Today was a long day of steady up and downhill. Our walk out of Pamplona was wonderful. So many nice parks and green spaces. It rained a little – so on go the ponchos for a just few miles – but soon the sun comes out again.
Once clear of Pamplona, the way looked much steeper and higher than the climb felt. We saw the windmills high on the hills. The paths are often very rocky, with loose stones, so the steep climbs and descents can be quite challenging.
Most of the day was beautiful and sunny, as we walked through villages that were old, quaint, and picturesque. We walked with a few new people – Tina from Australia and Karen & Brian from Bend, OR, Natasja from Holland. We met up with Gerry and Tom later in the day.
The highlight of the day was Alto de Perdon, one of the highest points on the Camino. It features the pictured silhuoettes of the Pilgrims. Thankfully, there was also a food truck where Sara enjoyed the best Coca Cola she’d ever had!
We enjoy the stops and rests along the way for bathrooms and coffee/tea and snacks. We purchased a sandwich at one café and sat in a little park for lunch. We continue to cross paths with people we met on that first night in Orrison.
To an already long day, we added a 4km detour to see the unique church of Santa Maria at Eunate. But it was well worth the extra miles and time. The church is octagonal, rather small, of a style associated with the Templars. It had beautiful acoustics: Sara & Evan sang the “Breathing Meditiation,” and it sounded lovely. As we got back on the trail to Obanos and then Puente La Reina, we were caught in the rain.
We arrived at Puente la Raine about 5:00pm, after walking nearly 10 hours. We found our albergue and settled in, and then set out for dinner. At a restaurant near our albergue, they would serve dinner as early as 7:30 (would you believe it?) But the dinner was great, and Sara enjoyed the best Sangria ever.
We met Perry and Brian from Missouri and Mercy, who lives in Palestine. We also met Margarita and Jitty from Holland. But we stayed gabbing too long, as the rain came on hard. The front door to our albergue, just next door to the restaurant, had already been locked, so we had to make our way to the back entrance through the back alleys and down various streets. Needless to say, we were soaked, but glad to warm up in our beds.
