Day 6 to Los Arcos

30000 steps today...

Thanks once again to my day sponsors and to my 5000 step sponsors.

Thanks to the many people who have left a comment, sent an email or sent a text. Your prayers and support mean a lot.

After arriving at the parish hostel, bathing, and washing clothes, I set out to explore the city. As you may have seen from the photos, Estella is stupendous. It has a wonderful historic part of the city and has any monuments scattered throughout the town.

I really enjoyed wandering around and arrived at the town park, which is glorious, and paced my way through it. About half way through, from a distance, with an eagle eye, I spotted a bar - I pulled up with a beer and a bar of olives while a man fished in the river below me. Magic. 

I basically continued my wanderings until that magic hour when the churches started to open. I first visited the hill top church of San Pedro, one of  the classically stark, and to me more impressive churches. There was a lovely statue of St James where I lit a candle and said a prayer. 

After that I visited the parish church of San Miguel, also lovely. We celebrated Mass there and the pilgrims' blessing at the end was particularly touching - he blessed us each individually by name in our mother tongue.

I finally paid a very quick visit to San Juan in the center, said a prayer, and went on my way.

I slept in a bit this morning and did not leave the hostel until 7.30. Fortunately, they made real coffee on the  stove. I had three cups and was well charged for the journey.

I really felt like the going was very easy today. Even though there were a couple of hills, which slowed me down at those times, I kept on charging ahead. I enjoyed my brief breakfast in one town and stopped at a strange side of the pathe stop for an orange juice. Have I mentioned how magnificent the orange juice is... it is so sweet and fresh. I have never had such good juice in my life.

The walk was very varied today - open paths, tree covered poaths, hills and paddocks. Again, I found it easy going. That is good, because tomorrow I have to walk 27 kms.

Until later.