Camino Diary Entry #8

(Emails home from the Camino Adventure)                                                #8 Zubiri to Pamplona 22kms 7 hours

We set off in our wet weather gear which included a Christchurch City Council rubbish bag doing a top job of protecting Gwyneth’s back pack from the drizzly elements. We were happy to have some respite from the heat.
Whoever led us to believe that after the Pyrenees on day 1 the rest would be plain sailing – clearly they made that up!  We are little short of horrified at the remaining mountains to be climbed!
Yesterday we hiked from Zubiri through the most delightful villages.

The odd very muddy descent, the best ever pizza baked in the outdoor oven while we watched, a cold beer and a picturesque amble up and down through barley fields surrounding and frequently hiding, old buildings.

We climbed and climbed and eventually reached the outskirts of Pamplona.
From here the walking was easy! Flat roads and paths! We wandered in across the Bridge of Magdalene and through the City Gate where we took the opportunity to add to the official photographic record. Leaning behind the City Gate sign to reclaim my hiking poles my gaze came to rest on a very large, very dead rat the size of an overindulged cat!
Trying to get our bearings we found Plaza de Castillo and headed back to the very welcome, and now familiar Hotel Europa where we had previously stayed. Oh the joy – a lovely room, Internet access and one of the most beautiful towns to indulge ourselves with a rest day and catch up on laundry and communications.
Parking ourselves in the City Plaza we watched the world go by! We shared a drink with fellow travelers from Ireland and declined the offer to join them for Mass – 8.30 pm being long past our bedtime! Jordan and his mum made it here too and we are all wondering how far Veronica is by now!
A beautiful day in Pamplona with 22 degrees and rising! Catching a bus back from the laundromat we failed to get off at the right stop and headed out of Pamplona towards France until the bus finally swung round on its return journey! The driver was more than surprised to find us still on board – complete with slightly damp laundry!

We have sipped on a bottle of chilled Matues to assist in writing this update and now it is time to make our way back to the Plaza and contemplate yet another meal!
We have not complained that we brought too much gear! More that we are grateful for it all! The silly looking wide brimmed sun hats have been a godsend! I am eternally grateful to those who said I would need 2 hiking poles and not just 1! All that ‘ look after our feet‘ stuff…….