Day 7 Logroño - Will I ever get there?

My feet, walking to Logrono.
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A thirty kilometer walk in the hot sun is not a trip to be undertaken lightly.  For this tired Camino walker, it was one very long day.

Taking off from Los Arcos fairly early, the sun quickly became hot.  Walked for about an hour at a time, then stopped to take off shoes and cool off the hot feet.  This seemed to work for awhile, and I felt like I was keeping my feet from developing blisters.  I had Body Glide on my toes, and numerous foot care products in my bag.  But nonetheless I did develop "hot spots" on my feet, on the inside heels.  Hot spots can take a while to become out and out blisters, and I took care of them as best I could.

Me. coming down a stony road on the way to Logrono
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In the town of Viana, which we reached at 4:40 or so in the afternoon, there was a pilgrim park with a cold water fountain - as there are many fountains along the Camino.  I ran the fountain on my feet, and the cold water felt wonderful.  Viana is famous for, among other things, being the burial place of Cesare Borgia.  The brother of Lucrezia Borgia and the subject of Niccolo Machievelli's handbook on ruthlessness, "The Prince," his story makes quite an interesting tale, if you haven´t read it. He has now been buried about 4 times in Viana.

Leaving Logrono.
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But we were planning to reach Logroño, 9 kilometers farther on, so we pushed forward.  Luckily, I was still walking with Pierre, who, being young, could walk much faster.  He reached Logroño well before me, and was able to scout out the several full albergues and find an overflow room with thin gym mats on the floor, with space available.  As I crossed the bridge into Logroño at nearly 7:30 in the evening, dead tired with sore feet, Pierre was walking back across the bridge, looking for me, saying he had found a place with space with gym mats on the floor.  I was never so glad to sleep on the floor! Check the photo of those mats.

A mat on the floor of a church meeting room, and life is good!
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Next stop, Najera, blisters, and the foot doctor...stay tuned.