Camino a Santiago Day 6: Estella to Los Arcos

Distance: 22.5km (14mi)

Elevation gained: 422m (1,386ft)

Duration: 6hrs

Steps: 33,794

Calories: 1,622

A wine fountain with no wine? I demand a refund!!

Visiting the Irache wine fountain is supposed to be one of the highlights of the Camino a Santiago. So much for that. Coming a few kilometers after leaving Estella—so still quite early in the morning—the Camino goes past a well known winery called Irache. Back in the day there was a Pilgrim hospital here. The monks would give their patients wine to fortify them. Like seriously, why don’t doctors do that these days? All this jello and tea thing in hospitals when you could be getting wine.

Anyway, I digress. Irache has become quite an emblematic part of the Camino, and it’s known for having a wine fountain that delivers 100 liters (25 gallons) of wine a day to thirsty pilgrims starting at 8am. We were there at 8:30. No wine. I was not happy. LOL

Fifteen minutes later it was all forgotten as I continued amongst the most peaceful scenery you could possibly want. And unlike the day before when the heat threatened to get the best of me, this was a hot, but also breezy day, which helped tremendously.

This was also a day punctuated by brief walks alongside people I’ve met throughout my time here, as well as new encounters. I’ve discovered that, for the most part, I prefer to walk alone, with occasional exchanges. There were Bill and Eloise, a couple from New Mexico I met the very first day in France. They retired early and are basically traveling all over, doing a bunch of cool stuff, making me thoroughly jealous of their lives. Except Eloise has developed a bit of a knee problem which might threaten her ability to continue. Then there were Fatima and her dad, Paco. They’re from Sevilla, and are doing the Camino as a father/daughter experience, but only the first two weeks until Burgos, because that’s what they have time for before Fatima has to start her post-master’s degree internship at a Mexican consulate. And finally, on arrival in Los Arcos there I ran into a Brazilian couple I met in my B&B on day three, Fernanda and Marcel. Upon finding a packed restaurant with no open tables, they quickly invited me to join them. Never mind that I don’t speak Portuguese. And they don’t really speak Spanish. We had a perfectly nice lunch and understood each other no problem. Gotta love it.

As for Los Arcos, talk about tiny. Talk about rural Spain tiny on a Sunday when absolutely nothing is open except for the one bakery and the one restaurant which serve pilgrims. Los Arcos would not be worth more than a passing glance were it not for its church. La Parroquia de Santa Maria de Los Arcos is simply put, stunning. A 12th century construction once owned and run by the Knights Templar; I was, to be frank, shocked such an interior could exist here. It was what you would expect of a major church in a major city in any European capital. It wasn’t so much the opulent gold interior. Don’t get me started on that, and where that gold came (was stolen) from. Rather, it was the frescoes, and wood carvings, so incredibly well preserved after hundreds upon hundreds of years. I love old churches. As I told my new German friend Nelli today, to me, irrespective of my utter lack of religion, churches are a representation of a country’s culture and history preserved from a specific moment in time. They are an art form to be cherished and admired no matter what your beliefs.

Accommodation: Pensión Los Arcos. I really liked this place. Mostly because I really liked the owner. The pensión is very plain, but it’s clean and bright and had comfortable beds. The room was large and it was cool on a very hot day. Also the owner’s last name is Gallardo, like mine, so what’s not to like? Double room, single use €45.

Lunch: Cafeteria Buen Camino. It’s right on the square and in the middle of all the “action.” The paella is excellent, but the service is absolutely awful. Just be patient and enjoy. There is nothing else to do here anyway. My credit card bill says €24, but I’m pretty sure that included some of my companions food which they left me cash for. All in all it was very cheap.