May 21, 2016
Garry: Started off pretty poorly. Mom already mentioned quitting. Will try to take it real easy. Maybe rest a few days in
Pamplona and try to shorten some days.
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| Today's route to Pamplona |
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| Chicken runs around begging for food at cafe |
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| Slugs are everywhere |
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| Cafe Zuriain break |
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| Sculpture at Cafe Zuriain |
9.6km in, only 10.5km to go today. Mom doing really well uphill and on level. Descents are still slow increasing with incline and surface. We just need to make it to the Meseta where everything is flat.
Add a new town to the list. We left the historic trail near
Arleta and followed the river bike path which was level. Then we turned again for slightly shorter path with occasional markings through
Huarte. We are now lone pilgrims with few marking roughly 7km to go. We are going to find a hotel for at least two nights in
Pamplona if we make it.
The last one was
Burlada. Long hike to town center. We found a fancy hotel for two nights, the
Hotel Maisonnave. Private banos!
I left my smelly Altra ultra shoes in Zubiri. I hardly had 1000 miles in them. Hiking sandals rest of the way. That was the plan. Now I don't have to carry them.
We are here at the
Maisonnave for at least two nights. Mass and laundry planned for tomorrow. Mailing stuff home Monday. Mom brought some things we don't need. 7 shirts, 3 containers of sunscreen etc. so rest and reorg for a couple days.
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| Crossing river to Pamplona, still a long way to go to center city |
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| Made it half way across bridge |
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| Another citadel. Too close for pic. It was a looooooonnnngg walk from Pamplona sign to center city. |
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| Entering Pamplona |
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| Shops everywhere along narrow streets |
We are over our 100 EU budget today. Went to bier & franks shop and had beer & bratwurst & patatas brava. Nice long talk with owner/cook/bartender. Gave us samples of all four taps. Leaving ice cream shop for panateria (bread).
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| Leaving ice cream shop |
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| Mom keeps wanting to go shopping even though we are already carrying too much |
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| Spanish people. Mom thought would be a good photo. |
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| Municipal park near our hotel |
Kids play with dredals here. We asked for Catholic church at hotel lobby. He said ALL churches are Catholic here. We have two churches and one cathedral to choose from for noon mass. I am betting we decide on cathedral.
I lost mom in the park. I doubt she has phone. I will just wait here till she comes back for me.
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| Getting some pan at the panaderia for room snacks |
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| Pan or gelattus or both? |
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| 4EU |
In for the night. Won't be able to get much done tomorrow except church & laundry. I was hoping to get a belt & a belly bag for better access to phone, guide book, etc. It's hard to get anything when it's on your bag. Arms move the wrong way.
68.1km (42.2 miles) done. Only 712km (441 miles) to go.
Biers & Franks owner says there are 200,000 people in Pamplona. When they run the bulls in July, 100,000 of them go on vacation and the remainder are left to deal with 400,000 drunks. Hemingway ruined the festival by making it famous. Said Australians are the craziest since they are all descendants of criminals the UK sent there. He said because of the Muslim invasion & occupation for a couple centuries until the Christians kicked them out, they think they have some historical ownership or something. Too many pouring in to Spain as well as rest of Europe.
It's supposed to rain here tomorrow and be nice Monday. Sounds like a good day to rest and begin hiking Monday when sunny, high of 65.
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