Had a breakfast of Cafe con leche and croissant at he Aubergue San Andrés in Torres del Rio. Had a late start just after 8.00am and had a heavy shower over N.S. del Poyo. Rolling hills through vinyards and onto Viana which I reached Bar la Taberna and had a full glass, half pint of freshly squeezed orange juice and a pata y lomo tortilla with café con leche. Just out of Viana encountered another heavy rain shower with cracks of thunder but it was localised under balls of dark grey clound and I sheltered under a culvert. Then the sun was peeping out from under a blanket of cloud and I could see Logroňo in the distance under a spotlight of sun. Vinyards cover the rolling hills and the vines are cut back to the cut. Reached Logroño by crossing the Ebro River about 2pm after a 21km walk but could not get accomodation. Saturday, lots of wedding parties and an architects convention so my only refuge was Aubergue Santiago El Real which is owned by Inglesia de Santiago El Real de Logroño. There were two memorial plaques to two men from Logroňo who discovered wolframite – the mineral of tungsten.
I got a mat on the floor in a large room with 15 others. An emergency room. Thr Aubergue is run by three older women volunteers from the USA and Australia.
Went up to La Fontana on Calle del Laurel for Pintxos with a Crianza Rioja. Later after Menu del Dia at the Aubergue with about 27 other pellegrinos there was a prayer meditation in the church followed by stamping of the Pilgrim credential in the Sacristy.
