Pamplona to Jaca

First, some recent expenses:

Half board at Hotel Akerreta 105€

G and T. 6€

B and B at Hotel Europa 75€

3 pinchos at Goucho Bar 9€

Drinks 6€

Bus tkt to Jaca 7.80€

Pamplona

Being a tourist in Pamplona is as good as it gets!  No more walking: just a taxi to the bus station this afternoon. I'm sitting on an outside table in a shady spot in the corner of the Plaza with a cold glass of vino blanco in front of me, watching the world go by. I've seen the sights of Pamplona before and it's getting too hot to go and see them again.

I've bought myself some gold earrings with the Basque emblem on them, to go with my shell earrings from Santiago: my reward for completing this year's Camino. I've also been into the Hotel La Perla, where the lovely receptionist, Maria, showed me the Hemingway Room, now renovated into a suite with modern plumbing: too perfect to be true, somehow.

The ladies are very elegant here, with their hair done beautifully. I wish I looked like them; but then they haven't just crossed the Pyrenees!

Running of the Bulls monument

Hotel la Perla

Hemingway Room with Maria

Maria with her cousin, a policeman

Cafe Iruna

Art Nouveau door of Cafe Iruna

Pamplona street scenes

Calamari for lunch

Akerreta to Pamplona

I didn't take many photos today, as my phone is just about full up, and I was eager to reach Pamplona in any case. It was 30 degrees when I arrived at lunchtime, pretty tired as I'm carrying all my warm clothes in my backpack instead of wearing them.

My hotel, the Europa, is just off the main square, the Plaza del Castillo, which houses La Perla Hotel, where Hemingway stayed and the Bar Iruna where Hemingway drank. Next door is the Gaucho Bar which has won awards for its pinchos (tapas) and I've just tried a couple with 2 glasses of vino blanco. It is still alive with people at 10.00 p.m. so it's earplugs for me tonight!

The Way

Breakfast stop for early pilgrims

Beautiful honeysuckle

Pinchos at Gaucho Bar

Vizkarreta to Akerreta

This turned out to be quite a long day. I set off bright and early at 8.00a.m.  I wasn't in any hurry because I knew my room would be waiting at Hotel Akerreta no matter what time I arrived (thanks to booking.com).  The way took longer than I expected, first a climb out of Vizkarreta and then a very steep and long descent into Zubiri. It was beautiful weather early on, but soon became rather warm and humid. I thought I'd be having coffee on Zubiri but this turned into lunch! However I chanced upon the Cafe del Camino with good wifi and an equally good kitchen, and enjoyed a really good salad with tuna and all the trimmings and this fortified me for the afternoon's walk.

There were lots of stony downhill tracks today which I took very carefully, using my stick to help me so as not to take a fall, as there is always the danger of falling in such circumstances, especially at the end of the day. It was a relief to see Larasoana on my right across the river. My hotel in Akerreta was only 700 m away up the hill.

This place is another of the Camino's hidden delights. It is a traditional Basque farmhouse which has been converted into a small boutique hotel, with wooden beams and exposed stonework. It was used in the film "The Way" in a scene with a mad guy pretending to be a bullfighter upstairs. 

After I arrived, a sudden freak storm passed over, with 1 cm hailstones bouncing off the windows. A herd of about 10 ponies in the field nearby were running backwards and forwards in terror, not knowing how to escape! Within half an hour it had cleared, so I went around  the small village to take some photos.

Looking across the fields from Vizkarreta 

Vizkarreta Church

Vizkarreta village

Approaching Lindtzoian this morning

Wildflowers 

Orchid, I think!

Forestry work going on before Zubiri

The Way

Hotel Akerreta 

Horses and foals in the village

The Church

Typical house doorway in this region, with the date of construction above the door, in this case 1741.

Roncesvalles to Vizkarreta

No wi fi at Corazon Puro, but there is across the road at La Posada, so I've begged the use of it here!

Roncesvalles to Vizkarreta

Last night I had dinner in the hotel with Sally and Karen from Perth and Gert from Holland. We had all stayed at Orisson. The dining room was quite busy, but I had reserve a table for 7.00 p.m. The menu was:

Cream of seafood soup

Beef cheeks in red wine sauce

Coffee flan.

