Day 10 - 21.7km - Najera to Santo Domingo

Last night was shit. The Brazilians were not the best roommates. All evening of noise, and then finally bed. Until one of their phone alarms went of at 1am. On the opposite side of the room from their bunk. So scrambling and crashing ensued. They also don't know how to use a door and a door handle quietly so rude awakenings for the loo at 2.30 and 3.30 am were just marvelous. But then they got up at 4.40 to start packing their gear for a 5.30 departure. I'm pretty sure if we share a room with them again we may be carrying their bodies out in their own backpacks.

So; tired and frustrated we set out at 7.35 (late, I know!!). We walked past Najera monostary and out onto our red mud paths. The weather had cleared a bit, though it was still grey and cold, the clouds hanging low over us as the early morning air chilled us through our fleeces and raincoats. Niks Achilles has improved each day so we are going a little further today.

We walked on out of town, offering greetings to the familiar faces and talking about our experiences so far. As we climbed a slow and steady hill, the view rolled off to the right down a valley filled with grape vines and sided by fields of yellow and green. The sun broke through briefly to highlight the scene.

Nik Cried. The emotions of his healing leg and the returning thought that we can complete this walk overcame him. We hugged on that red mud track, pilgrims ahead, pilgrims behind, miles ahead of us and miles behind. We are on the Camino. And we will walk ever onwards together.

We continued to the first of today's towns, Azofra, where all the pilgrims (as in every town) stopped at the first cafe for breakfast and Cafe con Leche (think of a latte) the fuel of the Camino. We grabbed a coffee but breakfast options were sparse. A young Dutch lady called Romy, part of "the ladies" poked her head in the door, but after deciding it did not look to her standard she moved on down the road to the other cafe.

We finished our coffees and loaded up to walk on. The other cafe looked much better so I ducked in to grab some packed lunches. Romy was there with Moises, a charming and charismatic chap from Mexico, and we realised why the first cafe was not to Romys standard!! Camino romance is possible it seems. I grabbed the sandwichs, then route marched to catch up with Nik, who, it seems, does not know how to slow down and has one pace!

A few kilometres later and we had a long tough uphill until we reached a seating area. A few familiar faces lounged in recliner chairs made of stone. We sat and had our packed lunch of tuna sandwichs and orange juice.

The Camino takes its toll on your feet, and the worst example we have seen arrived mid tuna butty. A German lady sat opposite us and winced and yelped in pain as she removed her shoes and socks. She had a blister so bad it was bleeding all the way down her big toe and into her foot. Communication was non existent, but I got my first aid kit out and played hero. A new experience in life is rubbing germalene and applying moleskin to a stranger's sweaty feet. 2 minutes later she was walking around our copse of trees and benches in relief and ready to keep walking.

Our next stop was Cireuna. This is a whole new housing estate (well new in around 2010) but halve of the property's never sold. It's a ghost town of apartments and houses. To think so many people are homeless or cannot afford housing yet this estate of some thousands of dwellings is sat empty. We walked through in silence as rows of shuttered and empty houses sat quiet and lifeless to either side.

More hills, more mud, more green and more yellow before Santo Domingo. The albergue here has 200 beds. It's a big old place originally founded in the 1100s for pilgrims. We have a 20 person dorm tonight. And it smells delightful.

After our hot showers and a quick trip to the supermarket and pharmacy to replenish my first aid supplies we ventured out for a small wander and then on to meet a group of pilgrims. Romy has to leave tonight so it's a Camino family departure. As we were leaving the albergue was being overrun with Spanish soldiers. There is a column of them moving into the third floor which it seems is their starting point for some kind of exercise. hopefully they also have lights out at 10!!

We met "the ladies" plus a few others for Romys leaving drinks. The friendships are already strong and it will be sad to see one of the group leave before we finish this journey, but the real world calls.

I say the real world calls. But is work life and the 9-5 the real world? Or is the daily routine of getting up and moving forward at one with yourself and your surroundings the real world? I'm sure we have more discovering to do but until then, keep walking pilgrims and as always look over your shoulder and see how far you have come.