In Pamplona, I felt a little guilty putting the Camino on pause, like maybe I was cheating the Way or avoiding something I was supposed to be doing. Now I understand a bit better what it's all about. My foot was infected-- why the hell would I have expected myself to walk on it? I would have told anyone else to take a break, so why would I not give myself the same TLC and understanding that I give others? Plus, Pamplona is a kick-ass city that I could see myself returning to live in someday. If we hadn't stopped, we would not have met Lori and Suzanne. We would not have stopped in the little town of Zirauki, and even if we had it would have been days before their festival. Everything happens for a reason!
So this time around, I didn't feel guilty about stopping to enjoy Logroño. I'm walking across Spain-- I deserve to enjoy the places I stay! The Camino is meant to make you live in the moment, because while you're here there is nothing but right now. And living in the moment in Logroño meant taking care of our feet... and eating tapas and drinking damn good wine.
For those of you who haven't been to Spain, tapas are a truly glorious experience. I don't think I stopped grinning for the entire time we wandered around Calle Laurel, the famous tapas street. I'll be honest... at first I had no idea how to "do" tapas. Luckily, we ran into the Spaniards from Santander who were at our hostel. In typical Kelly fashion, I bluntly stated that I was clueless and could they please show me how to proceed now that we were on the correct street. It ended up being a simple pay-as-you-go system where you order drinks and one of the numerous delicious concoctions on display on the bar. (Apparently in some cities, you get free tapas with every drink you order!) They heat up the tapas, you pay, and then you take your mouthwatering delicacies to a table and enjoy. The pacing last night was such that by the time you got the food, you were already halfway done with your glass of wine. Perfect! Each tapa consists of about four bites of pure bliss. We ate a crostini with goat cheese, orange marmalade, and walnuts, a mini chorizo burger, garlic sautéed mushrooms with mini shrimp, bull tail "brisket," and steak and mashed potatoes wrapped in a tortilla. I also ate another goat cheese crostini from another bar that had raspberry preserves, candied walnuts, and sunflower seeds because, well, why wouldn't I? The wine was perfect, the tapas nearly made me dance with delight, the Spanish guys were hilarious, and I was with my best friend in Spain. Talk about living in the moment!
When we arrived at our destination for today, we found Elona sitting at a cafe! It had been more than a week since we last saw her, but she has been taking her time and also spent a few days in Logroño. It was like seeing a long-lost friend after many years, and with a jolt I realized just how much these new friends, my new family, mean to me. Everything happens for a reason, and our timing was impeccable. Had we dawdled just five minutes longer in the park watching ducks, or had we decided to stay at the first albergue we looked at, we would have missed her. I'm not sure how or why, but our paths were meant to cross again and I have a feeling we'll be seeing her again very soon.
K
Navarrete, La Rioja, Spain
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