A 7:00 a.m. breakfast allowed us to leave Estrella by 7:40. We had a 17.88 mile day, so we were out the door as early as breakfast and last minute preparations allowed. This did allow us to see the sun rising. So great!

Would this be the way to go, or what!

More haystacks:

Tanya in front of a vineyard:

I confess that we each stole a grape. Agreed: Those grapes will make some fine wine.

A view:

Another pair of abandoned boots, this pair in need of a cobbler:

We had our cafe con leche break in the town of Vania, where, as we entered, we saw a wooden bull ring under construction. Two very old men without teeth told us that the bull fight would be tomorrow and showed us the street where the bulls run.

The town, decorated with flags, was buzzing in anticipation of this event. Never have we seen so many people crowding the streets. There are people coming:

and people going:

The local panadería made a bread sculpture of toros:

What this king has to do with the event I do not know, but young boys dressed in white with red scarves (capes?) were enjoying playing around it:

Dog just having emerged from dog house:

Logroño is city of some size. We wandered its streets for a while mostly in search of something to eat. Alas, we were between lunch (here until 4:00) and dinner (not until 8:00 at the earliest). Finally we found a bar that served so-so tapas and then an ice cream shop. It sufficed.

Philosophy in tile:

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Location:Logroño

We did have trouble finding our way out of Estrella, but at last managed without adding much to the mileage. None the less, this sort of thing is very anxiety making.

Today we had a choice: the high route, two kilometers shorter but two hundred and fifty meters more climbing than the low route. Not really knowing the pleasures of either choice, we opted for the high route, which, as Tanya pointed out, did not involve all that much climb. We did miss seeing a picturesque town, but for several hours were rewarded with a wooded walk on a dirt path and gorgeous views. Mileage for today, a modest 14.43.

The weather continues to be glorious as you can see from the blue sky and sun in the morning:

The big draw of the day was a bodega. According to my ability to translate, The sign below says something like, “Pilgrim, if you want to arrive in Santiago with strength and vitality, have a drink and a toast with this great wine for happiness.”

There were two spigots; the one on the left is being tested by Tanya. The one on the right dispenses water. Not many people opted for that one even though it was about 8:30 a.m. One guy, definitely taking liberties with the bodega’s offer, filled up a small water bottle with wine. Tsk, tsk.

See that fortification on yonder hill? Back in the day, it guarded the area of Pamplona:

Some fellow ditched a pair of perfectly good Loewe boots, minus insoles and one lace:

But not before he deposited his container of yogurt in one of them….or someone else thought it was a garbage can:

For some people the already excellent directions are not good enough, unless this soul had some other meaning in mind. What I want to know is, “Does the spoon go with the yogurt?”

Afternoon view:

A different water drainage system. In this case, the streets slope up away from the middle:

Haystacks:

A guy in a tractor loaded with olive branches pulled up to a pen of goats and tossed them their lunch. The geese in the background were not fed on this run.

My room at the Monaco Hotel has a balcony. This is the view:

What do we do each day after we arrive at our hotel? Shower or take a bath (since we are staying in hotels and not B and B’s, many more opportunities for a bath and foot soaking). Throw out the unneeded papers from the backpack, replace with the next day’s, wash out clothes, then go to the lobby or elsewhere for some refreshment. Oh, how I wish I could drink sangria! Agua fria just does not have that “having a drink,” kind of feel. Then we either look about the town if it is particularly look-worthy or we need supplies, or take a rest before dinner. Well, today we went to the local square, which was lined with small establishments serving drinks and tapas or a menú del día, lots and lots of people, probably mostly walkers, sitting at tables enjoying the weather, food, and drink, and the company of friends. It was such a relaxing and pleasant time, and so European!

Tonight we dined at the hotel, mostly out of inertia. We had a great meal, maybe the best so far, for only eleven euros. You just never know!

Question about oleander answered by Betsy Cahill. No, Ophelia does not mention oleander! It is gratifying to have these matters settled!

