Day 9

Today we walked from Najarrete to Najera. 16.5 km.
This morning I said goodby to Karli and Martha without tears as I had an extra day with them.
I had asked the Camino to send me good walking companions and yesterday morning we met acouple from Austria from the same area where  I used to live. They stayed in the same hostel as we, so this morning I walked on with them. I now realize that I depended too much on Karli to look for the yellow arrows and camino signs, so now I keep my eyes open. The couple I walk with are called Karli and his wife Burge and all three of us were born in 1945 and walk the same tempo.
We left Najarrete at 6:30 am. and walked 5.0 km. to Ventosa where we had breakfast, then on to Najera for a total of 16.5 km. and arrived before noon. So we called it a rest day. My ankle has not improved but is O.K. for walking. It did not rain today, we walked through wine fields and wheat fields which were undulating in the wind. Today I realized that the wind is always from the west and straight in our face.   Today I did not see the man with the sandals, I hope he took time out to buy   proper shoes in   Najarrete but I see more people walking in sandals and I asked a girl from Hungary who also is walking in sandals if there was a reason, the answer was "yes I have no money to buy proper hiking boots". I slept in the local auberge, one big room with 90 bunk beds. Lucky I got a lower bunk, but no open windows and 2 toilets and two showers for 90 pilgrims so you can imagine the air and the snoring. Well the snoring I was part of as someone woke me up 2 x. Woke up at 4:am. and could not sleep any more. Had no internet on day 9 so this is one day late.
Hugs from the Grateful Pilgrm.