Day 8 The Belgian machine lights the way

I started about 6:30 am today, and there were handfuls of pilgrims ahead of me. Everyone is trying to beat the heat by starting early. The camino is marked in urban areas often by yellow arrows painted here and there on pavement or building walls, and it was easy enough, with street lights in Najera, to make my way through the city proper. But then the road immediately gave out into a country path, and it was almost impossible to see anytning but the road directly ahead. Luckily for me, the Belgian machine, as I call him, came thorugh. He happened to be about ten yards ahead of me, carrying his flashlight, and finding all the arrows. I tailed him for about a half hour. Then as daylight came up, he was gone. We´ve been traveling to the same schedule, but he´s faster than I, so I suspect he hung back a bit just so I could follow his lead....Of those who started the first day with me, there´s a small knot of us who have been at each stop together---the Beligan machine (he doesn´t talk much, just smiles and walks steadily and gets to each place first--I don´t even remember his name), Tom from England, Miguel from Aregnetina and Franz and Ingrid from Belgium. Along the way we´ve lost Inge from Denmark, Sarkis from Brazil, and God knows how many others.