Author: Ben & Joon

Apr 8. Day 13. 38 km. Departed 0650 hours, arrived 1602 hours.

If my earlier posts had lulled you into thinking the Camino is all about the scenery, this post will rectify that.

The Camino is about You. Your Life. Your Purpose. What You Are, and Are Capable Of. Your Spiritual Essence. Your Relationship with God if You Believe In One.

This is the earliest start on this Camino. It was still dark, and fortunately, a couple of German pilgrims passed us with a torch and fluorescent rain ponchos (easily seen).

We made a tactical decision not to bring our rain jackets (to save weight given the distance we would cover today). This was a strategic mistake.

Before describing the day, let me share the dream I had the night before. It was about me and a group finding Fools’ gold and Real gold, hiding latter from another group. It seems many of us wonder if what we are pursuing is Fools gold or Real gold. The scripture even says to store treasures in Jeaven, not on Earth. What will help us differentiate?

We met Suzanne, a recently retired Lutheran pastor from Skagit Valley, Washington State, USA. We both were thrilled meeting someone on a pilgrimage too. We parted ways when we had to have our hot breakfast for the morning, 1 hour 30 mins after setting off.

Today was Wet, Cold and (physically) Miserable. The scenery was unspectacular. The uphill climb was over loose stones and pebbles, likewise with the downhill but with small streams of water flowing down. There was long stretches of muddy trails. The headwinds were blustery. It was overcast most of the day, with nary a ray of sunshine. We had to shelter under a tree when it rained.

Thus, everything today was aligned to test one’s faith, trust and fortitude. Perhaps, one can even find Joy in the Wet, Cold & Miserable state as there’s something better to look forward to.

This early sign when it was dark really set the tone. It seemed a heavenly reminder.

Note the advice in bottom left corner before it was light.

The uphill against headwinds was tough.

We saw Mick, a Brit in a cafe having coffee. Trust Brits to bring the necessary to have a cup of tea.

It was a slog. The feet dragged. The mind was lulled into a stupor for stretches. The legs were on auto-pilot.

The wetness dried. The wind died down. The birds chirped. The sun broke through.

Then the wind blew in great guests and the hail came down. The road stretched. But this eventually passed, and the spirits lifted.

Today tested more than the physical bodies. It tested the mental, the emotional, the spiritual. How good a best friend are you to yourself? To your traveling companion? Can you always see the silver lining to any situation, even as you feel the pain? You will learn a lot about yourself on a day like today.

The day did end with a bright clear sky. Thus, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.

So, the day ends with us knowing what we are capable of. But more importantly, knowing that God and Spirit were walking alongside us.

We treated ourselves to a fantastic dinner at our lodging. Enough walking. Buenas Noches.

TIP:

1. Jacobtrans, the luggage transfer services that we used, can actually recommend lodgings since they know these facilities as they have to deliver backpacks/luggage. They actually recommended a lodging when they realized I may prefer something closer than what I had booked (their recommendation was not on Booking.com).

2. If you are willing to walk all the way to Ibeas de Juarros, I would recommend La Cabala de Ibeas. Her breakfast which is included in the room rate was the best so far. Real OJ, jambron ham on mini baguettes, her open toasted bread, biscuits and coffee. She had fruits too! The dinner was good too, black pudding (i.e. blood sausage, eggs, ham, fries, toast bread, bottle of wine).

Post Script: There was no point stewing in the decision not to carry our rain jackets. It became an opportunity for prayer and trust that we can cope with God’s help. But once bitten, twice shy.

Apr 7. Day 12 (Sunday). Departed at 0830 hours, arrived 1445 hours.

Today was a good day. An apt summary description is, it was a blustery windy day. More about why makes that a good day.

This is the image that I would start this post with. It was painted by the brother-artist of a cafe’s wife-owner in Granon, about an hour and a half’s walk from Santo Domingo. She is from Peru.

What meaning do you get from this inspired painting?

For me, it’s the second most important benefit of the Camino. The opening of the mind, releasing or even more forcefully, ejecting the demons and monstrosities which occupies our minds. We all struggle at times with thoughts that we know, bind us. We hold onto them even though our gut instinct or heart tells us otherwise. Sometimes it’s Pride that is holding onto these un-desirable tenants. Other times, it’s Ego. Perhaps the culprit is from this list – Unforgiveness, Shame, Guilt, It must be Un-named? Maybe the chains that hold these are self inflicted.

Regardless, the Camino will work its way with us. If we permit and desire it. Just like many who readily discard items from their backpacks, discarding and expelling these mental burdens will be cathartic. And healing.

As you leave Santo Domingo, don’t rush past these symbolic representations of the legends and folk lore.

Note the Cockerel and Hen representation on this arch. Check out the folk lore about the ‘Hanged Innocent’ (long story).

Here’s a sculpture of St James with the Cockerel.

Puente de Santo Domingo y Ermita. The middle part of the bridge dates from 18th century.

Why did I say that today was a good day? The blustery winds were headwinds, not tailwinds. Joon said, the winds were also colder than yesterday’s. It started as we left Santo Domingo and persisted for many a kilometer, including on uphill stretches and on our final stretch into Belorado.

This sign communicates a way to regard the headwinds!

The headwinds could be liken to swimming up stream, walking against the winds. Or one could regard the headwinds like a stream of water that washes away the dirt and muck that sticks to one. Perhaps, this is a purification opportunity, where the winds are washing away one’s impurities. As a Pilgrim, I offered the various ‘impurities’ as I walked against these headwinds. The more ingrained these impurities were, the longer the headwinds persisted! There was a certain inner contentment in walking this way against the headwinds.

This is the cafe in Granon where we met the Peruvian wife-owner.

We had such a good stop here that we lingered three times as long as we normally do.

Joon’s Seahawks cap caught the attention of a Dutch girl, Juul, who had studied in Seattle, and was wearing a yellow Alki sweatshirt. Her friend, Mees is leftmost in picture. The cafe wife owner is rightmost. Cafe has some awesome souvenirs, some designed by the brother.

The stretch from Granon to Redecilla del Camino had some of the biggest countryside scenery we have come across. The hills and mountains were literally miles and miles away in every direction. What a great setting to evict the un-desirable tenants in one’s mind. Especially as that featured painting in the cafe, is at the start of this stretch.

A viewing platform at the start of the countryside walk from Granon

Wide wide countryside without any nearby freeway

See how the trail goes and goes across the countryside!

Pure magic, the bank of clouds hugging the entire horizon!

The mix of colors required us to pause.

Today was a good day. Tomorrow will be an unexpected test as I had booked lodgings that’s 35km away!

The Camino still had tricks up her sleeves.

Buen Camino.

Post Script: When it’s a Sunday, everything is closed, supermarkets too. Note if you are planning to rent a car in a bigger city on a Sunday.

Apr 6. Day 11. 20.7 km. Departed 0753 hours, arrived 1325 hours.

Today is a 2 Star day. Reasons – the outdoor scenery plus the absolute stillness really soothes the soul. Secondly, even though we started later than usual, the shorter distance and shorter uphill climbs made for a more relaxing walk. Finally, it was overcast with bouts of sunshine, and gentler winds.It took less than 10 mins to get out of Najera. The gentle uphill climb out of town got the heart pumping but the view of the valley with the morning sun was fantastic.

How poetic – walking from darkness into light!

Amazingly morning scenery after we crested the hill. You can catch some other pilgrims further up the trail.

