Month: July 2023

Walked today: 5.4 mi Camino2023: 46.6 mi

This morning at 7:00 after a short taxi ride from Obanos to Mañeru, we began walking toward Cirauqui. It was a cool 63 degrees with a refreshing 10mph breeze.

We approached and then walked around the base of Cirauqui rather than up to the top and back down again, a trick we learned two Caminos ago.

In 2014 after a killer climb up the hill into Lorca at the end of a 12 mile walk from Obanos to Lorca, Linda saw a bench, collapsed onto it and didn’t move while savoring a much deserved rest.

On every subsequent Camino in 2017, 2019 and 2022 the reaching and collapsing on the bench became Linda’s motivation for making the final push up the hill. And today was no exception.

Bodega del Camino is one of our favorites. It’s an albergue with dormitory type beds as well as private single and double rooms, some with ensuite bathrooms. This is our 5th visit over the past 9 years.

Even though it is now under its third ownership since our first visit in 2014, it has always been well maintained: overall cleanliness, lights, AC, wifi, water, bathrooms, etc. are always in working order.

It is one of the few places that has screens on room windows, so the cool, dry breezes, especially at night can be enjoyed without having to deal with pesky insects.

Food is available all day, offerings are diverse, prepared well and tasty. At reasonable prices.

It’s one of the easiest places to wash and dry your clothes or pay to have it done.

There is a kitchen, accessible to guests to prepare their own meals if they choose.

Guests are treated with respect and are expected to act responsibly. Gentle reminders are present throughout the property that are effective and sometimes entertaining.

We had a light lunch at 12:30 and spent the afternoon reading , blogging and napping.

At 7:00, we, alone, had the pilgrims dinner of soup, simple salad, baked chicken and rice with an ice cream bar for dessert.

We retired to our room and called it a day.

Walked today: 5.0 mi Camino2023: 41.2 mi

We began our walk thru the village square at 6:45. It was only 66 degrees but unusually humid at 85%… with a forecasted high of 94 degrees.

In the 14th century Santa Felicia, sister to the Duke of Aquitaine (San Guillén) left her home for a pilgrimage to Santiago. The life suited her and when she arrived in Obanos she decided to stay and to devote herself to aiding pilgrims. Her brother set out on a mission of his own, that of bringing her back home with the lure of the comfortable lifestyle she had left behind.

He was unable to do so and in a fit of rage, he killed her. Overcome with remorse, the young Duke decided to complete her pilgrimage in penitence. On his return journey, he holed up in the nearby hermitage of Arnotegui. He built a chapel there and continued the mission that his sister had begun. The Iglesia de San Juan Bautista preserves the skull of Guillén.

A little more than a mile from Obanos we approached the town of Puente la Reina.

As we left Puente la Reina, the sun was becoming a factor so we did our first test run on a sun umbrella we brought with us from home. It does a great job of creating perpetual shade for the user. With some fine-tuning on mounting it to the day pack, we should have an effective tool for mitigating future sunny walks during Camino2023.

The final 1.5 miles to Mañeru was a nicely packed gravel walking surface that could best be be described as: steep > steeper> very steep and the last 100 yds… NO WAY!!!

We walked into Mañeru at 9:45 and stopped at Bar/Albergue El Cantero for breakfast and to rendezvous with our pre-arranged taxi ride back to Casa Raichu in Obanos.

Upon returning to Casa Raichu , we crashed in our room and in the living room available to guests. At 7:00, dnner was prepared and served by Elena, the owner/manager and our delightful host.

We met and chatted with two delightful ladies this afternoon and at dinner. One was from Belgium, the other from Australia. It was the first Camino for both. They met for the first time few days ago and plan to walk the Camino together.

We settled our bill for the past two days and said our goodbyes as we will meet our taxi tomorrow at 6:45 to take us back to Mañeru to continue Camino2023.

Walked today: 6.79 mi Camino2023: 36.2 mi

After a 15 minute taxi ride from our Pamplona hotel to the outskirts of Pamplona and the village of Zariquiegui, we began our walk up to the Alto del Perdón at 6:45. The temperature was in the low 60’s with heavy clouds and a slight breeze… perfect for walking.

We will spend two nights a Casa Raichu and use taxis to manage logistics of staying in one place while advancing two days walking on the Camino.

We slept in this morning then had a nice breakfast in a favorite spot a short distance from our hotel.

While Linda took advantage of the down time to relax in our room, Jim ventured out to stretch his legs and appreciate, perhaps for one more time, our favorite of Camino cities.

San Saturnino o San Cernin was built in the XIII century by the French inhabitants of Pamplona, as a church and a fortress, for protection from unfriendly ” neighbors”. The two towers were ” watch towers” for the fortress.

