Fresh figs rock!

A big part of the Spanish culture is sharing fresh figs, in most albergues, bars, and small shops you will find bowls of fresh figs you are free to take. The figs sweet and tasty, a nice treat when it is hot! The last two days have been full of adventure, beautiful sunrises, and many challenges. We are walking from east to west so early in the morning when light breaks you need to pay attention to the color of the sky, when it turns red or orange you need to turn around and enjoy the sunrise. Much of our hike is done in the dark to beat the heat of the sun, we usually start at 5:30am and it is dark for sure. I try to hike with others, the more eyeballs the better for spoting the Camino markers but when the sun rises it is spectacular. Yesterday we walked from Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, 21 km (13 miles), the walks are getting much easier as time goes on. I saw the most incredible sunrise yesterday morning and had the treat of crossing paths with a man and his dogs herding a huge flock of sheep in the opposite direction we were walking. Imagine walking down a gravel road that is packed full of never ending sheep, sheep running all around you. I took many incredible pictures to share when I get home. The town of Santo Domingo is beautiful with many historical buildings, I really enjoyed my afternoon touring the town and taking pictures. Today the hike was from Santo Domingo to Belorado, 23 km (14.2 miles), I am so thankful I started walking early with some friends. The albergue we were at didn´t charge for the stay, only asking for donations, it was like a fancy hotel. Marble everywhere, many showers and toilets, great beds, it was a nice treat for sure. They had a problem though, the water did not work in the morning, no showers, sink water, no toilet water. I heard it was quite a challenge for the other/later pilgrims. Time to get ready for the pilgrims dinner at our albergue, it smells and sounds like a great meal. Buen Camino