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Location:Los Arcos

15.47 mile day started with a walk through Puente La Reina, named to honor the elegant bridge leading into the town:

A common sight:

Hope this is not a common sight—peregrinos (what everyone walking is called) discarding clothes by the side of the road:

But this is worse. It can be difficult to find a “bathroom” spot. A low area near some picnic tables offered needed privacy as lots of people have discovered and didn’t mind advertising:

On to better views:

Plowed field with poplars and stones. To the left is the wall of a cemetery:

We had a relaxing stop in this town, where the “barista” (not a term used here) was dancing to a recording of Swan Lake. We loved it!

This looks like thistle only it is blue:

Another pretty flower-whose-name-I-do-not-know:

Yet another peregrino who succumbed; this one a Dane. Is this going to be a daily occurrence?

Afternoon scene with haystacks:

Truly this statue is worn out from doing guard duty at the church:

Speaking of churches, it is notable that every church we come to is locked. A bit strange, is it not, on a pilgrimage route?

A heavily decorated door:

Bridge into Estella:

We are slightly cranky tonight because the hotel into which we are booked is a mile off the trail, a mile that has to be repeated tomorrow. If it were in an interesting part of town or had some comfort to commend it, we would be less cranky, but it isn’t and it doesn’t. The traffic is loud and relentless. But other than that, the walk is going well.

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Location:Estrella

Quoted mileage: 14.67; actual mileage: 15.35, not off by much.

It is the strangest thing, El Camino is flooded with walkers and bikers, as in bicycles, until about noon and then everyone seems to disappear. Just to record that observation.

Pamplona is a city of some size. Anyone who has walked long distance paths knows that navigating through cities is the hardest part no matter how good the markings are. El Camino is very well marked with a shell symbol and yellow arrows, but we had to stay vigilant for the first forty five minutes or so until we were out of the city. Three pairs of eyes are better than one—yes, even I occasionally spot the helpful designators.

The morning was cool and rain threatened; good walking weather:

Uh oh, another casualty, this fellow from Ireland:

A sculpted way marker:

We–Tan, Ian, and I–wondered, “WWDQTOT?” (What would Don Quixote think of these?)

The first three hours or so were uphill–not steep but steady–until we reached this ridge where there is a famous sculpture by an artist whose name I do not know. It is delightful:

Aw, what the heck, might as well get in line, too:

Yet a third loss upon The Way. This is becoming a little bit nervous-making:

View with bell tower:

Close up of a big bell tower:

Doesn’t Ophelia speak of oleander? Alex—yes? No?

From poison flower, to passion flower:

Serious graffiti:

Not to mention this one: (The OED gives permission to use “graffiti” as a singular, FYI, in case anyone cares. But I really wanted to write “graffito” because how often do you get to say THAT?)

Where the shell symbol comes from? From legends. Here is a short version of the shortest: James was beheaded in Jerusalem. His disciples brought his body to Spain (with or without the head is not clear). There was a shipwreck off shore; the body disappeared. By a miracle it reappeared covered in shells. In any case, the shell is an attractive symbol. There was a a whole string of brass ones along a street:

Towns are deserted at noon, as in not a living soul is to be seen except for us peregrinos:

Who measures up?

Ian fit the mold the best! “But it is all good!” (Apologies, adolescent as it is, that is a bit of a private joke.)

Afternoon view:

Honest to goodness olives on olive trees:

And honest to goodness grapes on grape vines:

At about 2:30 or was it 3:00, we reached Puenta La Reina and our hotel. In the courtyard was this guitar player. How nice is that?

A terrific walk: lucky with the weather, beautiful scenery, nice people, more than decent accommodations, food way better than expected. Is it possible—no complaints? How long will that last?!

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Location:Puenta La Reina

A belated post. This one seems not to have made it on its proper day.

Our first day, 16.77 miles, began at 8:30 a.m. in the rain. We chose the low route for a variety of reasons not the least of which was the weather. Why climb an extra I-don’t-know-how-many meters if you will not be able to enjoy the fabulous view that the high route promises? Although we “paid” for this choice by having some road walking, the road walking was not too bad and we had gorgeous scenery almost all the way. We also were able to stop for a latte at about the half way point. The French, and so far the Spanish, do know how to make an excellent cup of coffee. On a cool, rainy day the mid-day treat was especially welcome.

