Today, believe it or not, I actually got lost! I didn’t think it was possible, as the trails are generally well marked. Also, I sat on the balcony yesterday and watched pilgrims walk by on the street below. So what made me go up into the village and start walking on an unmarked dirt road, at the top of the village?

Happily leaving Villamayor de Monjardín behind me early in the morning.

I follow my app Organic Maps which usually is reliable. I’m full of energy, and feel like I’m flying along the trail at the top of the ridge. Eventually I come to the conclusion that I must be on an unmarked cycle path. I’m not too worried, despite the lack of the yellow arrows that usually show the way. During the previous days, the paths for pilgrims on foot and pilgrims on bicycles often crossed each other. Sooner or later this road will cross the camino, I think optimistically.

It doesn’t. It ends on a paved road for cars with no edge to walk on. I realise that I’ve been following the completely wrong path, but going back is out of the question, because it is just too far. So I start walking and am thankful that there’s no traffic at the moment. A roundabout eventually appears and at first I despair. But then I see a van that is heading towards me in the opposite direction that stops just in front of the roundabout. I quicken my steps and start waving.

It’s David, a friendly craftsman who has caught sight of me and immediately knows I’m lost. He tells me that he is going to Los Arcos and he’s happy to give me a lift there. After a little while, he points ahead and tells me that this is where the camino crosses the road, and then he can’t understand why I rather would get off here instead of going all the way to Los Arcos by car. After all, it will save me at least 8 km. I thank him and tell him that he saved my day and that he must be my guardian angel, but I’m here to walk, and just like that, I’m happily back on the camino again.

This is pure agricultural land, where cornfields, vines and olive trees succeed each other, mile after mile with no villages.

Luckily there is a food truck that serves hungry and thirsty pilgrims, me included. Here I meet Elin and Rickard from Sweden, with whom I shared a room yesterday. They look surprised when they see me, because they thought they left before me, so I tell them about my adventure.

What do I see in the middle of the road as I enter Los Arcos? Geese! I haven’t seen any geese until now. Is it a sign? See yesterday’s post about the forge.

In town I meet Elin and Rickard again and we have lunch together, before we set off separately again, as they want to visit the church Iglesia de Santa María de Los Arcos.

This is an absolutely wonderful day, even if I got lost in the beginning. I’m tired for sure, but enjoying it to the fullest and now I see Sansol from a distance.

I arrive at my destination, Palacio Sansol, a former palace lovingly transformed into albergue by an elderly man from Pamplona. It had been left abandoned for many years and was in really bad shape when he had a vision to turn it into an albergue. It took him many years and a staggering amount of money to realise his vision and luckily he was able to enjoy the result of what he told people were the best years of his life, before he passed away.

This is the room that I’m lucky enough to share with singer and songwriter Kristina Jacobsen, an American of Danish descent, as we hit it off instantly. She’s brought her guitar with her, and as she is on the camino researching for a future event she’s planning to hold. Right outside our door is a piano, where the manager of Palacio de Sansol is playing and improvising the most beautiful piece of music.

I appreciate how well the new contemporary architectural elements blend with this old building, and the carefully thought out areas that cater to the needs of pilgrims. A large courtyard has several sinks and washing machines, and plenty of space to hang clothes to dry. There are also several terraces to hang out on, and that’s exactly what I do and here I meet new friends; Hugh and Judith from England and Kristina from Germany who is walking alone with her two small children Amalia and Ava. From now and onwards every time I find it challenging I think about her, walking alone with a wagon on difficult and steep paths, and still always manages to stay positive and smile. She is truly amazing!

I would love to have had my dinner at the Palacio, but neither Hugh, Judith, nor I can face yet another tortilla for our evening meal, as it’s one of the few options available for breakfast or lunch, so we go down to another albergue in this small village and have a delicious homemade paella. Here I meet Elin and Rickard again who are staying here as well as two other Swedes, Marie and Malin. We are also joined at the table by a Frenchman.

This is ultimately what the camino is all about. Community and companionship. Meeting people from all over the world and sharing stories and meals together. Need I say that Sansol is one of the highlights of my camino?

Tomorrow I’m going to Logroño, and it’s going to be another long day of hiking. Logroño is a larger town and one that is considered a natural place to stop on the camino. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that it’s these smaller villages and towns that aren’t the traditional stops that are worth their weight in gold!

Check out my earlier posts to get the full context of this pilgrimage and the one I did the year before, and sign up to be notified when the next post is released. If you enjoyed this post, please give it some love by sharing and liking it!

All photos copyright Anita Martinez Beijer © All rights reserved