As I laid in bed this morning, and further contemplated during this morning’s walk, a thought fleshed itself. Most if not all, have heard of the saying, that to a hammer, every problem seems to be a nail. Well, most of us quickly learned during our work careers, that bosses like and value employees who can solve tough problems and challenges. Some of us get to be so good at this, that this skill becomes part and parcel of our psychological make up and mind set. Every situation, every event, every interaction contains a problem that we readily roll up our sleeves to solve. But I re-learned on this Camino, that sometimes, problems doesn’t need solving. So, when Joon expressed her back was hurting yesterday during the walk, my problem solving mindset was to offer to carry her backpack. But she didn’t want or need that. Just to be heard and listened to. And as Christians and pilgrims, we can offer that pain as part of our Camino journey.

One thing I noted in today’s walk in the countryside was the quiet and stillness. There were not as many birds chirping (I did spot a bird chirping as it was flying, which was very unusual and a first occurrence for me). Most of the walk did not have any traffic noise. We even saw snow capped mountains in the distance. There was a great interplay of sunlight and nature.

Note the balloon in the sky!

An Italian (?) gentleman had fashioned this trolley. On uphill rocky stretches, he carried it like a backpack! The handle can be dis-assembled.

Due to overnight rains, this muddy trail of 500 meters or so, needed to be walked carefully to avoid caking one’s shoes.

This albergue has a special room for snorers! What a cool idea!

I had a tendency to patronize pop up stalls. My reasoning is these entrepreneurs went to all the effort at these key spots. He had a real cute dog too!

The clouds were pretty awesome today!

A rare selfie.

Overcast day, just a handful of drops for less than a minute.

Quite a number of the restaurants here seem geared for a touristic (i.e. non-pilgrims) crowd. Example, a Michelin acknowledged restaurant had starters from Euro 12-25!

As we know, Spanish restaurants only offer their dinner menu from 1800 hours only. If you are an early sleeper, or prefer early morning starts, this dinner time will be late especially if you want the food to be fully digested before sleeping.

TIP: Consider Spanish pinchos or tapas as a light meal. Or patronize Chinese or Turkish restaurants which do offer their dinner menu earlier!

We didn’t see much of Santo Domingo today, perhaps a bit as we walk out tomorrow morning.

Apr 5. Day 10. 29.0 km. Departed 0724 hours, arrived 1530 hours.

2 days of 28-29 km in a row is tough. We met and/or heard of two cases, a gal had to bus to the next stop and a young man was using two poles to slowly walk. Latter had been dashing off in the early stages. Keeping a pace that the body is not over stressed into muscle or tendon strain is important.

The walk today is through the countryside. It took us about 45-50 mins to get out of Logrono, typical for big cities.

This is the park on the way out of Logrono, into the countryside.

We passed a pedestrian tunnel where the grafitti was somewhat pleasing.

The large lake cum reservoir (Pantano de la Grajera). We saw a fisherman catch a fish as we passed by. Amazingly, as we entered this park, we saw squirrels, rabbits and a duck within immediate vicinity of each other!

You can just about spot the fishermen on the banks

It’s easy as the days go by, for the countryside landscapes to become indistinct from each other. One tactic I employ as I come across a great outdoor scenery is to imagine I am going to paint that exact scenery. I am not much of an artist, but going through this mentally and visually, I help my eyes pick up the layers, the randomness of nature and the various colors and hues. See whether this tactic works for you.

Love how the yellows adds that special touch to the outdoors.

This is the ruins of Hospital de San Juan de Acre, just before Navarette. The floor plan revealed a Romanesque Church with a Gothic semi-octagonal apse, unique in the Rioja.

Iglesia de La Asuncion is the jewel of Navarette. It contains one of the most stunning Baroque retablos in all of Spain. There is so much detail that one needs time and eye to appreciate. The central panel is the Assumption of the Virgin, which gives the Church its name.

The Virgin Mary and baby Jesus

A steady pace and serendipitous pause allowed us to spot this chestnut tree.

The distant clouds finally sprinkled some blessings on us, about 5km away from Najera for a km or so.

A view of the Najerilla river.

In this region, one has more options in terms of dorms and room sizes in the albergues!

It must be a pleasure to carry this backpack!