The guillotine is so yesterday, but these heads seemed to be serving as scarecrows:

View of a village with rain clouds on the mountains:

The Pyrenees with rain clouds but no town:

A pretty stretch of path:

There were many many big slugs along the way. Euuuuhhh:

Every now and then there is water available, but in this case the blue sign in the background informs that, OK, you can wash your hands if you like, but do not drink:

If the weather had been good, I might have taken a picture of every cross we saw (maybe not), but this church, cross, and bell just outside of Roncesvalles, where we are staying, at a very nice place, may I add, captures something of the sense of the area:

Today’s walk was long but lovely. It did not rain all day, and wet, misty air is perfect for this kind of activity. At one point, we met a group of people, two Japanese, one German, one American, and one of undetermined origin, but likely Mediterranean. Anyhow, they sort of appeared out of nowhere and in a mix of languages asked us if we knew where they could get a cup of coffee. They had started out where we had, but they were walking in the wrong direction! We never saw them again!

We met other small groups, people from Hungary and Italy and France, and the best part is that everyone tries so hard to find some common language to be able to exchange words of greeting and good cheer. One guy had a pen and was asking those he met to sign his T shirt.

By the way, a lot of people were really struggling with the uphill sections of the walk. Maybe they did not realize that you have to prepare for it.

The pilgrim meal. This is “thing,” along the way. It is a set price, set menu three course meal + wine, usually inexpensive. Last night we ordered one with rather dismal results. Tonight our hotel offered such a meal at 7:00, and since we did not want to wait until 8:30 when real dinner begins, opted for the Pilgrim menu for a modest 9 euros. It was delicious! Thick, hot vegetable soup, pork and french fries for those who eat pork, a salad and a frittata kind of thing for those who do not, red wine (apparently quite good) and a decent sweetened yogurt for dessert. About 100 people–a wild guess but lots—at many big tables–came from the surrounding hotels and albergues. It was really quite nice. Sort of like summer camp for old people!

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Location:Puente la Reina,Spain

Today was almost a rest day. From Akeretta to our hotel in Pamplona it was 10.53 miles. We started out at 8:30 and arrived just before 12:30; this included a stop for a coffee. These coffee stops are the best! Always a steaming hot latte and a clean W.C.

A view:

A fixer-upper:

Oh dear, this is where, in 2006, a young woman ended her Camino:

Along the way:

Petunias:

A fountain, but whether for drinking, not sure:

The bridge into Pamplona:

Another fountain:

The city walls ofPamplona are massive. That little speck of a woman sitting at the base is Tanya:

This is so great! It is the actual mechanism that draws up the bridge:

A significant ornate building in the city:

A brass door knocker. Quite elegant, don’t you think?

Hemingway is a favorite in Pamplona. There is a street named after him (or is it a plaza?) and a statue. But at the head of the street where the bulls run, a pizzeria?

¡Ole!

This may look like a aged hipster’s walker, but it is a device to help the ambitious train to run with the bulls:

View from my hotel window:

This hotel is basic by American standards, but it has lovely touches: in the bedroom, on the walls, drawings of the city in tortoise frames, old tile floors, and stucco walls. The hotel also has an elevator, very small, for shlepping the suitcases. And the people who own it, now the third generation, are very nice.

While we were about town this afternoon, we came upon a rather strange animal park. There were deer, geese, guinea fowl, hens, and other birds all cavorting together in a large, enclosed area:

Not your everyday tree:

A Frech-style garden, part of a French-style park:

Two sculptures by Antonio García López. Ian is standing beside “Night:”

And Tanya is looking into the ear of “Day.” (Unless Day is Night and Night is Day.)

The sky over Pamplona at sunset:

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Location:Pamplona

Most unfortunately, today, Ian, who has been suffering from a respiratory infection, could not walk this stage. (He took a bus, which, he told us, was full of walkers. The first day must have done in a lot of them.) So at 8:a.m. on a crisp, perfectly clear morning, Tanya and I headed out for a 16.7 mile walk to Akeretta, which was actually 18.1 miles and that is a lot of miles. More of that later.

A truism about mileage: the quoted distance is almost always less than the actual distance.

This is the church in Roncesvalles whose bells play an exuberant tune on the hour:

We have been impressed by the prettiness and the cleanness of the towns:

The water drainage system in one of the towns:

Early morning cobwebs:

A pretty house:

A balcony with lots of flowers:

At about the half way point, we sat down for a snack. A few cats were hoping for handouts:

Entrance to a cemetary:

A roadside stand!

