Day 4 – Roncesvalles to Bizkarreta

Walked today : 7.8 miles

Walked Camino 2019 : 29.2 miles

We left Roncesvalles in a light drizzle at 7:30…

and stopped 2 miles later in Burguete (pop. 290) for breakfast.

After cappuccino and toast (cafe con leche) we continued walking thru the village and for about 5 minutes, we were confronted by thunder, lightning, a light drizzle, hail, but thankfully, no swarming locusts. About 3 miles later, in the booming metropolis of Epinal (pop.249) we stopped again at a small bar for more cafe con leche and to avoid another passing (we hoped) storm.

We continued on, like a rollercoaster, up and down various paths until arriving at Bizkarreta (pop. 25), our destination for the day. By now, the sun was out with no signs of future precipitation.

We stopped for lunch at a Bar/Alberge/Mercado on the edge of the village and then walked another couple hundred yards to…

… Amatxi Elsa, a casa rural (B&B) and our home for tonight. We stayed here in 2017 and learned that it’s owned and hosted by a congenial couple (Jorge and Elsa) from Argentina. Our only means of communication is hand and facial gestures and translation apps.

We washed sweaty clothes, hung them out to dry in the bright sun/dry air. The rest of the afternoon was devoted to naps, blog and chillin’.

Dinner (12€/) was exceptional and homemade this afternoon by Elsa. Spinach in puff pastry, marinated chicken breasts w/ fresh, crisp garden salad,

fresh apple filled crepes garnished with caramel for dessert

complimented with a smooth, Navarra wine.(8€)