Under a 1423 treaty, the three urban jurisdictions of Pamplona became a single municipality, under the same coat of arms and taxes. This treaty, at the same time, ordered the destruction of the physical boundaries (mainly walls) between the three of them, conserving the outside protections.

The point where the three jurisdictions came together became the site of the City Hall. This is also the building from which, today, the City Council President launches the ceremonial rocket that marks the “Chupinazo”, or official opening ceremony of the annual fiesta of San Fermin (July 6-14).

San Fermin is said to have been the son of a Roman of Senatorial rank in Pamplona in the 3rd century. He was converted to Christianity by a disciple of Saint Saturnino. According to tradition, he was baptised by Saturninus (also known as Saint Cernin) in Pamplona. Fermín was later ordained a priest in Toulouse, and returned to Pamplona as its first bishop. On a later preaching voyage, Fermín was dragged to death in AD303. He is considered a matyr in the Catholic Church. It is believed he died on September 25, AD 303. Saint Fermín is said to have met his end by being dragged through the streets with angry bulls running after him, hence the tradition.

Jim next walked to the Plaza Castillo, the center of old Pamplona.

He then walked to another favorite, Bar Gaucho, for a sampling of pintxos. Unfortunately, it was closed, perhaps to give its staff a well deserved break after two weeks of non-stopped festivities.

But, alas, a mere 15 steps away was Bar Guria, a new find and the sampling began.

Jim’s first selection was (left) was Carilleras: pork cheeks, potato slices in a well seasoned red brown sauce. The second selection (right) was Pulpo a la Gallega: octopus and potato slices seasoned with sea salt, Spanish paprika and extra virgin olive oil. And a nice glass of vino tinto Navarro red wine. It was a very successful sampling… everything was delicious.

His pintxo appetite now sated, Jim ambled halfway up a nearby street to Caminoteca, an “everything-you-need-for-walking-the-Camino-in-case-you-forgot-to-bring-it” store.

We’ve shopped here numerous times and found some neat stuff at very reasonable prices like trekking poles, hydration bladders, socks, etc. It’s a great resource after walking the first 45 miles of the Camino Frances and it easy to find… a few steps down the street from the Catedral.

After a 2 hour mini-adventure in Pamplona, Jim returned to hotel Maisonave to find Linda ready for a late lunch. We ventured out together and found a nice shady outdoor table and enjoyed a late lunch.

Just as we were waiting to pay our bill, an American couple who moved to southern Spain five years ago and were in town for the San Fermin festival stopped by our table and introduced themselves.

We chatted briefly and they hurried on their way and we returned to our room to prepare for continuing Camino 2023… pondering our own future… hmmm.

Walked Today: 5.9 mi Camino2023: 29.4 mi

The walk to Zubiri was quite difficult because of a steep start and rocky surfaces at the beginning and end. Thankfully, the middle section with relatively flat with dirt/gravel surfaces through shaded forests offering some relief.

The first half mile out of Lintzoain was a concrete walkway that was so steep, it took us over 30 minutes to walk it. The path then continued but with sharp, shale stone with scattered shale fragments.

Soon after the 1 mile point, the path became dirt with mixed gravel and relatively flat, through the forest.

The final downhill 2 miles into Zubiri was frequented by sections with walking surfaces of eroded shale stones sticking up and loose shale stone fragments. Each step carried the risk of a Camino ending injury from a twisted ankle, torqued knee or fall.

The difficulty in terrain increased the strain and fatigue on the body and by the time we walked across the bridge into Zubiri we were totally spent.

As planned, we called for a taxi in Zubiri to take us to Pamplona, skipping the next 15 miles through several industrial and urban areas, arriving at Hotel Maisonave, in “old Pamplona” at 12:30.

Walked today: 8.95 mi Camino2023: 23.5 mi

What a difference a day makes! The fog had dissipated and the temperature was a dry 60 degrees when we walked out of Roncesvalles at 6:45. Our walk today was quite pleasant and the easiest so far, in spite of walking farther.

We walked the final mile to Lintzoain and were able to get into our room at 12:30 p.m. Our room has a shared bathroom.

The only other occupant of the albergue is Beth from England. Sharing was not an issue with just the three of us competing for the facilities.

The three of us were served a family style pilgrims’ dinner consisting of a tasty homemade vegetable soup, pork chop with tomato and pasta and a nice strawberry yogurt for dessert, complimented with a red table wine.

After an relaxing dinner and conversation with Beth, we went back to our respective rooms and organized our packs before retiring for the day at around 9:30.