Ventosa

What’s the trick to getting back-to-back nights of solid eight-hour sleep? Wrecking yourself with 18-mile days. Already on a roll, I checked my map and picked Ventosa, a small village another 18 miles out. I reserved a room at the San Saturnino Hostel, a place with great reviews that has a real washer and dryer—the first time I wouldn’t be washing my clothes in a sink this trip. I dropped six euros in an envelope for bag transport, so I could hike with just my daypack.

At 7:10 a.m., I left the hostel. Viana was gorgeous, and I kicked myself for not exploring more yesterday. Once out of town, northern Spain’s green hills took over, with a light drizzle and cloudy skies.

Over seven miles, the farmland shifted to an industrial area. Eventually a park marked the entrance to Logroño. I crossed the city, stopping at a big church and a supermarket for food: a bag of rolls, a stick of butter, and strawberry jam. Leaving Logroño, the path hugged a large reservoir before veering toward Navarrete.

I reached Navarrete just after noon and popped into the church during communion.

When I arrived at the hostel in Ventosa, I showered, took a quick call from my boss, finished off the rest of the rolls, and did a load of laundry.

Since I’m moving at a fast clip now, I’m seeing a new set of people each day. Unfortunately, if I want to keep to my schedule, I just don’t have the time to spend 35 days on this trail.