Anniversary on the Way

 

Day 45 - Azofra

   Our place of lodging did not have many options for breakfast, so we grabbed a cappuccino and headed for a bakery where we had a savory pastry and some more coffee.  The morning walk was again through vineyard after vineyard with an occasional olive orchard all in a landscape of red earth and surrounding mountains.  The weather was cloudy and cool so we put on the miles quickly.

      By noon we were in the town of Najera and pretty hungry, so because it is our 46th anniversary, we splurged and had a large meal at a Chinese restaurant.  After lunch we stumbled across some great commotion at the town square and church.  Bells were ringing, fireworks were blasting and dressed up people were exiting the church in a parade following a raised statue of St. Mary through the narrow streets.  We later found out that it was the town’s wine festival that started with a thanksgiving service in the church for the abundant harvest of grapes.  The red rock surrounding the village reminded us of Sedona, AZ.  We walked through the church and monastery which highlighted tombs of Spanish kings.

     Our destination was Azofra and a nice hotel that we had reserved for our anniversary night.  No bunk beds and ear plugs tonight.  Our hotel is quite luxurious for a fraction of the cost of a comparable hotel in the states.  A highlight of the evening was FaceTiming our children.  We had a hearty pilgrims dinner at a nearby restaurant.  Then it was back to the hotel to enjoy our private room.