El Camino de Santiago : Pamplona to Los Arcos

Kilometres this section : 68
Kilometres completed : 133

Pilgrim monument at the Alto de Perdón.

Day four, I walk out of Pamplona, it's another beautiful day, and lovely surroundings again.  There are many little towns, houses with white walls and red roofs, each with a very defensible church or abbey at the centre - I am of course reminded of the walk to Carcassonne I did a few years ago.  Well, different country but not too far away, and it is all the Basque region of course.  Signs here are often in Spanish and Basque, and wow, the latter bears no relation to any language I know.  Maybe a Greek influence?

Anyway, more easy walking, barring one short downhill section over loose stones.  Today the distance is a whole 22km, well it isn't nothing, and I manage to add another 2km by taking a detour to see a 12th century romanesque church.  Possibly built by the Knights Templar even.  I still reach Puente la Reina, today's finish, by 5pm, this really is not very challenging.  Well, it works out, tonight the Albergue insists on me not staying out later than 9:30, straight to a bar then - it actually rains on the way there.  Spaghetti then fried cod tonight, not sure I will lose much weight on this trip.

Iglesia de Santa María de Eunate.

After an early night, I should not be surprised when my fellow pilgrims start getting up before 7am, OK, I can also do this.  Not entirely sure why, there is only 22km to walk today, we hardly have to hurry.  Not to mention, this early in the day it is kind of cold.  Never mind, it warms up over the course of the morning, great walking through vineyards and olive groves.  Over too soon really, I reach today's destination, Estella, shortly after 1pm.  Hmm, I think I should have planned this a bit more carefully, seems like I could have reduced the number of days to do the thing quite a bit.  Just didn't have time...

Well, Estella is lovely anyway, and tonight I have a superior, private albergue, in a historic tannery even.  There are glass panels in the floor, through which the carved stone sinks used during the leather production can be seen.  The town is also big enough to have an Irish pub, where I enjoy a burger plus beer.  And, no hurry to leave, I've booked a hotel room here too, while I don't need a rest it will make a change to sightsee for a day.  Sure is a lot to see here, many buildings are hundreds of years old, churches of course, fortifications, and yes I ascend a couple of large hills on the outskirts of town.  Lots of history here clearly...  First I'd heard of it, but it seems that just as in Britain, where parliament's decision to choose the King they wanted led to the Jacobite rebellion, something similar happened here.  There were a few claimants to the throne over the decades, all named Carlos, so we are talking about the Carlist wars - and it seems Estella was for a time the Carlist capital.  I pass buildings with bullet holes from 150 years ago...

La Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro in Estella.

Second night in Estella, the Irish pub is shut so I find a typical Spanish bar, there's beer but food is limited to sandwiches, I get a little drunk, good thing I have a hotel room rather than annoying my fellow pilgrims.  Back to walking next day, it is still easy, and lovely surroundings, spring is arriving here, I walk beneath trees in blossom.  And, you have to love Spain, not long into the day there is a drinking fountain that dispenses not water, but wine!  I fill a small bottle, it goes well with my lunch (bread and chorizo), then not too far until the end of the day, another medieval town, Los Arcos.  Another bar and sandwiches for dinner, I am sure proper food will be back at some point...

Getting my fill of wine at the Fuente de Irache.