Were we ever going to get to the hotel at Akerreta? We actually did at 4:00 p.m., which is not bad–say one hour total stopping for sustenance, but those last couple of hours were a bit of a slog. Actually, what makes it hard is the heat. When we were in the cool of the morning or in the woods, it was fine. I am actually appreciating those Luna Nutz Over Chocolate energy bars!

We are again at a lovely hotel, an old, very old and charming family-run hostal rural. The most striking feature of the room is the window:

Yes, it is tiny and it has a shutter, which would not be photographed. Here is the view looking out the window:

There is a tub and plenty of hot water. How good a long soak felt, as did a lie down for an hour. Dinner is here to night for which I am most grateful. Neither Tanya not I wanted to take another step to seek out sustenance. The only problem with this place is that you can hear everyone talking and next door to me are some really loud Frenchmen!

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9:30 a.m. train from Barcelona to Pamplona left on the dot and arrived on the dot. Smooth, clean, comfortable ride. Then a horrendous, sickening hour and a half taxi ride to St. Jean. Oh, those torturous, twisty mountain roads. Por favor, senor, puede parar? (Please, sir, can you stop? Can’t get the Spanish diacriticals when using the external keyboard. Well, I could, but then the English would be a problem.) After pleading for about four stops, each request hastily granted, we finally arrived at the center of town. A bustling little place it is, too, where we found the ubiquity of tapas replaced by the ubiquity of crepes.

Ian went to find the hotel and returned shortly. The schelp to the B and B was not too bad. I was grateful to collapse on the bed and happy to know that I can still speak some French.

After a bit, we took a wander about town. It is overflowing with tourists. What are all these people doing here? Why come HERE if you are not walking the camino? Maybe we will find out. After looking in some shops, we bought fresh GENUINE baguette sandwiches and chips for dinner, a couple of large chocolates for dessert, and dined in Ian and Tanya’s room, which has a gorgeous view. Actually, mine has part of that view if you stick your head far out the window and look right!

The small hotel in which we are spending two nights is old—in a nice way: thick wooden shutters, dark red tiles, simple but comfortable. The receptionist is adorable:

A view toward the mountains in the morning before the fog lifted:

There is not a whole lot to do in St. Jean if you can’t fit much in the way of extras in your luggage. That is to say that there are many tempting things to buy, especially the most delicious-looking food products, but with a long foot journey ahead that is utterly impractical.

Aside from doing a lot of window shopping, one can take a walk along the ramparts, which is refreshing and offers some good views. The citadel is impressive:

I so love these old old old doors, or more precisely, a door within a door:

A view looking down on St. Jean:

It poured today, so a while touring the Bishops’ Prison was kind of interesting. Unfortunately, the curation (?) left a lot to be desired, so we did not find out a whole lot about the building’s use. In fact, we found out hardly a thing! Oh well.

Lots of wandering and rewandering until finally dinner at a so-so place. Tomorrow we set out. Which route we take will depend on how Ian is feeling and what the weather is like. Tanya, Ian, and I—los tres amigos—are eager to get started.

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Location:St Jean Pied de Port

Photo transfer now active! Too bad the first one is so poor. It is the view through the French doors of the B and B dining area. There is a little table and two chairs on the balcony…utterly charming.

As I had been told, and true it is, ham is the national food of Spain. It is everywhere in many forms, here displayed by the leg:

And here you can buy it by the slice:

Most interesting is ham bits sold in paper cups like our french fries, and so many varieties to choose from.

Aside from ham and many many tapas bars, there was lots of other stuff to see in Barcelona. The most famous landmark, and
breathtaking it is, is the Cathedral designed by Gaudí If you are not planning a trip to Barcelona to see this architectural gorgeousness in person, do look it up. The space is so creatively designed and filled that a religious impluse is not necessary to put one into a state of awe. There was no way I could take a decent picture of the cathedral, so just
Google Gaudí to learn about a creative genius and see some of his work.

Another architectural prize is the Museum of Catalan Art. Couldn´t take a decent picture of that either, but here is a sorry shot of the series of waterfalls that lead up to it. This photo is called Water and Water.

