Blogs from Navarre, Spain, Europe - page 13

It was another wet weekend in Pamplona. We're tiring of saying that! On Saturday morning though, the skies cleared and we took a drive out to Estella, about 40 minutes away. This town has been built up around a collection of churches which are part of the route of the Camino del Santiago de Compostela as are many of the villages in the area. It's quite pretty to wander around and the churches are visitor-friendly unless your visit coincides with mass. The tourist information office has a handy list of mass times to help. The most notable church was San Pedro de la Rúa. We climbed up the stairs outside and found ourselves in a very recently restored church. In our opinion it was a little over-restored with little evidence that it was an old building. ... read more

Too many pintxos on Saturday night? Maybe one too many canas too? Want to stretch your legs but a trip up into the mountains is beyond your effort level today? We think we've found the ideal place to clear your head on a Sunday morning. Lekunberri and it's Plazaola Green Routeis absolutley perfect. No hills, no crowds, just the peace and quiet of the countryside and stunning mountain views ! Lekunberri is a small Basque town about halfway between Pamplona and San Sebastian. When we got there it wasn't too difficult to find the old train station which is now a tourist information office and interpretation centre. Unfortuantely for us, it was closed! Luckily the footpaths are well marked and there are informative maps nearby to help you on your way. A highlight at the station ... read more

This blog is very short on words. The photos say it all really! You'll notice they haven't been labelled. That's just plain laziness!!! On Saturday morning we met up with a group of friends and drove up to the beautiful little town of Ochagavia in the Pyrenees. We were very lucky with the weather as it wasn't so good in Pamplona. Fortunately the plan changed from Sunday to Saturday as the forecast predicted a terrible end to the weekend and it wasn't far wrong. Walking in the mountains can be difficult but, much to our delight, this turned out to be an hour or so strolling along a country road with breathtaking colourful views everywhere. The road gradually climbed, twisted and turned and eventually we found ourselves at a church in the middle of nowhere. It ... read more

Half an hour's drive to the South West of Pamplona is the beautiful town of Puente La Reina. It's where the two main routes of the Camino de Santiago de Compostelafootpath meet. Obviously we didn't walk, but we did have a good meander around the streets and we loved what we saw. The architecture, narrow streets and churches give the place a real medieval feel. There were a few "pilgrims" walking the trail but there were more tourists toting cameras blocking our way! Other than the pleasant atmosphere there didn't seem to be much to see or do, but the bridge from which the town gets its name was certainly worth seeking out. It is very picturesque and we were lucky to see a party of nuns out for a stroll!! Purely by accident we found ... read more

About 40 minutes drive from Pamplona is the medieval town of Olite. On the way there you pass some lovely rural scenery and, if you stop in the right place, you can see an old Roman aquaduct which is almost complete. Olite itself is tiny but beautiful. It's main feature is its restored castle. We spent a good few hours exploring the different rooms, towers and turrets. The views are amazing too with a full 360 degree panorama of the surrounding countryside stretching out before your eyes. The windfarms and vineyards are everywhere. After a morning in the castle we had lunch and then found the wine museum. It looks promising but on a Sunday it closes at 2pm and doesn't re-open. Oh well, we'll just have to go back another time. As far as day ... read more