Camino de Santiago 5 - Estella to Los Arcos (Electric wheelchair style)

 

Leaving Estella you come across the Irache Monastery and the famous Bodegas of Irache wine fountain

The sign on the right translates as "forbidden to drink wine to minors under 18 years"

Historically the monks received pilgrims with a glass of wine used as a restorative. In the 1990's this evolved into the wine fountain of Bodegas Irache. The fountain has taps for both water and wine and apparently the fountain is filled daily with 100 liters of young red wine to quench the pilgrim's thirst. You smell the fruity young wine as you approach. I understand the etiquette is to drink from your Camino scallop shell but I opted for a small bottle. There is a live webcam showing the fountain that can be reached from the link below the picture

24 hour webcam of the wine fountain

Todays walk was a delight. After commencing in woodland, the landscape opens to tracks across gently rolling countryside with stunning views in the distance

Just before entering the village of Azqueta you pass this 13th centaury fountain built by the Moors

Fuente de Los Moros - Medieval fountain  

A stunning days walking finishing in Los Arcos

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Camino de Santiago 4 - Puente la Reina to Estella (Electric wheelchair style)

 

Many of the small Camino villages like Puente la Reina, have hung on to their formal historic departure gates and are grander than the towns where your exit is through developing urban sprawl. 

Through the gate and over the bridge starts a day of woodland into mixed agricultural landscapes and then vineyards as we approach Rioja. I enjoyed these gently sweeping hills and valleys with small villages like Cirauqui sitting on hilltops  

Hilltop village of Cirauqui

When travelling with a wheelchair there are many small obstacles in your way, even with the capability of my Genny wheelchair. This is an issue in most countries but generally its worse away from the more resourced urban centers in the west. It is easy to rail against the environment planners and builders for their lack of consideration. In the end it is down to the local building by-laws, government standards and the implementation of these mechanisms that make life accessible to those on wheels. With some diversions, my ability to get off and push and the assistance of others, the Camino de Santiago is a viable route for my 2 wheeled Genny Mobility wheelchair. 

There are probably a good proportion of the population right now who are stuck in their homes, unable to wage battle with the physical, practical and often economic difficulties that life with a disability can present. It isn't fair and its a tragic waste of humanity and we all suffer because of it. Our world is designed to work for the able bodied. The chances are that access or other sorts of issues will impact on us all sooner or later. I am very lucky in that my MS has not taken away my capacity and I can still maintain a good life, through work, relationships and activities and I have the means, motivation and ability to take on challenges like the Camino de Santiago  

As we enter the Estella the vineyards increase

 

Much of the architecture on the Camino is 12th centaury or even earlier. There are many instances of roman roads that still form part of the Camino route

  

Tourist Information office in Estella

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