Both of us were starting to get chaffed thighs from our hiking pants. The inseam stitching rubs against our thighs as we walked hours in it. So, we switched to softer options.

TIP: The athletic work out pants (plus rainproof pants when it gets windy) worked out really great. It’s lighter too!!

We will rest early this evening and let our feet and joints recover.

Apr 4. Day 9. 27.6 km. Departed 0724 hours, arrived 1524 hours.

One’s Camino experience for the day does not necessarily end when one gets in bed and goes to sleep. Sometimes, dreams are part of the Camino experience.

Last night, I had a dream. It only dawned on me in the early afternoon what this dream was about. The past two nights dreams were pleasant ones but I will share more about last night’s. In it, I was in a group. We were going through some form of instruction, 1-1, not classroom style. The teacher or guide led me to some signs, and when I progressed through them, I came to one where if I truly followed the teacher/guide, I could literally float and soar away. None of the others in the group were able to do that. Well, I swallowed whatever butterflies there were, closed my eyes and could feel myself starting to float and soar away. I didn’t want to open my eyes lest I stop flying. It was a very pleasurable experience. I cannot recall what ended this dream. So, I am walking today, not trying to decipher whether there was any deeper meaning to the dream until it hit me. The dream is about my ‘faith’, that by being absolutely committed, I would literally soar!

Today is one of our earliest set off times, bearing in mind, clocks were just brought forward the last Sunday in March. Thus, we were able to catch the sun rise as we were on the outskirts of Los Arcos. So, the 0724 hours start would have been 0624 hours just 6 days ago.

Experiencing a sunrise should be a periodic self gifting experience.

Sun is still below the horizon but the sky’s pastel hues show up beautifully

Sun beginning to rise above the horizon

Our shadows walking forward

A pilgrim camping a ways outside Los Arcos

The walk today was via open countryside. There’s a stretch between Torres del Rio and Viana known as the ‘Knee Wrecker’.

TIP: Don’t be like us. Buy your trekking pole before this stretch. It’s Euro 10 for one pole.

Torres del Rio

The countryside walk passes thorough several hills and valleys. We lost count. There were certain scenic spots that warrant a stop to admire and soak it in.

The clouds today just got our attention

A pilgrim enjoying a break with a view

The blue sky with puffy clouds

Despite the starkness, there’s a certain beauty

Olive trees have character

Serenity above

The Church of Santa Maria de Viana. Cesar Borgia is buried here. Machiavelli’s work, The Prince, is based on Cesar’s life.

Entrance into the church. Note, the two other prisoners (rebels?) are depicted besides Christ.

Inflation of the pilgrim menu, it’s now Euro 12 across the region. Choose your starter, entree and dessert. Bread comes with the meal. Choice of water or vino.

We decided to go tapas tonight. In Logrono, check out Calle de San Juan. There are many options.

Two of our four plates. We needed more vegetables in our diet!

Tapas offerings at Peregrinos San Juan

TIP: If you are going to stay at an albergue, choose a Municipal one. The two privately run albergues we stayed at, had prioritized profit motives over service and value. E.g. the private albergue in Los Arcos squeezed 12 bunk beds in a space smaller than the Municipal albergue in Valcarlos with 10 bunk beds.

I had written about contemplation yesterday. Today’s reflection will expand on that. Consider these two questions:

(1). Who am I?

(2). What does my heart truly desire?

Re the first question, one can review the past to understand the influences and forces. But it’s important not to stay mired in the past. Being able to define, describe, sketch the potential within, etc to be the one you know yourself is a process of self discovery.

Re the second question, consider the possible epitaphs – He/She achieved the lifestyle desired, His/Her accomplishments would fill volumes, He/She provided for all the loved ones, He/She left a legacy that will last generations, and so on. A particular combination will resonate with your heart. And that may be the key to a deeper journey within!

Today, our eyes were drawn upwards during our Camino. Tomorrow has some indications of showers. Another blessed and different experience to look forward to.

