Day 3 - Logrono

Puente la Reina to Logrono, 85 km

Crossing the centuries old bridge like so many pilgrims before me in the early morning, was the easy part. But then I had to find the N111, which was something of a challenge. Since my Michelin map was printed, a new highway was built straight past the town, and since then a couple of kilometres of the old route, which runs parallel to it, were closed off. A couple of wrong turns and wasted kilometres later I decided to cycle a stretch on the highway (it’s forbidden) until I could get back onto the smalller road. Luckily it was a Saturday, so the road was fairly quiet.

One thing though when you do rejoin the N111, is that you realise how much flatter the modern highway is. The old route goes up and down over hills, with virtually no cuttings made at the top of a hill. Well, it’s good exercise, I told myself. And then, it was also a cool day with cloudcover in the morning. All along the tarred road you can see the proper gravel Camino. This is the footpath that the walkers use, and some cyclists too. For me, it was one and the same. Whether I cycled on the gravel, or on the tar five metres to the right of it, the Camino experience was the same to me. Sometimes you do have to use the gravel Camino, if the tarred road is closed for roadworks, but generally I preferred to stay on the highway.

At Estella one turnoff at a circle was especially confusing. One sign says go right, but if you join the circle from another road, a different sign direct you to go straight. As I retraced my steps, I saw a German couple from the previous day standing next to the road, hunched over a map. I walked over to point them in the right way, as I’ve just did all the hard work of cycling in the wrong direction. But the man angrily waved me away. It was strange, and sad. It’s the Camino, we all have the same goal and purpose, and we’re like a family from all over the world. We help each other, even if you can only communicate with gestures and smiles. But this couple didn’t realise or appreciate this. I would think that they missed the whole point of doing the Camino.

The sun came out again and belted down. The scenery was again yellow, flat and dry. It was grinding work to keep a decent pace. There’s a famous stopover at Bodegas Irache where you can get free wine and water from a tap in the wall of a local winery. I took the obligatory sip, but a passed out pilgrim (well, mayby he was just taking a nap in the shade) made me check myself and get back onto the bike. Don’t want my Camino to be wined out. Rather rained out, I would think.

At Los Arcos I looked for a restaurant to have a bite, but it took me more than an hour to get something, as they eventually only opened an hour later.

Then I reached the hills of Torres del Rio. I knew what was waiting, but it was still one heck of a series of climbs. The gradient is fairly steep, but the heat was unbearable, deep in the thirties I would guess. You just had to put it in granny gear, lower your head and cycle.

After the top there’s a short downhill and then you reach the crossroads town of Viana. The road was again blocked for roadworks, but I decided to skip the 40 km detour and head straight onto the gravel to the next town of Logrono. At one point I passed a couple of stunned roadworkers, but I just waved at them and cycled past.

As you near Logrono, it’s obvious the local authorities put some effort in with beautifying their town. The pilgrims route is a narrow, tarred cycle path with it’s own unique routemarkers. You zigzag through the outskirts of town until you get to the centre. I went to the old town, and found a bed at a nice refugio. It was abuzz with pilgrims and I had a nice chat with a guy from Mexico and some Belgians.

Time on bike: 4:52

Average speed: 17,4 km/h