Camino Pamplona to Cirauqui

I woke up at 5 AM. It was pretty dark and I discovered it was going to be a rainy day. My watch and phone were charged. Breakfast was supposed to be served at 6 AM.

With German precision, at 6AM the speakers in each room started playing uplifting music, and that meant the lights could be turned on and I didn’t have to tiptoe around. With a quick breakfast of cheese slices and tomatoes, I ventured out.

At breakfast, I met a young 20 year old Dutch student who had just finished his bachelors degree and was taking a year break before resuming his Masters. He had bicycled from Utricht near Amsterdam and was going to complete the Camino in about 10 days. He had bicycled from from Saint John to the Pamplona in one go. That was quite impressive given the 1,500+ meters of elevation gain.

There is a steep hill near the Albergue and an elevator is put in just to skip walking uphill. It has great views from the top flight. I walked there and realized I was going in the wrong direction and tuned back.

Following th ncamino, I came across the big church of Pamplona and it's ramparts and coat of arms.

A cafe was open and I got attracted by its display. With a quick coffee and pastry, it was time to match on.

The first few miles were within the sprawling city limits. Many passersby wished me 'Buen Camino!' and all intersections were well marked with the yellow arrow signifying the French Camino. The pavement also has the steel markings in the shape of a shell every few meters.

The Camino proceeds through the beautiful campus of the University of Navarra.

Soon I was at the outskirts of the city and proceeded to the vast rural agricultural lands which were verdant green and very pleasant.

There were many pilgrims walking today and I enjoyed greeting each of them as we passed each other. Some were Korean, some Dutch, some Irish and many were Spaniards.

A steep section of the walk started and intersected a meandering stream. At the summit was a cross and crossroads. It was a good spot to have a short break.

I came to the village of Zariquiegui and saw a stunning church. I got my credential stamped. A neighboring cafe was a good stop for coffee and snack.

The next hour was beginning of relentless rain. I have a habit of purchasing clothes and not trying them on, so I am always unsure if they are going to finally fit when the time comes to use them. I always dread when I have to use something for the first time. However, I was pleasantly surprised that my rain jacket and rain pants fit perfectly even on top of three other clothing layers.

The rain and the continuous climb made for a challenging walk. I kept hearing very loud noises which kept changing in intensity. After climbing the steepest part and reaching the summit, I discovered a huge windmill, which was furiously spinning and creating the noise.

A break in the rain revealed beautiful vistas. I had been listening to the Sufi Quawalli music by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan which often puts me in a translike state and miles go by unnoticed.

I also started listening to The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins and found it fascinating and was unaware that I listened to it for 7 hours straight.

The rain was still going and I was a bit tired. I saw a big town in the distance and decided to call it a day, as it would soon be 22 miles covered.

The alburgue was next to a very ornate church. For 25€ they offered a bed and a sumptuous dinner that included wine.

For the ten of us at the communal dinner table swapping stories, the evening was very pleasant and heartwarming.