Vineyards and Olive Groves - Punta La Reina - Hotel Irache 26.9km Sept 29

Today started out to be a bit cooler.  We crossed an ancient bridge on our way out of town

We walked for a bit with a young Alaskan couple on their honey moon.  Sweet.

At this point we looked behind us and could see the wind turbines in the distance that we crossed under yesterday

After this particularly steep climb we saw the remains of a pilgrim (sadly) lightening their load at the side of the path

We walked through vineyards

And even taste test the very sweet grapes

And passed through olive groves

Gardens

And capsicums sunning themselves on a deck

We went under an overhead canal

Enjoyed some tranquility 

And in Estella we passed by a Pilgrims Hospital specializing in foot injuries.  We were glad to not have to pay a visit

We stopped at the Fuente de Vino where red wine flows from one tap and water flows from the other

Honestly - we didn't try the water!

We arrive at the Hotel Irache and check in.  It is beautiful and has a bath tub!

We are developing a system with our packs that seems to work pretty good.  So far I am managing ok.  By 2pm my body is done, sometimes we go further.  My thundering thighs are now just a dull distant roar, it is delightful to have rest at the end of day.  Sid is not complaining AT ALL, so I try to keep my whinnying to a minimum.

I did anticipate the physical endurance, but not so much the mental.  Prior to today I was not listening to any music as I wanted to be in the moment and enjoy the very essence of the camino.  That was good for 4 days - today - I had a 2 hour musical interlude - and I enjoyed it very much.  Listened to El Divo and Anne Murray's Duets album, an odd combination but very pleasant.

The other surprise for us is the up and down.  Even though we have the guide book and were aware of the elevation changes - at times it is a hard walk.

When we get to where we are staying a shower is heavenly.  Every day we do laundry Pilgrim style, throw your clothes in the shower, use your feet as an agitator, rinse, wring, and hang to dry.  It's a beautiful system.  And of course I am glad I left my minimal tiara at home.....

Today we walked on paths that were laid by the Romans - when the earth was still flat!

It is a beautiful life!

Pamplona to La Reina (pop 2500) 24.1km September 29

We left our hotel at 8:10.  The sun rises at 8am and sets at 7:50 pm,  Spain (where we are) is 9 hours ahead of MDT.  We walked for 5 km to Cizur Menor and stopped for coffee at a small shop where we sat on logs and the tables are wine casks and the coffee was excellent.

The girl that took this picture was from Finland and we met a group of Koreans there that looked like they were having a lot of fun.

We walked through several sunflower fields, mostly the harvest is complete .

We climbed 450 meters and walked right under the noisy and windy turbines

At the summit at the hill of forgiveness....

And some of the views coming down

We reach Puenta La Reina and check into albergue Jakue.  We have a private room including bathroom.  It is beautiful here.  We are meeting many of the same people at different times.  As a couple we are in the minority, many are traveling alone and have left spouses, partners and families behind.  It is a good thing I am not alone - I would never have made it out of the first town.  One fellow we have met many times is from Switzerland and he is alone.  He speaks German /Swiss and no English .  His dialect is such that neither the Germans nor the Swiss can understand him.  He always has a smile on his face!

We had an excellent dinner and look forward to a new day tomorrow

Beun Camino!

Pamplona addendum

Yesterday when we arrived in Pamplona the city was alive and in the midst of a festival

Until this morning when I chatted a Spanish fellow (English speaking) we didn't know what the celebration was about. He explained that the festival of the past two days is the children's version of 'Running of the Bulls. The adult version occurs in July and is Pamplonas largest annual festival.

The children's version is the second largest fiesta.  Adults run with a one wheel unicycle type apparatus with horns mounted on the front of it and the kids run through the streets.

There were people everywhere.  Fireworks from 10-10:30.  At 3am the party was still going strong, we know because we could hear them. When we left our hotel at 7:50 this morning the street was full of debris.....and for some the party was not yet over.  An Irish fellow said that he thought the Irish could drink, but they have nothing on the Spaniards!

Larrasoana - Pamplona 16 km September 28

This morning we left the Pension we stayed at 7:50am, after another less than adequate breakfast.

