Day 8 - Finding our Pace : Puente La Reina to Estella

Our morning began at 4am when the slow rustle of people repacking began, and by 5am, when an alarm clock went off two rooms, or rather two compartments over, it was simply time to get up. We collected our laundry, put on our hiking shirts and shorts, grabbed our bags and headed to the common room for breakfast. For our morning respite we enjoyed toast, fresh jam, Nutella (!!!), orange juice and coffee. We were on the trail by 6 am, hiking with our headlamps on. While it sounds daunting to regularly leave so early in the morning, it has the virtue of allowing us to avoid hiking in the heat of the day, and to give us the opportunity to enjoy the magnificent Spanish sunrises, which are rapidly becoming our favourite part of the day.

As we walked along the gravel pathway, the light of our headlamps picked up the movement of many cute little lizards coming out to warm themselves on stone walls. After an hour of hiking we seemed to be on our own on the trail, which caused us to repeatedly stop and check to make sure that we had not gone astray by accident.  Unlike previous days, there were almost no cafes along the way to stop at for refreshments, but despite the absence of open amenities, we were able to refill our water bottles in the villages of Maneru, Cirauqui, Lorca, and Villatuerta.  We each drank a total of 8 bottles in an effort to quench our thirst! 

  
While much of today's trail meandered across the hillsides of the region, and either over or under the local highways and roadways, it also wove through fields and past vast hay stacks. I have to admit that given the heat as the day moved on, those sections of the trail which traversed towns or rural sections without tree canopies were hard on us.  However, we were serenaded for much of the day by wonderful music from a fellow pilgrim who was playing his flute, which helped to make today's hike more enjoyable.   
 

By noon we found a cafe under an aqueduct on the highway, and while the break was welcome and the cafe con leche was excellent, it took 45-55 minutes to get our drinks and pay, which was somewhat frustrating. One of things we have had to get accustomed to is the pace of Spanish life and culture. Cafes, bars, and restaurants in Spain do not dote on customers the way many in North America do. Here people can sit for some time before a waiter or waitress approaches them. After this it can take a long time before the food is served, and sometimes an even longer time before the bill comes. Eating in Spain can turn meal times into hours of communal conversation, and can provide ample time to reflect - which can be extremely enjoyable at times, but not so much when you are very hungry after hiking 10 or 20 km.

Throughout the afternoon, the temperature continued to rise, making our hike more challenging. As a result, we took more frequent breaks throughout the early afternoon, and enjoyed a few moments in the village of Villatuerta where we visited the town's church for its architecture, as well as its cool interior. 

When we arrived in Estella at 2:30 the heat was punishing, leading us to quickly check into the Albergue Juvenil Municipal Oncineda, which is a youth hostel. It seems that tonight's lodgings were once a monastery, and then later served as an Olympic residence in 1992. While our room is spartan, it is also very clean and wonderfully cool, which is a great relief from the heat. After relaxing for a bit we cleaned up and did our chores, at which point we discovered that the only other residents of the albergue seem to be two quiet and polite pilgrims from America, and a trio of Irish ladies.

 

By mid afternoon we were refreshed and ready to explore Estella, but since Siesta was in full swing by then, we stopped and asked the proprietor for any recommendations regarding what we should see while in Estella.  He kindly directed us to a cold salt water spring that was frequented by the locals, but we were initially dubious, since his instructions for getting there involved walking off the edge of our map, hoping a fence, and then fording the river.  We ended up heading out to explore the city of Estella, and visited the beautiful Iglesia De San Pedro, where we admired its rose lined cloister. During our hike through the city we visited the old train station, snacked on apple bread, and checked the next morning's route.

 

After this, given that most of the city was still closed, we decided to treat our hurting feet and find the local salt water spring. Traversing narrow alleys and wandering unfamiliar streets, we soon found the isolated, nondescript, and peaceful cliffside spring. Here, we stripped off our sandals, put our feet and legs into the water, and enjoyed the early evening. We stayed long enough to watch as the sun began to set and the sky changed colours, and remained while friendly local residents came by and enjoyed the waters as well. Given that we spent several hours here, relaxing and enjoying the break from hiking, I've concluded that local advice is the key to getting away from the tourist sections of town and really embracing a region. 

 

By 8 pm we wandered back to the albergue, took another cooling shower, collected our laundry, and set out into town for dinner. We soon came to Meson Gargantua, a bar in the popular town square where we enjoyed a large pizza between the two of us and a glass of red wine. With no curfew pushing us to race back to our beds, we stayed out well into the evening in the public square and watched as senior citizens chatted over ice creams, couples enjoyed their glasses of wine, children played, and families relaxed. It made us wonder, given that no one was walking around with electronic devices or on their phone or looking tired, what is so different in the Spanish culture that allows most people to welcome these evenings in the public square and unplug from the digital world? Whatever it is, it clearly benefits their entire communities in a manner we should seek to emulate! While taking in the various evening dramas of the town of Estella we enjoyed a cone or two of ice cream and just relaxed. 

With the sunset and cool evening air settling into the region, we returned to our room to open the windows and sleep amid the welcoming breeze. Tomorrow we continue onwards with our goal being to reach the town of Los Arcos.
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Practical information:

Distance: 21.9 km
Max Temperature: 34°C
Accommodations: Albergue Juvenil Municipal Oncineda (13.50 Euros / person)