Cost of Demi pension: 92.60€

I was in no hurry to get started today. My bed was warm and luxurious; outside was still misty. I had a slow breakfast, helping myself liberally from the buffet which offered many choices, including tortilla, cheese, various cold meats as well as all the usual breakfast items. The forecast was predicting sun by 10.00 a.m. and it was correct. Blue sky up on the mountain: I had chosen the wrong day to cross yesterday.

The way through the woods to Burguete was shady and above all perfectly flat. This village with its Hemingway associations was as far as I got last time; I was so exhausted from the previous day. I don't feel too bad this morning and can easily do 10kms to Vizkarreta.

Leaving Roncesvalles 

Burguete 

Looking up to the hills which are beautifully clear today. What a pity I didn't cross the Pyrenees today!

Corazon Puro Hostel, run by a Hungarian couple. My washing is out to dry on the balcony, top right!

They served a very nice dinner to 3 of us, including Angela from US and Jort from Germany. Menu:

Cheese and lettuce wrap in sauce

Turkey casserole with tortilla

Yoghurt with fruits

Today's expenses

Half board at Corazon Puro 20€

This was a real bargain. There were 5 bedrooms, each with 2 twin beds, so we all got our own room and shared a bathroom.

When I arrived at about 4.00 p.m., Barbara and Istvan were glued to the TV, watching the tennis final from Paris. They were supporting the Serb and were delighted when he defeated the Brit! They had a huge collection of books, mostly in English, but they also had John Brierley translated into Hungarian!

Orisson to Roncesvalles

Orisson Auberge

Lunch on the terrace at Orisson

Dinner at Orisson

A pilgrim pats a semi-wild horse in the mist as we climbed higher up the mountain. We later learned that these horses are for the French horse meat trade.

Signpost for Navarre tells us we are entering Spain

Koreans from Orisson finally overtake me at the signpost: if it looks wet, it was. The  low cloud kept rolling over from the Spanish side and falling as drizzle in France.

Turn right for Roncesvalles and then it's downhill all the way, knees complaining at the steep descent. A Spanish cyclist was advising people to take the road rather than going down through the woods. This added an extra 2 kms but I took his advice and I think it was worth it.

First sight of Roncesvalles through the mist. I had been walking for 8 hours and was totally worn out!

My stylish room at Hotel Roncesvalles, next to the monastery: an old photo is above the bed.

It was a day that proved to be too much for me, but somehow I managed it!  I've crossed the Pyrenees twice on foot! Not many can say that.

SJPP to Orisson

If ever there was a day when it needed to be fine and clear, it was today.  It takes so much effort to climb into these mountains, you need the reward of splendid views!  And it didn't disappoint.

I left SJPP at 8.00 a.m., looking at an 8 km walk. I dawdled along; the joy of walking with no backpack cannot be overestimated. Groups of people passed me at great speed, puffing and panting and struggling with the weight of their packs. I must have held the record for going slowest and carrying least.

By 11.00a.m. I was enjoying a coffee at Honto, where there is a small guesthouse.  By 12.00, I had passed Kayola, which is a kind of overflow place for Orisson.  Orisson is another 800 m. up the hill, and a few disgruntled pilgrims were already walking back from there. Orisson is always in demand. In fact, it was the first place I booked back in January. This booking is like gold, which is why it was essential to get here on time in spite of the strikes.

It was a lovely walk, with views into the far distance and eagles soaring around overhead. I rounded a bend and there was Orisson ahead, pilgrims sitting out having lunch. I soon joined them with a beer and my picnic from St Jean. I have now been informed that the birds are Griffon Vultures.

36 set for dinner at Orisson. It was a jolly crowd from all over the world. The French domination is now at an end! We had :

Lentil soup

Chicken with fresh peas and potatoes

Almond cake

Leaving St Jean

Route Napoleon: the high route. I've done it once and I'll do it again!

Lovely views and sunshine

Lots of wildflowers

Looking back to St Jean

St Jean: a few more photos

My room is a little gem, decorated in French Colonial style- a big improvement on last night!

View from my window

View of the old bridge, the Church on the left of it

Daniel(on the right) from Wakefield, has been carving a beautiful stick to take to Santiago.  He is showing it to the Jamaican guy from the basket shop.