For the first half of the walk we paralleled the Arga river

And for some of the time we paralleled the highway

As we got closer to Pampalona we noticed a shop with an English sign that said Spanish SIM card.  Best price.  Well the sales lady knew about as much English as I know Spanish !  However she pulled up an electronic translator on her PC - and that is how we conversed.  I now have a Spanish phone# and better yet -data.

Pamplona (population 190,000) is a happening place on a Saturday!  Very busy.  Pamplona is the city where the 'Running of the Bulls' occurs, but not today. The run was in July this year and seems nonsensical to me...

Spaniards eat their big meal mid day and not so much in the evening.  The atmosphere is very festive.  This is the street our hotel is on

We wandered through a market

No such thing as too much garlic.

We found a market that solved my cable issues (yay) and bought a few groceries for tomorrow's breakfast and lunch.

For supper we join our teacher friends and go to a tapa bar

I had fish and eggplant with ham.

Sid had lasagne and a potatoe and meat combo

We wandered a bit and found desert and many families enjoying a warm September evening

We are doing great so far - my upper thigh muscles are really sore but Sid's aren't so I am trying to fake my level of fitness.

Roncesvalles - Larrasoana (pop 200) 27.4 km September 28

Our walk this morning began at 8am.  The road sign says we are 790km to Santiago -lucky for us we are taking the short cut by walking so  only have 775 km to Santiago .

The walk is beautiful but I have to admit my pack felt very heavy this morning!

The villages are so very tidy....amazing

We had breakfast in Espinal- coffee sure did taste good.  We found a market and bought fixings for lunch including fruit....eating quite a bit of bread....

We meet quite a few of our new friends along the way....including the Irish fellow who commented that -we shouldn't let the truth get in the way of a great story!  And for some of our other friends- there are so many 'fresh ears ' here......

We stopped for a beverage at 20 km in the town of Zubiri.  The temp is around 30 degrees.  Zubiri is a mining town and we walk past the magnesium mine which looks like it is powered with coal. The magnesium is the gray stuff in the background

Today was a long day with a lot of up and down, sometime cattle were our trail companions, saw all kinds of vegetable gardens and the trees are just beginning to show a bit of color 

We have accommodations at a pension in Larrasoana and we opt out of the pligrim meal. We are both feeling great so far!

We have befriended two teachers -one from Austrailia now living in Houston, Bronnie , and her friend, born in the UK now living in Calgary, Patricia .  They are taxiing their bags forward (kind of envious).  They have done Some good research into this trip so we are kind of following them.  No reason for two of us to (re) invent the wheel ?  Love it when a plan comes together!

Through the Pyrenees September 26

This morning we had a pitiful breakfast at Orrison -white bread and jam.  We began walking at 7:30 am ,after a not very good nights sleep, in an effort to watch the sun rise over the Pyrenees.

We knew we were in for a tough day.  And it was tough. At the 4 km mark we came to the statue of the Virgin (it's not very big and we could have easily missed it)

At 9 km we crossed into Spain over a cattle gate.  In this photo Sid is in Spain and I am taking the pic in France .

 We slugged our way to the summit at 1450 meters of elevation, as if the climb wasn't enough the wind was blowing at what felt like 100mph.  The vista was breath taking!

  When we reached the summit we thought it would be easy peasy to Roncesvalles .  It wasn't.  A 400 meter decent in 4 km is really hard on your knees, hips, ankles,....but we made it.

For as though as it was we are very thankful it is not raining - I think that would be a whole different story of which I am happy not to know about.

And at Roncesvalles we booked into a real live hotel.

 The hotel is beautiful - with our own shower and everything.  Which we enjoyed after a nap!  We wandered around and had our credentials stamped (very important) and found a bar with cold beer and wifi.  Sometimes everything all works out!

Wifi is scarce. We are having camera>cable>iPad issues which we hope we can resolve in Pampalona in the next few days, as well as find SIM cards for both our phones.

For supper we enjoy a pilgrims meal of soup, trout, fries, dessert and red wine.  With the pilgrim credentials the meal is available for 9 euros.