September 7, 2018
- Route: Espinal to Pamplona, Spain
- Distance: 36 kilometers (22.32 miles)
I slept so much better last night. A good meal (and perhaps those two glasses of wine at dinner) really helped me fall right to sleep. As a result, I was up early and full of lots of energy this morning.
I didn’t stick around the restaurant for breakfast like the other pilgrims. I really wanted to get a few miles under my belt and was out walking by 7:30 a.m.
The terrain was really nice, and I rolled into the town of Zubiri around 10:30 a.m. I was a bit surprised how quickly I got there though. The British couple I was seated next to at dinner last night planned to make this town their final destination for the day. I can’t imagine being done after just three hours of walking!
While I’m all for enjoying the scenery along the Camino, I’m not sure I could stretch this journey out for 5-6 weeks. I’m just more used to the American thru-hiking culture with it’s focus on longer mileage days. If I’m not walking 6 to 8 hours day out here, I think I’d feel a bit restless.
Breakfast of Champions
Once in Zubiri, I found a nice cafe and ordered a late breakfast. The most important order of business though, was getting a good cafe con leche into my system. Back home, I usually enjoy several cups of coffee in the morning. So by mid-morning today, I was craving some serious caffeine!
While I was waiting for my breakfast to arrive, I took advantage of the restaurant’s free wifi and checked my phone for texts and messages. Then, as I looked up from my phone, I saw someone I recognized walking into the restaurant. It was the guy I shared my umbrella with at the Pilgrim’s Office back in St. Jean Pied de Port.
I spotted him immediately because of his unusual haircut. We smiled and politely nodded to each other in acknowledgment, but he didn’t approach me to talk. So, I’m still left wondering what country he’s from and whether I’ll see him again in the future.
I suppose crossing paths with certain pilgrims over and over again is just par for the course out here. We’re all headed to Santiago, and I’m bound to be keeping pace with a few people, even with my higher mileage goals.
After polishing off my breakfast and two cafe con leches, I took a leisurely spin around the town of Zubiri to let my stomach settle. It was a cute place, and clearly a pilgrim-friendly town. Not only were there many albergues and restaurants, there was also an outfitter selling boots, packs, hiking poles, and just about every possible accessory under the sun.
I took a quick glance around the outfitter’s store and decided to purchase a Buff. I’d left mine at home back in the US, and I can see how handy it would be out here. Satisfied that I’d seen all that Zubiri had to offer, I was back out on the Camino.
Practicing my French
I walked for the next few hours of the day by myself, enjoying the quiet countryside. I deliberately decided to forego lunch because I was so full from my late breakfast. But shortly after 2 p.m., I was starting to wonder if this was a mistake.
Just as I pulled out my phone to check the distance to the next town, I stumbled upon a fruit vendor with a makeshift stand on the side of the trail. He was selling fresh peaches from his orchard, and that seemed like the perfect snack to satisfy my budding hunger. I bought two ripe peaches and continued down the trail to find somewhere to rest and eat them.
I didn’t make it a half kilometer before I saw two of my fellow pilgrims laying with their packs off in the shade eating their own peaches. This place seemed as good as anywhere else, so I plopped down beside them under a tree. The afternoon sun was high in the sky and really beating down as we enjoyed our fruit. I was beginning to understand why the Spanish take a siesta each day!
One of the pilgrims seated next to me introduced himself to me in French. His name was Jacques and he’d been walking the Camino for two weeks -having begun his walk from near his home in France.
I took a few semesters of French back in college, and know enough basic phrases to get around when I’m traveling. But, I was no match for a native speaker like Jacques who wanted to hold entire conversations in rapid French.
After some discussion, we both agreed to switch to Spanish instead. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not fluent in Spanish either. But I grew up the West Coast and took Spanish in jr. high and high school. Plus, I’ve heard it spoken so frequently and read enough signs in Spanish that I’m far more comfortable with speaking that language over French.
As we talked, I learned Jacques planned to walk all the way into Pamplona today. I hadn’t planned to go quite that far, but was willing to try to see how far I’d get.
Just as we were agreeing to walk together, Marco (the Italian guy from the albergue last night) came strolling by with a huge grin on his face. He wasn’t alone either. He’d finally found someone else from Italy on the Camino, and was very excited to be able to speak his native tongue.
And so, the four of us set off toward Pamplona in the warm sun.
Pamplona
Pamplona is the first large city the Camino Frances encounters on the way to Santiago. That meant we had to pass through the vast suburbs of the town – walking on sidewalks lined with newer apartment buildings for several kilometers – as we closed in on the city’s center.
It was a surreal feeling to be back in the concrete jungle after walking so many miles in the beautiful Basque countryside. Before long though, we reached the historic castle walls on the northern side of the Pamplona
After walking through the Portal de Francia, we found ourselves on the narrow streets of Pamplona. Although I’ve never been to this city before, I experienced an intense sense of deja vu. Somehow, I immediately recognized the narrow black streets running between the tall buildings. That’s when I realized I was walking along the route where they hold the annual running of the bulls!! I’d seen this in photos of this place so many times!
I followed the Camino markers into the city center, and to the tourist information office. The ladies in the office spoke multiple languages and offered us free maps of town to assist in finding somewhere to stay.
I intentionally avoided making any reservations along the Camino because I really wasn’t sure where I might end up each day. I preferred the flexibility of walking until I was tired.
This was a perfectly fine plan. But only if you ended your day in small villages, like I did yesterday. I soon discovered that traveling without reservations wasn’t quite as feasible in a major tourist town on a Friday afternoon.
After trying three albergues, I learned they had been full for hours. I really wanted to spend the evening exploring Pamplona and didn’t want to walk several kilometers to the outskirts of town just to find a vacancy.
So, that’s when I decided on a new plan. I’d stay in albergues for the majority of my trip. But, I was willing to splurge on a hotel room in the handful of bigger Spanish cities I wanted to explore along the way – like Pamplona, Burgos, and Leon.
And with that decision, I quickly pulled up the Booking.com app on my phone and made a last minute reservation at a cute little boutique hotel in the city center. Easy peasy!
Exploring Pamplona
After cleaning up from my long day of walking, I still had several hours to kill before dinner. Most Spanish restaurants don’t open until 8 or even 9 p.m. So, I had ample time to walk around and explore the city.
My first stop was the Plaza del Toros – the main bullfighting ring in Pamplona. The stadium was enormous, and was decorated with mosaic murals of bulls, matadors, and the sport of bullfighting.
After that, I wandered around the winding narrow streets, taking in the architecture and cathedrals. At every turn, there was something new and interesting to take in.
Since it was Friday night, there were open air stalls filled with artisans and vendors selling everything from soap, to meat, to skeins of wool. As I was looking around, I head music and noticed a parade of characters dressed as renaissance jesters approaching my direction. Tourists lined up to watch the entertainment passing through the streets. That was something I certainly didn’t expect.
As the sun started to dip in the sky, I found a local restaurant to eat dinner at before returning to my hotel for the night. I have to admit it was a very full day, having walked more than 22 miles to get to Pamplona, and then what felt like several more miles exploring the city.
Nonetheless, I’m excited to see so many interesting things and to meet so many friendly people along my journey.