Day 7 - Windmills and Sunsets : Pamplona to Puente La Reina

Having gone to sleep almost immediately last night, and not being disturbed until 5:30 am, meant that we awoke well rested and feeling much better for our luxurious evening in a semi-private room. To those whom we shared the apartment with but never met, my greatest thanks goes out to you for being so quiet last night - you saved us and possibly our Camino! Once up, we collected our laundry, repacked our bags, ate a Spartan breakfast from the adjoining kitchenette of coffee and toast, strapped on our headlamps and backpacks, and headed out into the early morning streets of Pamplona. The trek out of the old town turned out to be difficult, not because of any physical impediment (unless you count the smells from opening bakeries), but because, with fresh eyes and a great sleep, we began to see how wonderful the city was and realize all that we had missed out on.

Our early morning hike took us through city streets and down roadways, past Pamplona's University, over ancient bridges, and along the edge of busy traffic roundabouts towards Cizur Menor. Despite the beauty of the morning, many pilgrims seemed to be rushing, and often racing each other out of the city. Some practically jogged out of town, jockeying for the lead. Ironically, we too soon got caught up in this, and increased our pace for no reason beyond the fact that everyone else was as well. Regardless, by 9 am we had settled back into our own pace and began taking in more of the landscape along a path of broken flagstone and crushed gravel.

In Cizur Menor we stopped for a cafe con leche and bought 1.5 liters of orange juice which we put in our bottles to replace the heavily chlorinated Pampalona water, as well as several packages of dried fruit, including melons and kiwi. The morning passed by quickly, and hiking became easier as our bodies seem to have adjusted and appreciated the great night's sleep. 

We soon passed through the town of Zariquiegui, and took a short break beside an impossibly large field of sunflowers. Many of these sunflowers have been artistically plucked so that they appear to have faces that smile encouragement at the lines of pilgrims passing by.

Rested, we continued along and followed the trail upwards towards the famed Alto del Perdon.  The hillside to Alto del Perdon is a challenging 800 m climb on a stretch of trail that is largely exposed , with little protection from either the sun or wind. The trail moves steadily upwards and you hike to the sound of hundreds of whooshing windmills above. 

Once you crest the ridge and see the iconic pilgrim monument, with the incredible view of the valleys on either side of it, the feeling of exhilaration makes the entire effort worth it. We took a moment to stop and enjoy our achievement, take in the view, and of course grab a cappuccino and pastry at the vending truck near the monument.

After our break we began threading our way along the downhill path, which was admittedly somewhat precarious, being a steep meandering trail of loose rock and broken slate, upon which one could easily imagine twisting an ankle or sliding. Thankfully, we made it to the bottom without incident and continued on through the villages of Uterga and Obanos, where we took a few moments to relax and refill our water bottles. 

Throughout our early afternoon hike we were fortunate to pass by a beautiful church and an enticing vineyard full of ripening grapes. We entered the town of Puente la Reina as the heat of the day began to settle into the region in earnest. 

While we relaxed in the shade of a building's archway we decided to trek to an albergue just beyond the city limits which was purported to have laundry facilities, private rooms, and a cold swimming pool! With our evening's lodgings in sight, we crossed through town and over the iconic Puente de Peregrinos, only to discover that the albergue is not only outside of Puente la Reina, but also up a relatively long, steep hill.

 

Using thoughts of clean clothes and cold pools as fuel, we climbed up to the Albergue Santiago Apostolo, registered, received our pilgrim stamp, were shown our compartment style private room, and soon fell into our routine of taking a shower, washing our hiking clothes, hanging our laundry, and setting out our boots to dry. After this we enjoyed the luxury of simply laying down for an hour of not walking, hiking, or trying to figure things out. It was beautiful and very welcome.

An hour or so later, restored and refreshed, we returned to town to explore the church, Iglesia del Crucifico, whose arches we had passed under on the way through, and took time to admire the unique Y-Shaped crucifixion inside. We also wandered around and enjoyed an ice cream in the town square. Since it was afternoon Siesta most things were closed, so we decided to photograph the bridge, return to the albergue, enjoy a pint of beer, take a swim, and catch up on our postcards and our journals.

That evening everyone in residence joined together for a wonderful communal dinner in the main hall of the albergue. Our evening meal consisted of fresh salad, vegetable pasta, red wine, and Flan de Huevo for desert. We sat with an American lawyer who, having lost her marriage and practice, had shifted careers and become an amazing artist who painted wedding dresses, and who had set out on the Camino to restore her direction in life. She was a beautiful and kind soul whose story was not only touching, but who despite her own challenges was willing to listen to others and comfort them. Such rare qualities in this world.

After dinner we got up for a small walk to stretch and digest, during which we discovered a patch of succulent plants covered in snails, which appealed to the naturalist in me, and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the town of Puente la Reina. By 9:30pm we were ready for bed, and so we returned to our compartment with the hope of getting another good night's sleep prior to our hike tomorrow.

** Post Camino Note - After talking with other pilgrims throughout our trip, it seemed that we were all tempted to give up around the same period. It seems that the consensus was that if you could get through your first week and keep going, you'd be able to finish. This is not to say it is easy to keep going when you are ready to be done, just to remind you that you are not the only one to feel this way. The trick is to get up, take your time, relax when necessary and remember that we are all here pulling for you. Buen Camino.
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Practical information:

Distance: 23.8 km
Max Temperature: 32°C
Accommodations: Albergue Santiago Apostolo (12 Euro/person plus 10 Euro/person for dinner)