What I wouldn ´t miss

[Rosina Lila]

Hi Laura,
I don´t think I can answer your question.  I wouldn´t really want to miss anything.  But perhaps I can tell you of a place or two that have made a deep impression in me.
I just loved Viana.  It is a beautiful walled-in town atop a hill quite reminiscent of those memorable Italian towns on top of hills such as Orvieto, or Assissi.  No wonder that the much-maligned Cesare Borgia settled there when he left Italy.  I do believe that Viana is the closest a pilgrim can get to what the Camino must have felt like a few centuries ago. Furthermore, the albergue is in the midst of some magnificent ruins, that bring to memory Rome´s Caracalla baths, at the edge of the hill with a magnificent view of the valley below.
Although Viana is a bit off the way, and the climb to it may seem daunting, that is one place that I wouldn´t miss for anything.  The two-or-so-hours walk down to Longroño is just too lovely to describe, particularly in late afternoon.
I would not want to miss Castrogeriz either, another town on the hill, and its environs, monasteries, people and haunting waves of something very much like feelings from way, way back.
Of course, the "not to be missed" recommendations in Linda´s book are priceless.
Fond regards,
Rosina