Apr 3. Day 8. 21.3 km. Departed at 0730 hours, arrived at 1340 hours.

This was a stage where we did some research online the night before. We had read about the elevation gain and found that there would be no services for about 12km after reaching Villamayor de Monjardin, necessitating getting more water, etc.

Elevation gain looks worse than actual; 270 meters gain only. The peak in the illustration is like a ‘bark‘, not a ‘bite’.

Once we got out of Estella, we were on trails, paralleling the main road for a bit. The unique attraction of this stage is stopping at the Fuente de Vino, which dispenses red wine, courtesy of Bodegas Irache. This is capped at 100 litres a day, first pours at 8am. We stopped for a sip. There is a museo vino for those interested.

Joon happily pouring into her scallop shell

About 200 meters before was a craftsman making iron sculptures. The weight of the bigger pieces will cause one to think twice.

Exhibition cum sales area

Furnace for sculpting

Initial impressions were that we needed to hike to the Summit. Fortunately, it was only partway to Villamayor de Monjardin.

Fortunately, the sole cafe at Villamayor de Monjardin was open at about 1030 hours, with a bathroom before the 11.7 km of countryside walking without any services! Needless to say, we stopped.

The walk after was essentially downhill and flat, with a few hill climbs. But nothing that required trekking poles.

Some guide books may label this stretch as time passing slowly as the scenery does not change much. It’s open countryside, few trees, wheat fields and a scattering of vine yards (after the winery).

It was an overcast day. My rain jacket functioned very much more as a wind breaker than a rain jacket. The cool weather encouraged one to walk too, to keep the body’s internal temperature up.

One could regard this stretch as most conducive for some inner contemplation. There’s no man made noise and for the largest part, no man made structures. We have met quite a few pilgrims who are walking to find themselves and/or ponder life’s questions on their minds. The scenery doesn’t change dramatically much for 10+ km, thus, one’s eyes will not be distracted. Having the rain jacket hood on, allows one to be immersed in one’s thoughts.

Looking back at where we walked from

Some color to the landscape

Generous spacing between pilgrims for contemplative reflection

Clouds were getting lower as the afternoon progressed. Fortunately, no rain showers at all.

It was overcast most of the day!

We found Mass will be celebrated at 2000 hours and we are looking forward to that.

The beautiful Church of Santa Maria, Los Arcos

A late dinner after Mass. Tomorrow will be a longish walk.

Apr 2. Day 7. Today is a rest day. We chose Estella as it was after 6 days of walking and Estella has quite a bit of historical and cultural history to soak in.

We woke up about 30-45 mins later than usual. I guess our bodies didn’t know we had a rest day. Since most sights won’t open till 10am, we had a leisurely morning. Breakfast is provided at this B&B. Quite an ample spread with various choices (we had bought yogurt at a nearby super mercado, but caretaker had provided too in the early morning). We took the opportunity to plan to do our laundry around lunch time as there was a washing machine and it was a sunny day.

We read up on the cultural history of Estella on our Kindle (The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago). Fascinating read especially given the castles, fortresses and fortified churches in this town. The cross on a knoll above Estella marked the location of Estella’s largest castle.

The three churches of Santo Sepulco, Santo Domingo and San Pedro de la Rua had thick walls and towers, defensive features.

We spent time at the Church of San Pedro de la Rua and Basilica Del Puy.

The entrance of San Pedro de la Rua has a hand with three fingers raised, signifying the Trinity. Local volunteers staff a desk where there’s information and a stamp (for the Camino passport). There’s soft chanting playing in the background, and thus, it was perfect for deep (and silent) prayers. A staff later pointed out the cloisters to us.

Stained windows in San Pedro

A Rose Window with a dove in the center

A statue of St James

The cloisters outside San Pedro de la Rua

One of the columns is twisted, which is also found in the cloisters of Santo Domingo de Silos and Cathedral of Burgo de Osma.

Each column had intricate carvings

Another column carving

The Basilica Del Puy is a 1951 construction as the older Church at this site decayed beyond repairs. There was soft chanting in the background too.

