Video Stage 8: Logroño to Najera | Camino Frances with Jhonatan Barrios
Video Stage 8: Logroño to Najera | Camino de Santiago Frances with Jhonatan Barrios
Jhonatan Barrios shares Stage 8 of the Camino de Santiago Frances, which runs from Logroño to Nájera, covering a distance of 30 kilometres. The full journey took place over the course of a month, from 26 April to 26 May 2022.
In this video, Jhonatan shares his experience on this leg of the journey, exploring one of the 13th-century Romanesque portals that shows a truly striking image of two pilgrims sharing a moment together. This particular stretch was one of the most meaningful for him, as he walked those 30 kilometres mostly surrounded by picturesque vineyards, which added a special charm to his walk. Jhonatan hopes you enjoy this part of his adventure on the Camino de Santiago and that, at least for a few moments, you feel transported through his experiences on this beautiful trail full of history and spirituality.
Stage 8: Logroño to Najera with Jhonatan Barrios
Jhonatan Barrios left the Santiago Real hostel in Logroño and headed towards Nájera. This was his eighth stage, 30 kilometres long, which he hoped to complete in five and a half hours. It rained at dawn, but once it stopped, he took the opportunity to set off. The experience at the parish hostel was a valuable one, as it ran on a donation basis.
On his way to Nájera, Jhonatan admired the scenery and felt he could see himself in a pilgrim statue. He recalled the night before in Logroño, where he shared a communal dinner at the Santiago Real parish hostel and met several pilgrims from different countries. Among them was a group of Argentinians cycling the Camino, completing it in 15 days, which he found interesting.
Along the way, he crossed a large park and headed onto the path out of the city of Logroño. Although his camera ran out of battery, Jhonatan recalled the ruins of the old medieval pilgrim hospital of San Juan de Acre, founded in 1185. On the way out of Navarrete, he noticed the Romanesque facade and some of the windows from the hospital, which were rescued and relocated by the architect Luis Barrón.
Jhonatan also met Marcelino, a resident of Logroño who told stories about the Camino and showed him a sculpture in a local cemetery depicting two pilgrims sharing bread and wine. After leaving the cemetery, he continued walking among vineyards.
On reaching Ventosa, he made a short stop to rest and have something to eat. He continued on towards Nájera, accompanied by the barley, wheat and vineyard fields characteristic of La Rioja. Although the going was tricky in muddy stretches, he finally reached Nájera, where he crossed the Najerilla river and made his way to the private hostel where he would be staying that night.
The hostel caught his attention as an old house, built in 1905, that had previously been a bank. He planned to explore the centre of Nájera and visit the Gothic monastery of Santa María la Real, although it was under renovation. Jhonatan, with a sore throat, decided to buy an anti-inflammatory and cough syrup, then had a kebab for dinner with a group of pilgrims he met in the centre of Nájera. The ninth stage of the Camino awaited him the next day.
