Many reviews of Albergue de La Abuela talked about what an amazing place it is.
For me I will say that it was nice. If you know me you know that giving something a nice rating is not high in my book.
I was not expecting luxury by any means, it is after all an Albergue. I did expect more warmth from the Hospitaleros and less of a shuttling cattle atmosphere.
This is the first Albergue that Dan and I encountered that assigned us beds. Since we were some of the last arrivals we got a top and a bottom bunk.
Since I am a restless sleeper I prefer a bottom bunk… Dan needs a bottom bunk in order to plug in his sleeping machine.
When we returned to the Albergue after dinner they promptly turned off the lights at 10:00 leaving us in darkness and unable to prepare before bed. Our roommates, a couple from Ireland, promptly went to bed and closed the only window that provided circulation.
My night was long and stressful as I saw the hours pass. At some point Dan knew I was awake because he reached up and rubbed my arm.
I was hot, I was tired, I needed water and yet I was compelled to respect those around me.
This is one of the main lessons of the Camino, you are either a taker or a giver. Sometimes you must be better than those around you and think of those that are in your atmosphere.
At times we want so badly to not care, to not give, not go without. Perhaps our world can be better if we forgot about us and became the givers rather than takes. This may involve sacrifice in our part. However in the end it all works out.
Our walk to Vianna promised to be a fast walk. We confirmed with many fellow pilgrims that it would be crazy to head into Logroño with the military parade going on. If you did not have accommodations booked you would either sleep outside or have to continue to the next town essentially making it a 30+Km day. No thank you!
As we walked, we also knew hat we needed to get into Vianna soon since many Albergues had overflow from Logroño.
The walk was pretty rolling hills wit poppies and yellow flowers. The skies were a bit dark and we hoped the rain would stay away.
As we walked, an older couple from Australia caught up with us. They had reservations in Logroño so they were in for a long day. As we walked, the husbands began to move steadily ahead of us. I told Frankie the wife that I was a slow walker and she told me she was grateful for it since she also was outpaced by her husband.
We had such a delightful talk. She has three daughters back home. One of them has Lupus and she is worried for her. I shared a bit about having Sjogrens and how you learn to live and adjust. Yes you have days Your are reminded that if you don’t take care of yourself you can spiral down quickly. However I assured her life goes on and it sounds like her daughter is like me, determined to live life fully and not allow this to be an impediment.
As the town began to take shape in the distance the skies opened up and water began to fall on us.
We picked up our pace but it was too late. Rain came to plains in Spain.
As we got into town, we noticed a nice new building on the right that proudly read BAR/Albergue.
We went inside to warm up, grab a drink and call a cab. If we continued walking in the rain, we where almost sure we would not find a bed in Vianna. Once the cab had been called we enjoyed the most delicious beer ever. Really… sooo good.
As we waited we lost track of our new Australian Friends. They had hotel reservations in Logroño and I think they wanted to push ahead.
As we sat for a while a Spanish couple in their 60s doing the Camino asked if they could share their cab.
We said yes.
In some ways I do not regret missing the 10.50 km from Torres Del Rio. This stretch of the Camino is referred to as the knee breaker. It is not only a steep hill but a huge drop too. Under normal circumstances this would have been hard, with torrential rain coming down it would have been more challenging. I also thought that with my track record of clumsiness the knee wrecker/breaker would be better left for better weather.
Upon our arrival in Vianna we walked over to the Albergue that had availability. Many of our Camino friends from previous days were there also.
We got checked in by CJ and immediately I knew she was one of those Camino Angels.
In the span of an hour we had settled in, got our laundry on its way with CJ’s help and headed into town for our afternoon Pinchos (tapas and adult beverage)
We explored the town and got to enjoy seeing almost everyone of the 3,500 residents of this village out and about walking outside, talking to their neighbors and friends.
As a border town, Vianna has walls that protect them from enemies. We got to walk through the ruins of an old church dating back to 1000’s
Back at the Albergue, everyone had settled in.
We participated in the pilgrim dinner which was 10€ and included a salad course, rice, vegetables, soup, and main course of pork loin. You could also opt in for pasta. This was too much for me. I did have my last glass of Navarra wine.
After dinner we spoke to a father and daughter from Mexico doing the Camino. They will also meet up with other family and travel until the end of August.
Other interesting people we shared conversation with included a gentleman from New Zealand. He is also traveling for a couple of months. Funny how around the world they live to enjoy life and not to work. Many people define them self’s by what they enjoy, what they feel passionate about and not about where they work and what they do for a living.
This is a good reminder for me.
As I got ready for bed, i climbed to the top of my bunk and then soon realized that I needed to go brush my teeth. Unfortunately Dan was already almost asleep. Then one of the older gentleman who was in our room walking by my bunk asked if I needed help coming down the bunk. I shyly said yes please. As thanked him for his help and started to make my way to the bathroom Dan said to me… see the Camino provides… referring to the help I had received.
I don’t remember falling asleep but I do know that it was a blissful 8+ hours.
I sorry we did not see our friend Johan or others from before, but you never know what or who lays ahead. One thing is for sure. One travels at ones pace. No two Caminos are the same.
Over all, one big lesson is to remember that the right people and places will make their way to you.
NY RedRose 