Camino Diary Entry #10
(Emails home from the Camino)
#10 Onwards to Puente La Reina
We recognized some young lads we had photographed last evening in the Plaza de Castillo of Pamplona. At the time we enjoyed their singing, music and juggling acts as we wandered back to Hotel Europa. Today as the second wave of young men overtook us on the descent, we questioned their mission! ‘The Singing Boys’ as we now somewhat fondly refer to them are a group of 16 high school graduates from Pennsylvania, USA . They attend a private college Gregory The Great Academy with a roll of 60 students. This is the finale to their schooling. They hand in their wallets, phones and credit cards and walk ‘The Way’. Putting their faith in their belief that God will provide in order to eat they must sing and juggle for their supper. They sleep under the stars and get very excited when they earn enough for a ‘ big dinner’. We have caught up with them on and off during the day and they are fine young men as are our own sons – they are looking exhausted and only 8 of them had made it to Puente la Reina in time to find some willing spectators this evening. We happily left our three course dinner part way through and each deposited 10 Euros into the hat, before returning for dessert! They will sleep on the bridge tonight.
Tonight it is the Hotel Bidean. Tucked away amongst medieval buildings on Calle Mayor and en route to the very very old bridge – Puente la Reina. Our room is compact! The bathroom even more so, but just tonight Gwyneth is allowing me to have the balcony door/window open. At 7.30 pm it was still 29 degrees!
Tired, hot and hungry we readily agreed to attend the dining room sitting – no questions asked! The half bottle of red we had transported was dealt to while we showered and so we just ordered one bottle to share at dinner!
Tucking into the first plate of salad we have seen in a week, Gwyneth was totally impressed that I was so relaxed given we had no idea of the cost of the 3 course set menu we had embarked on. Really! 10 euros each for the 3 courses, 10 euros for the wine and 10 for the singing boys it was a pretty economical evening!
So here we are sitting up in our beds! Gwyneth reading her North and South mag, me and Donald (who appears to be asleep already after his big day hanging off the back of my backpack!).
We have photographed Gwyn snuggling in under her bedside table which seems to overhang her pillow! If we could just get in a bit more air …. But no, Gwyneth says the insects will sneak in and then we will all be miserable because they have a real thing for her! ……. Nite then!