The impact of the windows around the altar was striking.

The Virgin del Puy with baby Jesus.

Lighting in the Basilica

We visited the Church of St. Michael and Church of St. John the Baptist. Neither were open.

The rest of the day was in silent contemplation and rest. And some planning for later stages.

Tomorrow has some major uphill stretches, but there’s free wine from a tap, courtesy of a winery (Bodegas Irache). But it will be morning when we pass by, and it’s really a sip/gulp from one’s scallop shell.

Apr 1. Day 6. 22.2 km. Departed 0753 hours, arrived 1530 hours.

This morning almost turned into a desert experience. We had taken the buffet breakfast but it appeared this was just a fare of a glass of orange juice, coffee and a pastry. Not buffet by any stretch of imagination or creative advertising copy! We had accepted this fare in good faith, like most of the early ones.

A trio of ladies turned up after us, and insisted their buffet breakfast should be more than this. After a while, they were served additional yogurt, plates of cheese and meats, and eggs being scrambled for them. One of them came to inform us of this. Hmm…. we thought if we could get some scrambled eggs, that would be good protein for the walk. So, I stood there at the counter trying to get the attention the single staff member. It was so infuriating as that staff member ignored me. I let out a cuss when I went back to sit with Joon.

One of the three ladies, Sam, noted our predicament. She then offered to share something from her table (they were served so much). We took only a yogurt each. Later, when we met on the trail, I had deduced that their buffet breakfast was tied to their hotel rate, while our’s was tied to our albergue rate. This was confirmed, and thus, there wasn’t a double standard in play.

I realized there was a learning opportunity in this event. Unfortunately, each of us have the ability to cuss. It may lie inches or fractions of, beneath our skin. It may be easily triggered or not. Our emotions are elephant-sized and will usually overwhelm the rational man-sized rider. It seems the key is never taking it personal, plus some deep breaths.

There seemed to have been a light drizzle over night as the roads and pavements were drenched. We brought our rain jackets as a precaution.

We walked our slow leisurely pace across town. We passed and entered the Iglesia Crucifigo, where there was a lovely modern interpretation of the crucification.

Modernistic interpretation

The Old Bridge out of Puente la Reina.

The Camino turns left immediately after the bridge, but Joon’s comment about the bridge, prompted me to go to the right after the bridge. Which resulted in this very beautiful picture.

There was also a home that fronted this river with some lovely gardens.

The whole day turned out to be overcast. We took off our rain jackets and enjoyed the cool walk throughout the day. It was blissful.

The open countryside. Quiet. Peaceful.

I enjoyed the various color layers in this scene.

We passed both olive trees and young vineyards. The green layers are wheat fields, shorter than usual due to the poor rainfalls.

Lingering rain drops! Joon on trail path.

Loved how the midst came down the mountains.

The valley is so beautiful, the cultivated blending so artfully with the wild.

More than a handful of homes in the town Cirauqui proudly displayed their family crests on their front walls.

Here’s a sampling.

This is an ancient Roman road that persists to this day! Much easier and gentler on the knees to walk on the modern path next to it.

A rest area with benches, books, eyc to rest a bit. We rang a bell as we entered this section.

Here is the man who set it up, Ivan. He runs a small free willing stall to raise enough money to continue expanding his property and cultivating the olive trees!

Coming to the boundary of the town, Villatuerta.

Joon had suggested framing this picture with the tunnel arch!

As we neared Villatuerta, I noticed this small olive tree orchard had branches being pruned.

Gardeners prune trees so that the nutrients and energy goes to the remaining branches for a more fruitful harvest.

Perhaps pruning ourselves of ‘bad’ attitudes, mindsets and behaviors will also lead to more fruitful lives, no?

This was an old fortress.

Statue of St James

Eagle Eye Joon spotted this weather vane in one of the earlier towns.

