Todd has to get back to civilization but may be back at some point.  He has been wonderful keeping the project moving forward.  He left me with a thought: don’t be afraid to let the good get better!  Sometimes we all reach a plateau of what we call good and never let there be more.   He said that it was like the hills here that we climb and we get to a place where it looks like the top and a few more steps reveal a new summit and this repeats itself over and over.  Nice.

Kelly wanted to say to his family that he is alive and well.  He is having the time of his life.  He complains about the effort it takes to keep me under control though.  He feels a big responsibility for my safety and well being.

Yup that’s the way that it is!  Later, St James is Afoot, Phil.

We just checked in to a beautiful albergue and time to shower before sightseeing.  The church has a chicken coup in it that symbolizes one of the miracles of Saint Dominic.  I wish I had time now to expand on that, maybe later.

He also was the first engineer on the Camino, building bridges and clearing the trail from the forest.  Ok, have to go, sorry.  The shower calls, SJA, Phil.

Day eleven and that is from “Hotel California”, right?  It is the name of our group but I am quickly realizing  that it is something bigger.  The whole Camino conquers your heart and you can never leave really.

One more paragraph now because the Angels have arrived and is lunch time.  Laura just came up with another line for the song, “No matter where it takes me, I won’t be afraid of walking anymore.” Phil.

I’m getting the hang of this heaven thing.  Kelly and I were filmed saying our rosary in the shade along the trail today.  I’m glad that I remembered the right words under pressure; just act natural.

I’m learning to live with my blister, my first.  I’ve been lucky.  Dillon named one of his blisters after Kelly today.  Another case of giddy.

We lost Aleda today as she had to get back to civilization and eventually Miami.  Now I’m down to two Angels.  Times are tough.

Have to go, love you all, St James is Afoot, Phil.

Here I am sitting having a beer in Navarrete.  There are seven pilgrims sitting here with me and want to introduce them to you:  Grace from Australia, Raymond from Netherlands, Cristina from Barcelona, Abel from Madrid, Kelly from USA, Matthew from Netherlands and Cherry from Australia and me.  Yup, pretty much an international forum I’d say.

Today we went through the city of Logrono and Grace and I set off to find a phone charger and a stylus.  We had a wild time trying to find those simple items.  We gave money to all the beggars.  I said my first Spanish complete sentence, “Donde esta el Camino”.   Ok, we have to  go find the angels, Phil.

Well, I don’t really know how to describe my evening.  Our group now called the  Hotel California had a picnic on the grounds of a church in beautiful disrepair.  Yes, the church was the one in beautiful disrepair.  It was for sure a vision of heaven.  In the Spanish sunset with a spread of Spanish food with Camino friends.  Ah, I’m going to cry just thinking about it.  Then we got lost in the rain trying to get back to the hostel before they locked us out at 1000.  We made it and here I sit blogging with a damp shirt and fighting off sleep for a few more minutes

Tomorrow will come with a walk of 22.5 k through Logrono to the town of Navarrete.    We still have enough food left from the picnic for breakfast and lunch.  We will be up at 0600 and on the road by 0700.  We are supposed to be ready for surprises so that will be our mission.

One of the little known facts that I have discovered is that in Spanish or Italian there is no equivalent to our word giddy.  Have discovered that in our walking days  there are  three stages: first few hours of pain as we warm up, then a giddy time when it all seems  so wonderful and then finally when we get really tired and there is a sort of automatic pilot situation.  But it is all really wonderful.

The idea that we are sharing the experience is very important.  It leads to a certain understanding between people that we are in this together no matter where we start from.  We are learning how to put up with each other in all things.  We are learning to help each other through our hard spots which we have everyday.

There has developed a small group of  wonderful ladies who are going by “Phil’s Angels” or ” Phil’s Phillies”.   Laura, Anna Maria and Aleda are going to leave me instructions on how to operate after they leave.  It’s going to be tough carrying on as they only have a few more days.

I will get some more help later today and get some pix on here.  Here is help right now!

Yes it’s true, Todd and I ran with bulls last evening.  He was in there with his video camera so there will be some footage of that.  It was mostly chaos with hundreds of well lubed Spanards.  And the bulls turned out to be pretty puny but we didn’t really know that till the dust cleared.  Anyway, if I had a bucket list it would for sure be on it.

Today the walk was really the best yet.  We have a group that is coalescing.  We are working on getting all the continents represented.  We might be short a few penguins but it is fun trying.  Will get a group shot from Todd on here somehow.

Todd is taking some great shots.  Captured a double rainbow over the church here in Los Archos.  He is having ball.

OK! I am going to post this before the hostel turns off the Wifi, if they do.  They try their best to get everyone in bed at a decent hour.  Buen Camino, Phil.

I must apologize to you because I just lost some valuable entries that people put on last evening.  My fat fingers are to blame.  But ever onward and are at the town of Los Archos after a good walk of 21 k.  The morning was overcast and delicious and then the sun broke through and we did our best.  We had a pretty good gang of walkers but we got strung out and some of us had to drink a lot of beer in the shade waiting for everyone to catch up.

It is possible that with the help of a good eleven year old I my be able to get my lost material back.  So I will continue to think positively.  Ok, so Grace just showed up to help, who is not eleven but maybe can pull me through.