Leg 4 – Pamplona to Puente la Reine

Wow! What a day!

Well it really felt like we got onto the Camino we had expected today. Walking through undulating countryside along wide paths from village to village, guided by church towers.

Getting back on the Camino after a day off was hard – to be blunt, I felt lousy to begin with. Wiped out by a bout of “batsman’s disease”* last night and both my hips aching like mad as we walked to the outskirts of Pamplona.

As we got to the edge of the city we met a couple of Kiwi’s who were just so friendly – both aged 50+, the woman had never been to Europe before, and the bloke had lost his wife to the dreaded big C aged c46/7. They like so many we have met along the way were just so engaging and open. It made me think about the adage “the Irish want to know who you are, and the English want to know what you do”. Before we knew it 3 miles had shot by and we were headed for a small town called Zariquegui, and Alto del Perdon beyond.

The colours of the morning were amazing with the Basque country showing off it’s full range of verdant countryside. This coupled with moody purple and silver skies along with low lying mist made for spectacular viewing.

After climbing over 1000 feet we reached Alto del Perdon with its iron sculptures of pilgrims through the ages. On from there a long descent, and then a diversion from the main Camino to take in Iglesia de Santa Maria at Eunate (as featured in the BBC Pilgrimage series). A small circular chapel with its roots going back to the Knights Templar’s, and strains of paganism. Tradition has it that you walk around it 3 times barefoot before standing the middle of the chapel – where you’ll get some kind of cosmic out of body experience. The only out of body thing I got was a touch of wind (allegedly).

Lastly onwards to Puente la Reine – a small town with nice narrow streets and a medieval bridge over the river (unsurprisingly).

Distance walked today was 18 miles. A new Norridge all-comers record.

*work it out for yourselves…batsmen like to score………


A wet and miserable departure from Pamplona




Alto del Perdon shrouded in mist





Alto del Perdon


Iglesia Santa Maria at Eunate


Puente de Reina


The "Pilgrim Passport" filling up nicely

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