April 23, 2013. Navarrete to Najera

Exiting Navarrete in the morning we approached and passed by the Municipal Cemetery.

As noted in a prior post, the ornate arched entry to the cemetery was appropriated from the 12^th Century ruins of the Monastery of San Juan de Acre.

Atop the arch and just beneath the crucifix is a carved depiction of the legendary battle between Charlemagne’s heroic knight Roldan and the Saracen giant, Farragut. The 10^th Century battle between the two warriors was reputed to have spanned nearly 4 days without rest. Finally, Roldan slew the giant with a powerful throw of a well-aimed rock. (Shades of the biblical story of David vs. Goliath)

The battle is commemorated along the Camino through statues, relief carvings, and inscriptions, most dating to around the 12^th Century. The killing of Farragut allegedly liberated the region from his tyranny and freed a host of Charlemagne’s imprisoned knights.

High on a hilltop we encountered a restored “beehive” watchtower. Legend says that this is the place where the epic battle occurred and is still known as Poyo de Roldan (Roldan’s Hill).

Passing by the tiny village of Ventosa (pop. 150) we encountered one of the countless images of Santiago (St. James). This one was noteworthy as being “cute”.

Most often Santiago is either represented as a wandering pilgrim dressed in medieval attire with his staff, water gourd, and scallop shell…

…or more ominously as the legendary “Matamoros” (Slayer of the Moors). In recent years these historic statues have generated much controversy for their anti-Muslim theme. (Shades of the current controversy over Confederate monuments in the United States)

At Najera (pop. 7,000) we reached our 16km day’s destination. Prominent in the town is the fortress-like church de Santa Maria la Real.

The impression is no accident. For over 300 years Najera was the bastion and capital of the ancient kingdom of Navarre. The church holds the earthly remains of kings and queens from the 10^th through 13^th Centuries.

Legend has it that in 1044 Don Garcia, son of King Sancho the Great, was hunting with his favorite falcon. The falcon flew into a cave but did not return. Garcia, entering the cave to retrieve his falcon, miraculously came upon a hidden statue of the Virgin Mary. Honoring the miracle of the “Virgen de la Cueva” (Virgin of the Cave) he and King Sancho initiated the construction of the church in 1052.

Najera provided me with my first samplings of two cephalopod delicacies that I would seek whenever possible: “Pulpo” (Octopus), and Squid prepared in its own ink.

Either of these set before me on the table were an incentive for Christine to move to another table. In the years that have followed I learned of the remarkable intelligence of octopi and their related species. They are one of the few life forms on our planet that display complex problem solving abilities, tool utilization, communication skills, learning by observation, and  are perhaps even self-aware. All of this is even more remarkable given that they have a lifespan of only 2 years. Dining on these invertebrate wonders now produces a feeling of guilt in me.

April 24^th was another spectacular day on the Camino.

Clear skies and a feeling of community with those who also walked.

Our spirits were elevated for the 21km ahead and further boosted by a waymark that “announced” Santiago de Compostella to be 582km ahead. We had completed 240km since leaving St. Jean Pied de Port in southern France.

I will display a few more pictures of the day at the end of this post but continuing the theme of “legends” takes me to the end of the day and the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada (Saint Dominic of the Road). Saint Dominic was born Domingo Garcia in 1019. Legend says that his application to become a Benedictine cleric was twice rejected because he was illiterate. For a time he lived as a hermit in the nearby forests. A bishop from Rome learned of Dominic and became interested in his devout dedication to the Faith. He ordained Dominic to the priesthood in 1039 whereupon Dominic is credited with undertaking the construction of a significant pilgrim bridge, a hospital for Peregrinos, the Cathedral, and otherwise elevating the town from obscurity into a major waypoint on the Camino. He died in 1109 at the age of 90 and is buried in a beautiful vault within the Cathedral. He is deemed Spain’s patron saint of Civil Engineers.

Near the plaza of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo is the large Albergue, Casa del Santo, which contains 210 beds for those walking the Camino. It also features a large chicken coop where roosters and hens are kept and cared for. The reason for the coop and fowl:

Legend has it that in the 1300’s an 18 year old German Pilgrim and his parents walked the Camino. The Pilgrim, named Hugonell, rejected the sexual advances of a Spanish girl who was staying at the same inn as the young man. Jilted, the girl hid a silver cup among Hugonell’s personal effects and then alerted the local authorities that he was a thief. Hugonell was tried and sentenced to hang. After his execution his parents mourned his fate, the body still hanging from the gallows. Hugonell then spoke to them from the gallows and said that his life had been spared through the miraculous intervention of Saint Dominic. The parents rushed to seek aid from the local Magistrate to release their son. The Magistrate who was eating dinner laughed saying, “Your son is as alive as this rooster and chicken that I was feasting on before you interrupted me.” In that moment the two roasted birds jumped up from the plate and begin to happily sing and crow! Hugonell was immediately released from the gallows and pardoned.

For 700 years in tribute to the legend an ornate chicken coop is still kept at the rear of the Cathedral, occupied by a live chicken and rooster. The white plumed birds, which are furnished by the nearby Albergue, spend 30 days in the coop before being replaced by another pair.

I am left to wonder at the fate of the birds after their 30 days in the Cathedral’s pen. Perhaps they go from the “Friar’s Pen into the Frier”. (My bad! Just a pun that I couldn’t resist sharing.)