You get up to the museum by a series of escalera mechanica on either aide of the falls or by a series of stairs.

Remarkable about Barcelona is the decoration. Buildings are graced not just by wrought iron balconies, but intricate wrought iron balconies. Street lamps are works of art, stones that make up the streets are patterned, so as you walk along and look around, your are treated to beauty all along the way.

Like this statue here….Rather than your generic general on a horse, weilding a sword…the general, that is, you see a naked lady sitting on a horse holding a ship in the air.

Back to food, since it is all over the place, here is a party sized croissant:

A turtle and birds on a wall:

How reassruing is this sign? And the ATM actaully worked, spitting out the needed cash:

Our B and B was in a charming area of the city, El Born. Narrow, winding streets, old old buildings about five stories high, beautiful heavy doors that hide courtyards. Inside, marble steps and faint paintings on the walls of the hallways, stained glass windows on the landings.

A view down a street:

Another example of decoration

A common sight in El Born is the freestanding ornate lighting fixtures with fountains at the base:

Here is Tanya demonstrating the fountain :

From some of the windows people hang plants or laundry to dry:

Lots and lots of motorcycles:

An especially nice feature of many streets is the placement of iron posts rather than sidewalks to separate the pedestrain area from the traffic. The even surface creates a sense of spaciousness.

So, what did we do in Barcelona? We walked a lot and went to a few museums. The Picasso museum, just down the street from our B and B is spectacular, but a few others we saw not that great. But here is a fact or two about chocolate from the chocolate museum:

And here a chocolate Don Quixote:

We spent hours seeking out the Museum of Contemporary Art. Have to admit, none of us appreciated the exhibits, but if you like spare and weird, this is the place for you. As one enters–or exits–as the case may be, there are large foam blocks for reclining. Ian fell asleep quickly:

And Tanya took a rest. It was the best part of the museum.

Our last night in Barcelona, Ian not feeling well, Tanya and I went to an early flamenco performance. It seemed necessary to have some Spanish energy and art before heading off to main purpose of this trip, the hundreds of kilometers that await.

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Location:Barcelona

Trip to airport, check-in, and security completed in a record two hours. How amazing is that! JFK terminal 8 does not offer much in the way of shops or restaurants, but the threatening weather of this morning has cleared and the posted “on-time” status of the flight to Barcelona more than compensates.

There is so much to worry about before departure if one happens to be the worrying kind, which, need I inform, I am. The right clothes? Too much of this not enough of that? Snack foods–peanut butter, two pounds of mini Snickers bars, nuts, Luna bars, and cracker sandwiches. Is this necessary? Not going to the end of the earth you say? Well, yes, Finisterre IS the destination. Then I had cleverly packed an extra pair of insoles, only to discover, fortunately, before it was too late, that I had put in two lefts! Disaster averted.

An especially exciting aspect of getting ready has been the eight and half months of studying Spanish. Reports on the outcome of that effort to follow, when said efforts are put to the test.

Can hardly wait to get to Barcelona and see Tan and Ian with whom I will set out on this great and daring adventure. Come what may, being with friends will enhance the experiences. And, as a great Jewish sage said, (OK in a different context) “If not now, when?”

On the plane……..upgraded to business class? How did that happen? How often is the question, “Why me?” directed to something good! But really–I have no points, no miles, no nothing! A real pillow and a quilt and a seat, which, according to the picture on the arm rest, can go all the way back. Very nice!

Airport processes in Barcelona and taxi to B and B without incident, but getting into the B and B (signless) not so smooth. I rang the doorbell of two different residents in the building before finally being directed to the correct entrance. This was not entirely my stupidity since more than one door has the exact same number and explicit instructions were not supplied. One has to be motivated quedarse en (to stay in) El Balcon de Born!

After leaving off my suitcase, spent many hours wandering in circles hoping to encounter Ian and Tanya, who, unbeknownst to me, had arrived shortly after I did, but we had all been shooed out, check-in being not until 2:00 pm. Eventually we had a happy reunion, walked about, admired the architecture, peered into some shops, and had a lovely first dinner outside in a square where we were treated to street musicians’ melodies.

No photos ’cause something is weird about the photo import. Will try to figure out the problem for next time.

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Location:JFK