Sept. 18. The day started by passing the Irache Monastery, where there is a drinking fountain that spouts wine. You can fill up your water bottles if you like, but the classic pilgrims drink from their scallop shell. The scallop shell is the classic identifier of pilgrims on the Camino. Supposedly scallops only live off the western Iberian shore, not the northern shore, so pilgrims in the Middle Ages would get one from Fisterra and take it back home as proof they had made the journey. Now the pilgrim office in St. Jean gives them to pilgrims to wear on their packs so everyone knows that you are a pilgrim. Bigger painted ones are sold along the route. The first third of the day was a long gentle uphill, followed by a descent for the rest of the day. 25.1 km of walking got us to. . . Los Arcos, Navarra, Spain.
Tall rubber boots are likely required for most of the caches. Some of the ditches are very steep.