Walking | Jenny and Stephen's Travel Adventure

Camino – Puente La Reina (Day 6)

Date: Sun 12th May
Distance: 24km
Temperature: Cool to cold
Mood: Flat

We awoke to piped monastery music at 6am. Up and out by 8am (still the last to leave). Whilst breakfast was included, it consisted of just coffee and toast, so it didn’t take much convincing to top up when seeing and smelling a local bakery when walking through Pamplona on the way out.

The gardens on the way out of town were brimming of beautiful springtime flowers

The scenery as always thus far on our journey was spectacular as the climbed Alto del Perdón (780m) dotted with wind turbines for miles along the mountain ridge.

At the summit we were rewarded with the famous steel cut outs of a pilgrim scene, before descending down the other side. Unfortunately, at this point, my camera battery went flat!

Today’s walk was much harder as the accumulation of kms is taking its toll on our bodies. Mostly sore muscles around the shoulders from weight bearing and of course in the legs.

After walking through many small hamlets/towns we made it to Puente de Reine, famous for it’s 11th century stone bridge (Queens bridge). On entering the town we made enquiries at the first Albergue we came across to find that they also had private rooms with their own bathrooms!

Iglisia del Crucifijo

Iglesias del Santiago

11th Century “Queens bridge”

Note the white Asparagus

More Photo’s

Camino – Running with the Bulls (Day 5)

Date: Sat 11th May

Distance: 22km
Temperature: Cool
Mood: Good

Breakfast was provided by our friendly Spanish host, but all servings were carefully measured including the juice in the jug that just managed to fill 2 glasses! We got the message that we needed to be gone by 8am so she could do the cleaning up.

We left in fresh but sunny conditions and passed a Magnesium factory as we walked out of town. We are now starting to pass through small towns and hamlets which break up the journey and add extra interest.

Just before lunch we came across a very popular Cafe doing great business servicing Pilgrims in a small hamlet and we took no hesitation in stopping for an early lunch. Pizza straight out of the wood fired oven. Yum!

Aussies from the Sunshine Coast. We first meet these guys on the platform at Bayonne train station and didn’t see them again until Orisson. Since then we have bumped into them most days!

More Aussies from Melbourne. Late 60’s and putting the young ones to shame, including us!

The last 5km of the days walk was walking from the outskirts of Pamplona into the old town. Whilst we had consulted one of 3 our guide books, we got lost trying to follow the directions and we also had no idea on where we should stay the night. In the end a nice Spanish couple out for an afternoon walk happily escorted us for a good few km to a small Albergue on the edge of the old town.

The Paderborn Albergue was hosted by a German couple that volunteered their services for 3 weeks every year for the last 7 years. As we had no real options, we decided to stay put and pay the outrageous price of 17€ for the 2 of us, which incidentally included breakfast!

The luxury suite. Only 4 beds to a room!

No time for the wicked! Straight out to explore Pamplona. We really enjoyed this town as we stuck mainly to the old part including a visit to the Cathedral of Pamplona!

The Plaza was stunning, especially when both the people and sun came out late afternoon (7pm!)

Pilgrims 3 course mean for 10€ each was served in a restaurant in town. Food was excellent! Always served with a bottle of red!

More Photo’s

Camino – Zubini (Day 4)

Date: Fri 10th May

Ok, we’ll come clean on our accommodation at Roncesvalles! We had pre-booked the only Hotel in town and skipped the Albergue. This Hotel is 5 stars and worth every Euro! They served the Pilgrims 3 course menu for €9 per head and we opted for breakfast as well for an additional €8.

5 Star accommodation!

Pilgrims 3 course meal

Mass and Pilgrims blessing at the Royal Collegiate Church of Saint Mary

Breakfast 5 Star! We finally headed off at 9:50am. This is definitely NOT typical of a departure time for a typical pilgrim. We later found out that most of our fellow pilgrims stayed at the local Albergue and were woken with lights on at 6am. Most were on the road by 7:30 and some as early as 6:30am! No wonder we had the track to ourselves!

A Romanesque 12th Century Chapel – Silo de Carlomagno in Roncesvalles

We thought it was 790km from SJPDP! Whilst we headed off with very low clouds overhead and single digit temperatures, it wasn’t raining and we were still greeted with fantastic scenery with the added quaint villages thrown in!

Typical sign posts that mark the well signed Camino way

Arrived at the town of Zubini 22Km from Roncesvalles. The muscles are starting to let’s us know they need a well earned rest! As we crossed over the Romanesque bridge into Zubini, we were greeted with an enterprising local Spanish lady offering private accommodation. Knowing we were one of the last to arrive and being a small town, we took her offer and were escorted to a neat little house nearby. Looks like we have the place to ourselves!

We again finished off the day with the typical Pilgrims 3 course meal noting many pilgrims that we have seen on different occasions along the way.
More Photo’s

Camino Stories (For Alison, who cannot get enough”)

Camino – Conquering the Pyrenees (Day 3)

Date: Thu 9th May

An early start, but not by choice! The keen and seasoned gentleman (this is his 3rd Camino) turned the lights on to our dorm around 6:30am. We were greeted by a spectacular sunrise on the side of the mountain.

Breakfast was at 7 and by 8, we were the only remaining pilgrims left at Orisson. Nobody told us it was a race! Knowing we had pre booked a Hotel for the evening gave us piece of mind that we would get a bed for the evening.

Whilst it was a decent climb, we paced ourselves and were pleasantly surprised to arrive at the summit of our walk before lunch.

We chose to take the more dangerous decent into Ronchesvalles as we were told this was the most picturesque. (We weren’t disappointed)

As you will see by the number of photo’s, the scenery was magnificent!

Temperature wise, it was comfortable and fresh, but the rain set in about an hour out from arrival, ensuring we were completely soaked when we arrived at Ronchesvalles at around 1:30pm.

Accommodation is wonderful and we shared in the Pilgrims meal before attending mass for the Pilgrims blessing.

And more Photo’s

Camino – Lush Beginnings (Day 2)

Date: Wed 8th May

Awoke after a perfect sleep in a wonderfully comfortable bed, excited and ready to take our first steps on our Camino. After a delicious breakfast shared with the house guests of baguettes with a myriad of homemade jams, fresh apple juice, coffee, hazelnuts, local yoghurt and oranges, we were ready to set off.

After one last visit to the delightful village to purchase some apples and lunch we began our journey. With gentle rain falling we headed up out of the village of St Jean with high spirits. The scenery was of breathtaking lush green steep rolling hills.

Just as we found our rhythm 9km into our journey our accommodation for the evening appeared and we hadn’t even cracked a sweat!

At 3:00pm we checked in and chose our bunks. As is typical on the Camino (apparently) all the lower bunks were already taken. (Something to do with being too tired to climb a ladder!) People were having naps after the big climb. We looked at each other bewildered as we could have kept going all the way to the top! (Well maybe at least another 5 or so kms.) After organising our beds for the evening we ventured down for a coffee and found the place enveloped in verythick fog! The decision to only go a short way, a good one.

More Photo’s

Follow Jenny and Stephen on their Travel Adventures!

Posts tagged ‘Walking’

Camino – Puente La Reina (Day 6)

Camino – Running with the Bulls (Day 5)

Camino – Zubini (Day 4)

Camino – Conquering the Pyrenees (Day 3)

Camino – Lush Beginnings (Day 2)

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: