Day 8: Logroño - Náhera

Today’s stats: 19 miles/1400 ft elevation. Another long day! 
Almost lost a husband to the fishermen this morning. It’s a tossup between his love of walking and his love of fishing. 

A large part of the Camino experience is the people you meet along the way, and you often end up seeing the same people day in and day out. An Australian dude we continuously cross paths with reported talking to his brother who asked him what he had learned about himself after a week of walking the Camino. He responded: “that I am an idiot.”

Joking aside, I cannot lie - pain, or at least discomfort, is involved in walking the Camino carrying a heavy backpack. An uphill climb that would seem easy-peasy on our Sunday hike seems looming ominously on the Camino. And just as I was psyching myself up to keep going, the quote of the day revealed itself to me: “Without pain there’s no satisfaction.” There’s an enormous sense of accomplishment and joy on the Camino. It’s day 8, and I am still as excited as I was on day 1. I hope this will continue to be the case thru the end when we get to Santiago.

I’ve always prided myself on being a fast hiker & having stamina, but if racing the last mile to the hotel were an Olympic sport, it is my husband who would bring home the gold. Buen Camino!