Startpoint: Villatuerta. Endpoint: Los Arcos. Distance walked: about 26km. I think we´ve done 149km so far (can somebody else do the math and get back to me?) Steps taken: eh, let´s say another 30,000 or so. Conditions: not a cloud in the sky today and we struggled a bit with heat and the flies in the afternoon. My Achilles tendon (or something down that direction) is giving me some trouble.

A quick poll of our Austrian-run hostel in Los Arcos confirmed that 100% of Pilgrims were supporting the Dubs. Whoop!

We had the pilgrims´dinner in the hostel last night and it was all vegetarian. I loved it. The hostel was fairly small (maybe 25 beds) and run by a (assumed) husband and wife team, who did everything at once: registration, laundry, cooking, cleaning. For the meal, we were sitting at a table with a French man in his mid 70s and a Spanish man in his 60s. At the table, we held an intra-european grandfather show-down. The race was initially tight with Dad taking an early lead of five grandkids compared to an impressive four from each of the gents. Then Dad played his trump card: “…and one on the way!” The crowd went wild, the match was over and Dad left with the admiration and envy of his peers.

Before we had finished the first bottle of (free) wine, we were presented with a second. And when the meal was over, we were given a third bottle to finish off on behalf of a less thirsty table. At about 9pm, we were asked to leave the dining room. They had to prepare the tables for breakfast. They sent us into the garden with our wineglasses and sent another bottle after us to apologise for the inconvenience. On the way to the garden, we recruited another pair of grandfathers (one Scottish, one South African), but neither could come close to Dad´s high score of 5.9 on the Grandkids scale.

The 74-year old Frenchman shared a saying with us, after checking a few words of English. “What are the children of your children called?¨and “When you pay a bill, but you give extra, what is that?” He then announced ¨Grandchildren are a tip from God¨. I think he meant you need to put at least a little effort into producing a child (the unfair division of labour notwithstanding (and pun intended)), but you get a grandchild without having to do anything to earn it.

We left Villatuerta at 7.40am to get as much walking done before the day got hot. We passed Irache (famous for it´s free wine fountain), but in the words of Don MacClean, the levy was dry.

We spent a good portion of the day discussing economics and healthcare with a Texan gentleman wearig a straw hat and blue jeans. To repay us for our insights into the world of finance, he gave us some bread and two types of cheese. I repaid him for his kindness by giving him two Compeed plasters (the sporty version).

Yesterday afternoon, my right leg began to hurt between the heel of my foot and the calf. As it´s Sunday, I wasn´t able to find an open Farmacia, so I wrapped my leg up in my Dad´s bandages and some sellotape and took a Neurofen. I also bought a walking stick in a petrol station to try and take a little of the weight off the leg. My Dad laughed when he saw me with the walking stick, as I´d refused to consider using the walking poles that he has. The walking stick I bought has BOTH a little leather strap AND a compass in the top, so the joke is really on Dad.

We passed the 74-year old a few times today (so he must have passed us too). I felt rather humbled (read: pee´d off) when a man forty years my senior outpaced me by five minutes over a two kilometre track. He then came up to me and without an ounce of condescension, congratulated me on how fast I had walked. He also offered us some ham. I declined; I was still chewing on the greasy rind of defeat.

After arriving in Los Arcos, my Dad and I did our usual wander to find food and beers. As we did, we found the 74-year old. He´d gotten there before us and was just enjoying some spaghetti and meatballs before hitting the road again. He was planning on another 5km in the late afternoon heat before resting. He asked if we would like to join him for a drink, but it was too hot in the square for our delicate Irish selves. He really was a very nice man.

We looked around a little grocers´shop to buy some fruit to snack on tomorrow. In among the dates and plums was a little cardboard packet with a picture of an ankle brace on it’ just what I´d been wishing for all day! Perfecto! I eagerly asked the lady to add the ankle brace to our four apples and two bananas, but the packet was empty. Through a few words of English and a few words of Spanish, she made it clear that she hasn´t actually had any ankle braces in the shop for a very long time, but just keeps the box there to let the thousands of walkers who pass her shop each week know that she used to sell ankle braces and might do so again in the future. What a lovely gesture.

Win a Prize!

We have another decision to make tomorrow: a) 29.5km all the way to Logrono, b) 18.5km to Viane to leave us with a short jaunt to Logrono the following morning, or c) stay in Viane tomorrow and then pass all the way through Logrono the day after without staying over. Put your suggestions in the comments below and the best answer wins a free walking stick with its own leather strap and integrated compass!!* (terms and conditions apply)

We´re meeting a couple of Canadians for dinner tonight. We´re hoping to bump into the Irish gang from the last few days. They took an alternative route today, so we´ll see how they got on.

Bon appetit, Buen Camino & Up the Dubs!

*walking stick will be available from on or around 25th of October. Postage and packing from somewhere in North Spain not included. Compass may or may not actually point North.