I always forget
how much people mean to me
but every once in a while,
there are those nights
where everything goes perfectly
And I look around and see
The friends I’m surrounded by,
And I feel like I wouldn’t replace them
For anything in the whole world – A.M
Route: Estella/Ayegui to Torres del Rio
Date: 26 June 2014
Distance: 29 km (18 mi)
Accommodations: Albergue La Pata de Oca
The night in Torres was the first time since the Tres Amigos had left the Camino Francés back in Pamplona that it felt like Olalla and I truly had developed another Camino “family”.
It had begun the day before on Day 7, when I had told Olalla not long after leaving Irache that I needed to spend some time walking alone. It would actually be the first time since meeting at Orisson that she and didn’t walk together; as an introvert accustomed to spending vast quantities of time alone, I was discovering that spending 24 hours a day with one other person, especially one that I had just met, presented quite a challenge.
Not long after we parted that morning, I ran into the Mexican sisters, Yeni and Ana, at the Fuente de los Moros (Fountain of the Moors) just before Villamayor de Monjardin. About a mile later, a tall blonde woman began to stride past us. “Buen Camino,” I called out. “I’m Elissa. What’s your name?” She introduced herself as Armanda and the four of us spent the rest of the day walking together.

Between Villamayor de Monjardin and Los Arcos with our new friend, Armanda, who lives in England
That afternoon when we arrived at Albergue La Pata de Oca in Torres del Rio, several of our friends including Olalla, Kon, Pavel, and Abril and her father, showed up and we all spent the afternoon and evening talking and laughing on the patio and at dinner in their little restaurant.

Fun times with Camino family!
That night, everyone except Armanda and I, got up at 3 in the morning (although they did wake us up to see if we wanted to join them) to do a night walk. It was an adventure Armanda and I didn’t mind missing!
Photo Journal of Day 7

The view of the Monastery of Irache from Ayegui. It won’t take us too long to walk there.

I believe this is looking back at the Monastery of Irache just outside Ayegui/Estella
Approaching the little village of Azqueta, Navarre:
Approaching the village of Villamayor de Monjardin:
Between Villamayor de Monjardin and Los Arcos:
Los Arcos:
Between Los Arcos and Torres del Rio (some of my favorite views on the Camino):
At Albergue Pata de Oca in Torres del Rio:

Tonight’s accommodations
Dinner (I changed my mind so many times while ordering, I was driving the poor hospitalera crazy):
Click the photo below to see the post from Day 6, Puente la Reina to Estella.
Oh, I can so relate to the introvert’s dilemma. It sounds like you juggled it beautifully. I have so much respect for people who claim their own inner space in the company of others. <3
LOVE your photos!
Thanks Jen. I wish I had handled it better than I did. There were definitely some hurt feelings. But I did the best I could at the time and learned some valuable things about communication. It’s a learning process, to be sure!