Pintxos in Pamplona
This morning we started at a leisurely pace toward Pamplona, knowing the distance was not so great to cross. Breakfast was good and we were both impressed with how the operation was run by the woman who owns the hotel. Between serving guests and dealing with her infant child, she was kept very busy.
As we started out, Spence and I made a bet as to how long it would take to catch up with Debbie, knowing she always starts earlier than we do. Spence won, predicting about an hour and 40 minutes. He was within eight.
The terrain continues to change daily, and sometimes hourly. The footing was better today and that made travel a little easier. We felt gratitude again for great weather and absence of rain. As we walked, we could see some debris lodged in trees along the river, placed there by heavy rains prior to our arrival.
Today turned out to be a day of some fungus among us, but I’ll tread lightly on the topic. Suffice to say it was incredible to travel from the United States to Spain, and be on the Camino, to then have one pediatrician and one gynecologist from Copenhagen agree to look at my feet. Enough said. Most everyone pauses at a rest stop halfway to Pamplona to grab coffee and change socks.
On another fungal subject, one I would also prefer not to explore much … Today on the trail we saw a huge mural on the side of a building, depicting in several languages a welcoming message to the Basque Region. Unfortunately, someone had scrawled swastikas over it.
Someone else appeared to have crossed out the hate symbols and used some language to push back, which we could not translate. It was an unfortunate reminder that there is still hate in the world. In an environment where people are celebrating inspiration and gratitude, it was a stain on what would otherwise be an entirely positive day.
We soon arrived in a small town and there seemed to be something missing. It didn't take long to figure out: There were no people anywhere on the street. The video shows how little activity there is during siesta time. It was as if we had the town to ourselves. Of course, no stores or restaurants were open either.
During the last few miles on the way into Pamplona, we weren't certain of being on the right path. I called out to a gentleman about 20 yards away to ask, in my marginal Spanish, if we were going in the right direction. He cupped his ear to show he could not understand, and walked toward us.
Of all the coincidences in the universe, it turns out we then met Jesus on the Camino. Jesus is an 89-year-old local resident who learned English when he was working in Pennsylvania in 1957. He was delightful, and happily gave us directions and encouragement. His energy was contagious. Of course we took photos together.
Today was not nearly as physically demanding as before, but day after day of walking with erratic sleep schedules is a little fatiguing. The views, the terrain, and the interaction with people along the way makes it all worthwhile and incredibly positive.
Tomorrow I may post a brief review of some of the equipment we chose to take on the trip. Everything we’ve purchased seems to be operating very well, although there is no endorsement money here – at least not yet.
Showers are complete, socks are rinsed out and hanging on a line in the bathroom, and we are heading out for an adult beverage and something to eat. Spence has his heart set on going to a restaurant that Hemingway made famous, the Cafe Iruna. It was featured in The Sun Also Rises and was a favorite hangout for the author during trips to the city.
