So grandpa and I started out the day early this morning with a wake up time of 5:30, and by the time we got completely packed and ready to go, it was 6:30. We decided that we didn’t want to eat breakfast right away so we walked for a little while and snacked on a little bread left over from yesterday when we stopped in a small bakery. On the way we passed a water station that had a bunch of cats but none of them would get close enough to let me pet it. We kept walking and decided to stop at the cafe that was right beside the path instead of going into a town to find some place to eat. This cafe had amazing orange juice and a really good chocolate chip muffin. There were also chickens, cats, and even a duck! The duck wanted us to give it our food, and I assume it thought I was going to when I was holding the last bite in my hands, because it stood by my chair and looked up at me expectantly and when I didn’t give it my food, it bit me! Okay, so maybe it just pecked my leg a little, but it sounds better when I say it bit me… anyway, after we finished our food we got back on the path and continued our easiest day of walking so far. We went up and down in slight elevation change several times, but other than that the walk was pretty easy. We walked through a big city called Trinidad de Arre and ended up meeting up with several pilgrims that we have seen on the way from the last few places we have stayed. We all walked together to Pamplona and then we went our separate ways while we were looking around the city, but we all ended up at the same albergue again. The city itself is really busy, but it has been really cool to see the cultural difference between here and home. I’m really sore from the climbing up and down that we have done the past few days, but I got a Powerade and Twix bar from the vending machine here so I’m pretty happy now. Anyway, that’s all I have to say.
¡Buen Camino!
-Isabella
Our albergue for tonight is housed in what used to be a church. The facilities are amazingly great including free washers and only 1 euro for the dryer. After showering and doing laundry, we went out with a friend to find dinner. In the old part of the city they’re having a festival this evening celebrating the end of the Franco regime’s restriction of the use of the Basque language. There were an amazing number of people downtown, with lots of drinking and lots of music – really fun and exciting. We almost couldn’t find anywhere to eat it that was not too crowded. We had a so-so dinner of salad and pasta with meat balls, the went to a small shop for ice cream cones. The chocolate was more like dark chocolate, really wonderful. So it’s to bed now so we can get up for another early start.
– Dan
Day #4
Pamplona
Population 200,000 / Elevation 450 meters
Albergue Jesus y Maria
Distance walked today 20.9 km.
Weather mild and bright.
