Day#8. We are in Los Arcos

We must really be in sync with the universe.  We arrived in Los Arcos at around noon and easily found Albergue Casa de Los Abuelos ( House of the Grandparents ) which I had picked out from the Brierley Guide for obvious reasons.  We were greeted by Josef who runs the place with his wife Sarah whose grandparents started it.  We got the next to the last bunk (upper and lower) in a room with 4 bunks for €9 each.  Many people are reserving ahead because of the unusually high number of pilgrims walking right now.  We have not ever reserved ahead but keep finding beds in wonderful places.

We paid also (another €3.50) for breakfast buffet with the promise of pancakes and EGGS starting at 5:30 am.  I have been craving an egg - a nice hard boiled egg.  On the Camino one really gets down to basics.  The very simplest things are incredibly satisfying:  to find a bed, a hot shower, a cold beer... and maybe to encounter a familiar face that you met along the way earlier.

The walk from Irache, about 11 miles, was very pleasant, especially starting early as we did (6:15), through undulating farmland - vineyards and olive trees growing in rich red soil.  As we left Hotel Irache by the light of our headlamps we saw ahead the setting full moon, huge and glowing through the clouds. Spectacular!!  The morning before as we left Lorca, the air was permeated with the scent of anise growing all around us.  I love these early morning departures!

The top photo is of a little oasis we found in the middle of an 8 mile stretch of the walk where we had been warned there would be no shade, no villages and consequently no food or water.  Suddenly there appeared this van set up with shelter by an enterprising couple selling bocadillos (sandwiches), candy and fresh squeezed orange juice.  We availed ourselves of the juice which tasted fabulous and was wonderfully rejuvenating.  Another little miracle.