We checked into our B&B lodgings, and we’ll have a rest day tomorrow. Let our joints recover. Let our hearts and spirits soak and marinate.

There is much to gain if we can empty more of ourselves.

Mar 31. Day 5. 24.5 km. Depart 0820 hours, arrived 1600 hours.

No, we didn’t sleep in. Spain brought all the clocks forward on the last Sunday of March. Our bio-clock would say we started earlier than previous days!

Note the elevation change for today’s walk. This uphill walk is a gain of 296m, to the Sierras del Perdon (highest point for next 170 km). Yikes…that means another major uphill walk in less than a week’s time!

Today was an AWESOME Camino day.

We encountered three kind souls this morning. The first was a policewoman who had just completed her overnight shift and saw us in the apartment complex lobby trying to figure out how to get to a specific albergue to have our backpacks transported. After giving some directions, she went up to her apartment. We were still trying to get that albergue on my smartphone navigation, when the same woman re-appeared with her dog. She offered to walk to the end of the street to point out the route towards the cathedral. The second kind soul was an old man jogging near the cathedral. I approached him, and he led me to a parallel side street where the albergue was located! The third kind soul was a old gentleman walking his dog as we reached the outskirts of Pamplona. He didn’t just greet us ‘Buen Camino’ but he wanted to shake our hands and shoulders, and gave us a strong vocal exclamation in Spanish, which we took as a hearty send off. We reciprocated by offering a prayer for his health and his family.

Once we passed the University grounds, we could see the summit that we were aiming for. There was a host of wind turbines generating electricity from the easterly winds. Being a Sunday, there were lots of people, groups of friends, families with kids, couples, high school/college kids, bicyclists, joggers, dogs. This was open country, no forested trails.Having internalized the Tortoise and the Hare fable story meant we were not concerned when people passed us. We walk according to our drum beats.

Question: Are today’s children read the old classic fable stories of olde?

At the beginning. The summit is where we are walking to!

A panoramic view of the open countryside.

There was no vehicular traffic noise. There were no farm animals. It was just perfect. There were fields of yellow rapeseed plants, with fields of green grass, brown tilled earth, rolling hills. It was literally a feast for the eyes.

Stretches of yellow, green and rolling hills.

Pamplona in the distance, where we started off this morning!

A mountaintop experience powered by one’s legs is extra sweet.

About mid way up the mountain is a town called Zariquiegui. It took us about 3 hours to reach here. There’s a water tap to replenish one’s water bottle. There’s a cafe with a WC for customers. Their coffee and ham/cheese torta is great.

Pilgrim oriented statues at the Alto del Perdon, 756mSelfie at summit.

It wasn’t as cold and windy as it may look.

Heading down the other side of the mountain. This is probably harder for those with joint challenges due to the loose stones and sometimes, 10 inch height of steps!

If you carry trekking poles, today would be a great return on investment. The downhill stretch had much more loose stones and rocks.

We had a special stretch of time on the downhill stretch where we were the only two pilgrims in sight. It’s an amazing sense of wonderment to be the only two souls in that lovely landscape.

As we approached Uterga, there was a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary and this inscription.

It was a hard day on our legs and bodies. Fortunately, our albergue was the first one as we approached Puente la Reina.We treated ourselves to a buffet dinner and breakfast at this albergue + hotel.

Dinner was really good at the hotel restaurant. Unlikely to get the same quality and price point outside.

Spiritual reflection of the day – Steady and persistent efforts over hours can yield incredible mountaintop experiences. What will steady and persistent efforts over weeks, months and years yield in one’s life?

Mar 30. Day 4. 20.9 km. Left at 0717 hours, arrived 1445 hours.

The Zubiri albergue, relative to the going lodging rate, had charged us an extra Euro 5 each for breakfast. Since our usual breakfast for the two of us typically comes up to Euro 6 or so, we thought we may get better than the Valcarlos municipal albergue (which had breakfast as part of the accommodation rate). Sadly, no. Our breakfast was a sliced baguette bread of about 8 inches, 2 slabs of butter and 2 jam pods. Plus coffee. Helping local businesses is always great, abetting profit mongering is a different matter. Perhaps our contributions is helping with the capital costs of the renovated bathrooms?

