to Sansol, Spain - September 13

I decided to “bump” or send my backpack ahead to Sansol using a courier service to give my leg another day to recover. Wow, game changer losing 22lbs!! 🤣🤣. I wore a waist bag, carried three half liters of water in my pockets, my sun hat and a very positive attitude as Olga, Marta and I began our walk around 7:00am

The usual stopping point for this stage of the Camino (according to the experts) is Los Arcos, however I was not able to find accommodations there so we would walk about four additional miles to Sansol.

About 2k after we started we arrived at the famous free wine fountain at Bodegas Irache. Since it was before 8:00am and we had a long day ahead of us, we didn’t take a drink.

After a few more km, we stopped in Iquzquiza at a small cafe for breakfast. It was busy as is typical for the first morning stop along a walk, but the food was good. There was a massive juke box inside blasting 80’s and 90’s dance music, causing many pilgrims to sway along as they waited to order their food.

Reenergized, we continued on our way. The forecast called for lots of sun and temperatures close to 30c. Thankfully, the clouds and light breeze continued until around noon. We met a couple from Alberta, Canada in the morning and we talked hockey for a bit. It was nice to think of our regular life for a brief time, but also slightly surreal. Go Flames! Go Wings! 🏒

When the clouds lifted the sun light really emphasized the golden colors of the landscape. Warm, but quite beautiful.

About 6 km from Los Arcos we found a shady spot to rest. There was a food truck with simple sandwiches and drinks. A welcome sight for sure.

We arrived in Los Arcos around 1:30 and took a short rest and refuel in the town square. Olga met a local man who gave us information on the town and suggested we visit the cathedral as it would close soon for the afternoon. It was amazing.

On to Sansol in the scorching sun ready to finish the day. Soon we could see Sansol in the distance, but seemed that no matter how long we walked we came no closer. That last few kilometers are always the longest it seems, but we did arrive eventually and found Sunita settled in and waiting for us. Buen Camino.