17th April 2024 Off to Pamplona

Sara had left a box in the cupboard for each of us for breakfast.  There was also a filter coffee machine and a toaster.  Each box had more than enough food and we ended up leaving at least half in each box.  Backpacks packed and on we headed out, once again, into the showers and back to, and over, the bridge to turn right onto the Camino de Santiago track.

We headed past a mining area that seemed to be significantly bigger than I remembered and though more forest and tracks lined with beautiful flowers (white, pink, purple) and could hear the river nearby.  The track finally came alongside the river and you could walk down to the water if you felt like it.  I did!  A few photos later it was back up to the track and onwards.  The track moved up to about 15 or so meters above the water level and I noticed lots of flood debris in the trees next to the track.  It got me thinking about yesterday and how a lot of the dirt coverage of the rocks had disappeared leaving bare rock exposed.  I think there must have been one or a series of major flooding events in this area.

Steve has been struggling with his energy levels and he hit the wall completely about a kilometre before Zuriain.  Even the chewable electrolyte tablets washed down with water hadn’t helped. We stopped at a little café/bar on the river to grab some tortillas patatas and Steve made the decision that he would get a taxi the remaining 12km to Pamplona.  The owner was very helpful and called the taxi and we headed around the corner to the parking area. 

Steve insisted I start as he could wait for the taxi but I felt bad so I stayed for a little while before finally heading off again.  The taxi arrived about 20 seconds later! The walk though the forest and past the commune of Arleta was very pretty and worth a photo stop.

Next main town was Villava – founded in 1184.  It starts with a lovely bridge over the river then deteriorates to a city like most others.  It used to be a small town before growing rapidly and now is considered to be an outlying suburb of Pamplona.  There are a few beautiful buildings but it is not my type of walking – I longed to be back in the forest.  Anyway – it is necessary to do this – like a lot of things in life – so I continued before finally seeing the cathedral spire in Pamplona coming into view.

I walked past some children playing soccer and one of the small dogs decided to try to latch on to my ankle but thanks to a combination of him being small, not having big teeth and me wearing gaiters there was no damage done – just a feeling of pressure! 

Steve video-chatted to me and said he was in the apartment and to call him when I was close and he would come down.

Over the river via another bridge and some more walking later the walls of the citadel came into view.  The walls are huge (about 50m tall) and massive and date back to the 1570’s when the work started. Pamplona apparently was founded in 75BC by the Roman Pompey as a military settlement.

Up the road and through the gates I was in the streets of Pamplona once again and it was just as exciting as I remember.  I headed towards Plaza del Castillo and Café Iruña to ring Steve as I knew our apartment was on the square somewhere and the Café was an easy landmark for him to find me.

The apartment was terrific, quite large and well equipped.  We decided to go out for dinner tonight and will head off to the market tomorrow to buy food for the next few days.

There are so many bars and restaurants within 200m and even though we both felt like pasta to fuel up on carbohydrates a little we went clockwise around the block looking for one.  We couldn’t see one so we ended up in a tapas bar and had some tortillas patatas (again but I love it) and some pintxos of ham, calamari and prawns washed down with a glass of vino tinto.

We headed back continuing our clockwise route and found a pizza and pasta restaurant only 20 metres from our door!  No problems – we will get pasta ingredients tomorrow and make our own.

A bit of TV then off to bed!  Another good day.