TIP: If nearby cafes open early, just book accommodation at albergues, and get/pay for a more substantial breakfast to power your walk!

Let’s chat about the albergue dormitory experience. Our two so far has been 10 beds though there are larger ones. The pluses are:

1. Accommodation costs is very low, about Euro 10 per person. It’s difficult to stay more than one night unless there’s health reasons. The cheapest option is camping (we saw two tents as we walked out this morning).

2. Most albergues are centrally located, to any historical center and the Camino route.

3. Albergues that offer a pilgrims dinner offers a great opportunity to meet other pilgrims.

4. They have kitchens that facilitate those who prefer to cook their own meals, for nutritional or special dietary reasons. One can strike up friendships based on time in the kitchen!

There are minuses, when there are 8-9 strangers in the same dorm.

5. The odds of a bad sleeper, who snores or sleeps badly is high. Ear plugs are recommended. This doesn’t help if your bunk bed companion is a terrible sleeper who moves a lot during the night.

6. Depending on the season, the risks of colds or coughs spreading is also high.

7. Your waking time is influenced by the earliest riser in the group.

8. The ratio of sinks/WC to guests is generally 1:5.

We opted for a mix of lodgings for this Camino. Do note that some albergues do have double rooms for couples (but bathrooms are probably shared).

The walk out of Zubiri passed a magnesium mine, after which we were in the countryside. However, unlike previous days, the traffic noise from the main road was still discernible.

We passed by a number of small villages, some seemed to have beds for pilgrims who cannot find lodging during the peak season in Zubiri. We didn’t find any cafe open except for a make shift one (more later, as this was about 6 km away from Pamplona).

Your Camino should start seeping into you around now. A routine is beginning to form. You have disconnected from cable news. Your mind is getting used to not being innundated for long stretches of hours. Cutting mental-stuff out, ala Marie Kondo, is very liberating.

Hopefully, your internal clock is slowing down too. If you are rushing to secure the best available bed, perhaps book ahead and see if that doesn’t change how you journey that day.

You start noticing things.

Eagle-Eye Joon strikes again. I missed seeing this as I passed by. This is the first time in my life seeing this!

We both are getting better physically as the days progress.

As we reached Zuriain, we noticed many road cyclists. In fact, one cyclist was going up an uphill stretch twice as we walked down! Spain’s most famous cyclist, Miguel Indurain trained here to win his five Tour de France titles.

Here is a group of 4 cyclists going up an inclined slope of 40-45 degrees!

Our welcome into the Basque country!

We came across a make shift cafe. A man had set up some offerings in the ruins of some structure. We had wanted some real coffee since leaving the albergue in the morning, so, his offering met our needs. There were fruits, bars, souvenirs etc. The prices were up to us as he was raising money for charity! His name is Daniel, and he was a guide for Martin Sheen during the movie, The Way. Martin walked only a fraction.

Joon with Daniel, who is pictured with Martin Sheen in the poster, as part of the making of The Way.

The bridge into Villava, very beautiful setting (color temp set wrongly, to be fixed post Camino! You do not need to make an appointment with your optician).

We found a hole-in-wall eatery for lunch in Burlada, outskirts of Pamplona. I had a kebab sandwich, Joon had an ensalada. All for Euro 7.50.

Lots of stuff in a pita bread. I had to eat some of it with my fork before I could attempt to eat like a sandwich!

How the hole-in-wall looked from the entrance door.

Some good things in life require one to go where the crowds do not!

The oldest and most important bridge into Pamplona center, Puente de la Magdalena, built in the 11th century.

Restaurants offer their dinner menu from 8pm. So, we had a tapas type meal as we wanted to sleep early at an apartment booked via Airbnb.