Day 8 - Logroño to Nájera: A difficult day...

 Today we hiked a hilly 18.5 miles that also had its long treeless stretches!!!! We were exhausted by the time we got into Logroño. Luckily we had a nice place to land and a very nice place to eat that evening. There were a couple of things that made the whole thing tolerable. About halfway along the stage we got to Navarrete. Just before entering the city are the ruins of a the Church associated with the Hospital de San Juan de Arce from the late 12th century. 

What is interesting is that the Romanesque portal, windows from the apse, and much of the stone were integrated into the walls of the city cemetery. 

Navarrete is also the home to one of the most spectacular Baroque altars. It is stunning to see it soar high above the nave of the church.

After passing the cemetery at Navarrete there isn't much by way of civilization... Of course we are moving into wine country.

We were very grateful to Tyler, Eddie, and Jack for being our hiking pals for the duration of the stage. It always makes the time go by faster when you are being happily encouraged along the way.