La Rioja

Think, at long last, I am getting in to my stride. Today was the first I have walked pain free and enjoyed the journey. We have left the wines of  Navarre and have entered  La Rioja. The countryside has changed dramatically. It is now more a rolling landscape covered in acres of vines. The weather has turned and last weeks mud and rain have been changed to dust and heat. We left Logrono  this morning and had a pleasant walk around the lakes to Partano de la Grajera. After that it was a steep climb to the top of alto Grajera and then a long walk to the beautiful little town of Navarette where we stopped for coffee and a chance to talk with fellow travellers.  We considered staying here but decided to do the extra  mileage in to the small hamlet of Ventosa and therefore get the steep climb out of the way. We are in an amazing Albergue. I am sitting here doing my blog listening to what sounds like Chieftains music but is in reality music from this part of Spain. We really are Celts in our lineage and have so much in common. The beautiful thing about this journey is the people you meet, the stories they have and the friendliness they show towards each other. Don't worry, folks I'm  not getting soft or religious or anything like that. I'm still a grump and proud of it. Notice I had to be careful with spelling proud or Gavin and Derek would have had a field day.  Sorry chaps, thank you spell check.