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Published: June 13th 2014
June 8 - Zubiri to Pamplona
We learned a bit more about the daily lives of Spanish families in this region. It appears customary to shut everything down in the heat of the day (I imagine siestas are still the norm) - around 2 pm and open up again at 5. The towns come to life at night - as do the children. We were not kept awake last night by snoring and other bodily utterances, washroom visits or backpack reorgs of our fellow pilgrims - it was children playing outside our window until 12 am - their screams of joy and pain only interrupted by the louder threats from their moms (I'm assuming) to play fair. Tanya and I both love the fact Spanish children play outside a lot - I doubt the vast majority of Spanish families can afford the cost of today's technology - lucky them... for this night only unlucky us.
We did get to sleep shortly after midnight and it was heaven - we awoke in the morning to cafe con leche or tea, baguette toast and jams, fresh squeezed orange juice and an apple - a typical
continental.We left about 8 am on our next stage.
The first part of the walk was a tranquil walk criss crossing the rio Arga. The later half was along busy main road sidewalks leading into the ancient magnificent city of Pamplona ( in recent years famous for the running of the bulls ) - another scorcher
We stopped along the way for another cafe con leche and a frittata - a cold egg, cheese and ham pie that was delicious - we ate with Mark, Debbie and a scatter of other friends we had met earlier.
Mark is a luxury cruise captain (royalty, stars, politicians and the rich in general), he is also a licensed pilot but it seems his real passions are his wife & Harley - both he and Debbie have been very kind to Tanya and I - as we are the turtles of the group they always keep an eye out for us and help us to get hostels, advise us on foot care and give us much needed moral support - I love Mark's dry British sense of humour and their interaction. One has to wonder
why someone who can cover so much of this planet in such a variety of modes of transport has decided to walk 800 km - the call of the Camino?
This stage had the usual literal ups and downs and a good section of the walk from the outskirts into the city was quite depressing as it was the first time on the trip we witnessed poverty. The children played in littered parks - the streets themselves were filthy - the locals seemed to care less.
As we entered the ancient Pamplona city gate over the draw bridge we were greeted by thousands of young basque separatists partying on the Main Street. At first it was quite imposing but with no where else to go we started to weave through the body's until we saw a private Albergue on the right - the raw hormone induced energy and unmistakable smell of weed filled the air.
We entered the Albergue - the owner styled the 20 bed hostel after the Japanese pod hotels - each bed was not much bigger than a coffin with a pull down blind for privacy - we
were about to leave to. Search for another Albergue when we heard familiar voices - it was Mark & Debbie -we took the last 2 beds.
Once we showered, did a load of laundry (the 4 of us - one load) and got our packs organized the four of us decided to join the revolution and party a bit with the Basque protesters - they had formed a 150,000 person human chain this day from Pamplona to ? And after that hard work a fiesta was in order. They demand that Spain let them separate and form their own country - sound familiar Canada. We had a few shots, a beer and walked through the masses to see if we could find a restaurant for supper. We never felt threatened by the protesters - I am just happy the Spanish police or army didn't show up.
Several of us met later for a great meal (various tapas) and some good local red wine. We were home and in our coffins by 10pm - quite the adventure today - as usual.
Piss off of the day - the walk through the outskirts
of Pamplona - the heat, the smells and I have to admit I was a little concerned for our safety and my wallet.
Tip of the day - go with the flow - people in general are nice - especially revolutionaries in love
Blessing of the day - seeing familiar faces
Funny event of the day - meeting our South Korean student friends and becoming one of the three ninja pilgrims
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Sal & Al
non-member comment
You say you want a revolution...
Keith & Tanya, how the heck are you? Sounds like you are using some major skills to get by! Blogging's not easy; I know how much work it is to download pics & try and recapture experiences but Keith you are a natural at it!!! Glad you are making new friends (as if you wouldn't!) and are enjoying some nice food & drink along the way. As I sign off on a rainy day in Ottawa I can only picture how much of an impact this trip will have on both your lives. Imagine Tanya doing this with her kids some day. Freakin' fabulous. Love you, Sal & Al xoxoxo