El Fuente de Vino (day/stage 5)

We woke to rain the following morning, which seemed to have eased off after breakfast, but returned as we reached the bridge at the far end of town, after which the town is named.  Out came the plastic rain ponchos again, and we walked on.  I wish I could say that the countryside was beautiful, but it is a little difficult to enjoy it, when the rain is blowing in your face, the wind is driving down and also causing the plastic to rustle so loudly in your ears that you can't even carry on a conversation.  Fortunately,however, the rain eased and then stopped, and we were able to dry out and put the ponchos away.

We decided to walk past the main albergue in Estella, to the one the other side of town .  It was a stranger place, part of the local sports complex, which was being rebuilt. So when we arrived, there was a lot of noise! However, the welcome was warm, and there were only 5 other pilgrims staying there,so it was very quite.

One of the reason to do this was to go to the Fuente de Vino, or Fountain of Wine.  Yes, there really is a fountain on the way, where you can get a drink of wine.  It is by a monastery where the monks used to make wine and also host. Pilgrims. Sadly, the monastery closed due to lack of novitiate ex, but the. Winery, or Bodega is still making wine, and so the mayor decided to reintroduce the fountain as it is part of the history of El Camino.  Yes, I did have a drink there!