Allison Cowie

Los Arcos to Logroño / 17.5 miles

This was the longest day yet on the trail, and it was a tough one — especially from miles 5 through 10, when the trail just felt unending. The morning started off well. I began walking before sunrise, so I got to see the fields light up around me as I headed west. Nearly five miles into the day, I arrived in Sansol, where I stopped for some fresh OJ, a banana and a protein bar. The sun was still rising, and briefly peeked out from behind the clouds to cast a reddish pink hue over the empty wheat fields around the town before popping back behind a possible rainshower. Thankfully, the rain held off until evening, though the day remained gray.

After Sansol, the trail continued on for five or so miles through beautiful rolling hills full of grapevines and other crops. And though it was beautiful, it was also exhausting — physically, from the constant switch from uphill to downhill, wreaking havoc on my knees; and emotionally, because I knew that the next time I saw a town, I’d still have another seven miles to walk before I reached my final stop for the day. Mostly, I think I was just hitting Day 7 blues, feeling physically tired and mentally intimidated by the fact that I still would only be barely a fifth of the way done with the total hike by the time I finished that day. Would my body hurt like this every day going forward? Would I feel this mentally tired the rest of the way to Santiago? I was not in a great mental place when I stopped for a 20-minute sandwich and sitting break around mile 9. The food and the rest gave me a little more pep, though, and by the time I made it to Viana, a city outside Logroño, I felt energized and ready to charge ahead.

Viana was beautiful to walk through, and I almost wish I had stopped there for the day just to explore the town. It had a massive church and a bustling central street full of pintxo bars. I popped into an actual sporting goods store and bought some gloves for cold mornings, and also bought some real hair conditioner because my conditioner bar wasn’t getting the job done. I even picked up a face mask to turn my next albergue into a spa! So silly, but it sparked joy.

I covered the seven miles from Viana to Logroño in record time, not listening to my past self and racing ahead at a sub-20 pace because I wanted to be done for the day. Just outside the city, I crossed from Navarra into La Rioja, meaning I’d walked across an entire Spanish province! That brought a great feeling of progress. Of course, when I turned around mid-race to get a selfie with the La Rioja sign, my quads nearly buckled from the funny movement. I spent the afternoon stretching on my top bunk, and resolved to take it easier the next day.

Logroño itself was neat, though I didn’t explore much beyond walking to get food. I’m finding little desire to explore many of the towns I walk through, even though their history and architecture fascinates me in other moments. My focus is so much more on the walking that all I want to do is keep moving or resting in my bunk.