Estella to Los Arcos

I left Estella at 10 am yesterday late for any pilgrim to start. I delayed to go to an outdoor shop to.buy a day pack. I had my luggage moved by Jaco Trans who specialise in moving luggage. I watched the morning shift from grey and overcast to a clearing of sky to a perfect pale blue. There is a climb out of Estella passing through a few small villages on the edge of town and onto the winery of Irache. Where for free if a pilgrim wished they could drink wine on tap for free from an outdoor wine fountain. No one was there when I passed. I continued through a smattering of small towns and out into woodland. The path is grey brown pale dusty stone strewn, as you walk it makes a satisfying scrunching. The path rose and fell through the woodland sometimes opening on one side to fields already farmed but views showing in the distance. Slowly i left the woods behind and the path skirted hedgerows and fields never across always around. I stopped to take on water and aquarius a drink with rehydration salts in it. The path opened into sun baked exposed gravel tracks undulating rising falling some deep.inclines some steep climbs. My knees are holding out my feet and ankles are another story. The path continued exposed with no shade the temperature rose to 28, two litres of water a litre of aquarius was not enough thankfully an Englishman in a van drove the dusty tracks handing out cold half litre bottles of water. One way or another i walked almost 19 miles yesterday. The distance on the map is not exactly acurate. I arrived in Los Arcos dragging my sticks staggering in pain angry and tired. I guess theres work to do, but its ok.