The best made plans often go awry and then a new plan must be created.

Kevin, Cathy and I had made arrangements for a taxi to pick us up at the Albergue Puerta de Najera at 9 am for a 20 km trip to the twin monasteries of San Millan Yuso and Suso founded in the mid 6th century and have been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1997.

We arrived at about 9:30 and the tour would not start till 10 am.(So we thought).There is a hotel there which the monks have leased part of the monastery to in order to assist in the renovations needed to the buildings. We enjoyed a cafe con leche and just as we were getting ready to go to the ticket centre as we passed the reception centre, the receptionist told us that the monastery was closed on Mondays. (My previous travel pilgrim, Elena, would have known this fact and other plans could have been made.) So, once again, the plan was changed.

San Millan Yuso

There was a foot path up to Suso, so we walked to the upper monastery. The second one was smaller but set into the upper hill. It is said that these monasteries are where the Spanish language was born. The UNESCO website provides a great description: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/805

By the time we returned to Najera it was too late to start walking as the heat of the day was approaching. So it has been a rest day. As I was coming down the stairs from the room, the Fab 3 from England had just arrived. I updated them on my adventures and they did the same. I visited the pharmacy to get band aids, sun screen and ibuprofen, sat and read and did the blog as well as chatted with JoAnna via Skype.

It will be an early night as tomorrow will be a long day. A fellow pilgrim has showed me a different way of tying my boots that will give less tension and more give in the toe area while allowing me to tighten the upper part of the laces for support.

overlapping the laces allows for less tension in the toe box and less rubbing on my toes

On the trail once again.