There was something almost reassuring about the rather drab walk I took today. From the first 80 miles or so one could get the impression you are walking through a movie set, an idealized recreation of the fantasy of Spain, with gorgeous rolling farmlands, perfect villages and towns all preserved in rich centuries' old detail with enough of a rough patina to make it believable, and of course the beautiful city of Pamplona.

But walking into Logrono you see the detritus of modern life. The path goes through industrial areas, past warehouses and factories, along busy roads, and through scruffy underpasses, some strewn with garbage. Against the relief of what I've walked through so far, it was quite a contrast.

The perimeters of most of the towns and villages, and Pamplona for that matter, have been well defined. It's almost like a line is drawn around the town and people live inside the line and grow things outside it. This is of course a vestige of the medieval era, when the need for defense defined the perimeters, but it's remarkable how much it's still in place. Logrono's not like that. Yes, there's a lovely old inner core, but apartment blocks and commercial structures are sprawling all around the city.

The walk was short and easy today, just under 8 miles, and I left Viana late and arrived here within 3 hours. After showering and washing some clothes I went out for some lunch and to explore the city. There are some grand old churches, public buildings, and plazas--a substantial city--but what struck me most was that many men were sitting around drinking in the middle of the afternoon. Several were quite visibly drunk, and others were sleeping it off on park benches. A function of the horrific Spanish economy? Or something particular to this town or to this day? I haven't seen that before.