Peace Everyone, and Buen Camino. Pete

PS. More images from the day:

A virtually abandoned golf village of empty apartments. The golf course and condominiums having fallen victim to an economic downturn.

The spectacular Spring countryside…

…and apparently this has been a problem.

April 22, 2013, Viana to Navarrete.

We were well on our way out of Viana before the first rays of sun lit the western side of the village. At 23km this would be a Christine’s longest day, particularly challenging since she was carrying her pack.

Not far down the trail we said goodbye to the mountainous region of Navarra and hello to the autonomous region of La Rioja. Sandwiched between Navarra and the plains of the Meseta (think western Kansas), this region has been famous for producing excellent wines for centuries.

Shortly after crossing the “border” into La Rioja we encountered an older woman standing in the doorway of her humble cottage. Short, sturdy, and weatherworn, with a smile that radiated a rich inner kindness, she motioned for us to enter.

This was Maria, daughter of the modern Camino’s famous Felisa (1910-2002) who for most of her adult life “stood guard”, just as Maria was continuing to do, greeting pilgrims entering La Rioja. Felisa, and now Maria, laid out a small plate with figs and offered water. Speaking virtually no English she accepted donations. However, this was no money making venture. The kindness Felisa and Maria showed was driven solely by love for those walking the Camino.

The “Felisa Stamp” in a Pilgrim’s credencial was highly sought by knowledgeable Peregrinos. In Spanish it reads, “Figs, Water, and Love.” All of these things freely offered by Felisa and Maria, nothing expected in return.

We entered Logrono, a modern city of 130,000, and capital of the La Rioja region.

Like most of Spain’s population centers, whether large or small, it featured a remarkable church that dates back hundreds of years. Catedral de Santa Maria de la Redonda was built on the foundation of an earlier 12^th Century Romanesque Church. The current edifice dates to the 15^th Century.

The altar and apse (surround) are stunning. The church also prides itself on being the owner of a small original painting by Michelangelo, “Christ on the Cross”. The small but priceless painting is kept secured in its own vault. When open for viewing a few coins are needed to illuminate the work.

Continuing out of Logrono on our way to Navarrete we passed the ruins of the 12^th Century Monastery of San Juan de Acre which was founded to offer care to passing Peregrinos.

The huge Don Jacobo Winery looms large in the distance behind the ruins. Many years ago the Monastery’s ornate stone archway was relocated to the Municipal Cemetery situated just west of the city where it now serves as that facility’s entrance.

13km later we entered Navarrete (pop. 2,200). Though a fraction of the size of Logrono, Navarrete’s 16^th Century Church of the Assumption is even more opulent than Logrono’s Cathedral.

One wonders at the wealth and time dedicated to this architectural competition that dates back hundreds of years.

Christine and I joined a number of our new Camino friends for drinks and pleasant conversation in the inviting central plaza. Over the course of the days and weeks to follow we developed deep personal connections with a number of these good people. Among them are (left to right) New Zealander Jennifer Dillner, Christine Lecher a German living in the Canary Islands,…

Gaby Pfauth of Germany, and Henk Kaspers of the Netherlands (far right).

We treasure their continuing friendships to this day.

It was a long day for Christine and me. She had outdone herself by hiking 23km with pack, and my feet were a painful mess.

For the first time we embraced the luxury of a real hotel room with private bath. We had earned it.

Peace Everyone, and Buen Camino. Pete

PS. Sadly, Maria passed away on March 15, 2021. The Camino has lost one of its Angels. In 2009 a film crew from Scotland produced this brief video about a day in this good woman’s life: Maria Tedora Medivalia Rodriguez (1933-2021).

Written at Villamayor de Monjardin, Spain, April 20, 2013.

Yesterday morning in Estella as the Peregrinos in our Albergue began to stir for the dawn departure onto the Camino, I became aware of the voice of frustration. The words were German, but the exasperation behind those words needed no translation.  I regret that I never learned his name, but the young man from Germany and I had exchanged greetings on a number of occasions. He spoke a little English, and I a little German. He is a big man… actually, a VERY big man. At more than 6′ 6″ tall, and well over 300 pounds he reminded me of a downsized version of Andre The Giant. For this note I will refer to him as “Andre”.

Andre sat at the edge of his bed in a losing effort to zip the leg onto his convertible pants. His frustration was many faceted as his fingers were too large, the zipper pull too small, and his knee too swollen. The pain in his knee and his frustration were clearly visible in the horizontal set of his brow, eyes, and lips. Christine moved to his aid and in short order had secured the miscreant pant leg.

Andre’s look of frustration quickly transformed to one of relief as he smiled at my wife and said, “Danke, Mutter!” (Thanks, Mother). Continuing in German he went on to say that he was leaving the Camino for home. Pointing to his knee (which I had observed to bear the scars of surgery), the pain in his eyes migrated from physical to emotional.

Our Albergue dorm room was shared by 15 other Peregrinos who were in various stages of pre-departure preparation. Motion stopped as Andre’s sadness spread through the room. This became personal for each of us.

Throughout the day Andre’s departure from the Camino was on the lips of the Pilgrims and weighed heavily on our hearts. I know that there have been and will be others to prematurely leave the Camino, but actually seeing the moment of despair is different. I hope for Andre that the Camino continues in his heart, just as he is remembered in ours.

Love to you all. Have fun, Do good, and Be safe. Buen Camino.

Pete (and Chris)