Where Yarmiks Roam: #5-Walking the Camino

Stats for the day:

Guide book - 13.1 miles

Map my walk. 14.77, eight hours

Fit Bit - 39,122 steps, 16.68 miles

Obviously my fit bit is not recording accurately. I will ask my technical advisor to adjust the length of my stride.

Third day of walking. I was hoping we would have adjusted to the miles of walking, but not so. By noon it was warming up and we started to slow down.

Today's walk was nicer - more open, more level.

The Roman bridge as we left Zubiri this morning.

An old church and inside

Walked through lots of farm land. Here was a load of new fence posts. Notice one end is shaped into a point.

We got water here. There are public fountains which may or may not be potable. The EU sign says this is good water.

We walked through some lovely villages with great flowers growing at the base of their front walls.

Remember my writing about the Napolean Route (the one we took) and the Valcarlos route which we figured was for those who didn't want a challenge)? Well, this is where they met up three walking days later. We didn't know this until a nice Spainard explained it to us using the best of charade movements. I think we're still glad we actually walked over a pass through the Pyranees. Would we choose that again....a ridiculous question because this is a one in a lifetime experience.

Our goal for tonight was Pamplona. It is an old walled city where Roman ruins and first century streets and buildings have been found under the cathedral. Our guidebook map shows the Camimo trail simply entering through the gates of the old city. Never mind that the areas outside the walls are now subburbs of a large metropolitan area. It was really awful waking through this urban area. Noisy, lots of people who were not peligrinos, traffic, stop lights, hot - and we had to constantly watch for our directional signs - the shell and painted yellow arrows. They can be anywhere - in the street, on walls, on buildings, on sign posts. Out in the country side it is no big deal to find them but in the city we had to be careful and search for them. It made me think of our religious lives. Just as Ray's and my goal is to follow the signs to get to Santiago, all of us need to be looking for signs which show us the way we can get to our ultimate destination - which is to return to our Heavenly Father. The signs are in the scriptures, in our Sunday school classes , in messages from our church leaders. But if we ignore the signs or don't see them because of distractions, then we can become hopelessly lost. What I just said doesn't seem very profound, but while I was walking the streets of the subburgs of Pamplona and my feet were hot and my tummy growling from hunger, I felt that I need to be more diligent in my goal to return to Heavenly Father.

Finally we did go over a Roman bridge, through a city gate and we were there - in a city that looks like Venice without the canals.

First thing we did was go to a store to get Dad his bull running outfit.

Then we looked for the Bulls. I am pleased to report that Dad proudly represented Oregon with his running away abilities.

Then to find our pension which was a bit tricky since our map was inaccurate. From the outside the building was brown stucco that looked like it may have been remodeled inside. Turns out the remodeling was done but a loooonnnggg

Time ago. No modern Marriott for us but accommodations in an ancient fortified city. The place doesn't look all that wierd in the photos, but it feels old.