Blogs from Navarre, Spain, Europe - page 5

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Europe » Spain » Navarre » Pamplona July 9th 2016

Today was a very long day. On the bus at 5:50am to head into the city to get to our balcony to watch the start of the festivities at 8am. As we reach the city centre all we could see were steams of very wary tired and happy people leaving the city after yesterday’s celebrations and a well-oiled clean-up machine in full flight preparing the city for another onslaught of revellers today. The balcony we have booked is on the second floor at one of the bends mid-way through the course and we had to be there before 6.45am otherwise the streets are closed off. In a way just watching the people arriving at their balcony and the clean-up process on the street below of both rubbish and people was as exciting as the run. 8am ... read more
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Europe » Spain » Navarre » Pamplona July 8th 2016

After a night of lighting, thunder and rain we wake to a clear morning and we are on the road to Pamplona and the festival of San Fermin. The drive today was great due to the lack of trucks for about 50km, they had their own road next to ours. We also drove through an area where on every ridge there was a wind farm, there was probably more Wind turbines than the whole of Australia & NZ together. We have spent the afternoon walking the streets of the old town centre taking in the atmosphere of a festival and get our bearings so we are ready for the big day tomorrow. Today’s great finds where the monument to the Bull Run which is a 11-metre-long bronze monument that shows 11 runners, 6 bulls and 3 ... read more
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Europe » Spain » Navarre » Viana May 27th 2016

Well it's been awhile so here's what happening . Leaving Pamplona I caught a bus to Los Arcos where I stayed one night at Casa Austria. The following day after a nice breakfast of bread bread and more bread and jelly and coffee I started off for my next designation which was casa Marela (sp) in Tierra del Rio. I've been meeting some really cool people. One girl 26 years old has traveled the world .She does not have a phone and she doesn't know where she's going one day to the next. The best place for her so far was a town in New Zealand I forget the name. Today she has a very swollen foot and it's going to stop her Camino. She said she's young enough that she can come back and finish ... read more
Casa Austria Los Arcos
Towards Tierra  del Rio
500+ year old street in Tierra del Rio

Europe » Spain » Navarre » Pamplona May 23rd 2016

Tomorrow morning I will hop on a bus and head for Los Arcos staying in the Albergue Austria and then head out on the 26th. It has been raining very hard here so that's complicated matters .I was going to walk west from Pamplona to Puente La Reina over the Alto de Perdon however the official word is that it's mudd and slippery slopes up and down the mountain, not necessarily a good thing for a recovering knee. So I will start where I originally had planned to start, Los Arcos ,and where I had stopped last time I was here. This year the Camino is very crowded. It is a religious year ,so I suppose that's part of the issue but also the popularity of the Camino has grown and that has attracted more and ... read more
Tapas & Pintas at the IRUN BAR Pamplona
Tapas & Pintas at the IRUN BAR Pamplona
There are many unfortunate people in Pamplona

Europe » Spain » Navarre » Pamplona May 21st 2016

The problem is where to start! There are so many cool things happening here. it's hard to figure out at what point to start describing what I have been experiencing. I suppose the most interesting part is the variety of people .. Thousands come out and walk the streets between 8 o'clock and 10 o'clock.mostly young men and woman but also couples , families and the elderly. The restaurants aren't open until 8 o'clock though :( . The Plaza de Castillo has many cafes that are outside with tables under umbrellas which is crowded by 5 o'clock with people drinking talking , people watching other people and having a good time. I suppose the cafes are there as a warm up until the resturants open ? If so very clever . My hostal is one street ... read more
My street one block off the plaza
I had the Duck Rissotto
Hemingway & I at the Irun bar (2014)

Europe » Spain » Navarre » Pamplona May 20th 2016

Arrived Madrid in one piece with 20 hours of being awake and exhausted. Still had 4 hours to wait for my bus and 4 hour ride to Pamplona . Regardless the spirit is high and it's a great adventure. While at the airport Madrid waiting for my bus I met a guy by the name of Paul who was wating for the same bus and who I have to say is probably the most interesting Pilgrim a person could ever meet. Here's a brief synopsis of Paul. He is 63 years old has never hiked in his life, is borderline diabetic and his feet have very little feeling which is good I guess because he intends to walk the Camino barefoot. The most interesting part yet about Paul is that he makes no plans at all ... read more

Europe » Spain » Navarre » Pamplona May 11th 2016

Aujourd'hui nous prenons la route pour repasser la frontière franco-espagnole. Mais nous ne restons pas sur notre faim en nous arrêtant à Puente de la Reina, où une petite ruelle semble pleine de monde. Il doit se passer quelque chose dans ce village. Nous nous trouvons donc un parking et nous dirigeons vers cette petite rue : plus un chat ! quelques mètres plus loin nous découvrons pourquoi : l'église se trouve dans cette rue et en y entrant nous constatons que se célébrent les premières communions. Après quoi nous continuons à longer la rue pour arriver au pont des pèlerins... En effet, nous retrouvons pas mal de pèlerins dans ce coin également. Pampelune : toute une aventure... mais nous sommes arrivés à trouver à un bon quart d'heure du centre une place pour nous garer ... read more
Puente de la Reina
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ici on vend du pain !

Europe » Spain » Navarre » Pamplona March 27th 2016

For once the weather forecasters might have got it wrong. For nearly three weeks the forecast on Accuweather has been pretty well right but his morning when overcast skies were expected we have bright sunshine and a clear blue sky. Just the thing for some sightseeing around the city of Pamplona known for the ‘Running of the Bulls ‘festival in July each year. We should have listened to Chris’ suggestion of taking an extension lead with us but we were cramped for space when we packed. The extension lead would have come in handy to plug the toaster into and enable it to be located next to an open window to be far enough away from the smoke detector when we made our breakfast toast. We don’t want another ‘Cumbernaud’ incident! We made one slice each ... read more
Portal Nuevo,Pamplona
The facade of the old city hall,Pamplona
The street where the bull run starts,Pamplona

Europe » Spain » Navarre » Pamplona March 26th 2016

Saturday and it is time to move on from France saying ‘Au Revoir’ for now ,because we will be back four more times before the BBA V3 comes to an end, and into Spain where we express a welcome of ‘Hola’. As predicted the day has dawned fine and sunny and already at breakfast the outside temperature is 18C quite remarkable considering this time yesterday it was in mid single digits. Just what has made the temperature turn around so dramatically is unclear as we haven’t been able to see a weather situation chart for a day or two but we guess the wind has turned more southerly and that was having the warming effect. It was time now to bring out the security chains and padlocks as we have read that unsavoury characters in Spain ... read more
Bruges,the bastide town
Altitude for lunch today at Etsaut
The Prynees from Etsaut

Europe » Spain » Navarre » Viana September 8th 2015

Terri has been elected to a new position. She is doing her magic brining people together. ... read more
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