Distance: 23.5km (91.1km).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 420m / 350m / 790m.
Weather: Some clouds in the morning, otherwise clear blue sky.
Originally, I had planned for a zero day today, so to see more of Pamplona. During yesterday, that thought was instead changed to be walking to Cizur Menor today. Before I had gone to bed, that plan was again changed to wake up early in the morning and go to Puente la Reina instead, since it was there that I counted that Torsten, Emma and the others would go to today.
Early in the morning in Pamplona, I was walking almost alone through the dark streets of the city only illuminated by the streetlights.
And early up in the morning I was, I was out of the doors of the albergue at quarter to seven in the morning. The streets of Pamplona was empty and almost dark. Only the quiet street lamps provided some light while I was walking. Still, there were a couple of cafés that were open for the early birds and I bought with me some breakfast from one of them that I put into my backpack. I enjoyed walking almost alone in the empty streets past majestic buildings, parks and the star-shaped castle in the city, Ciudadela.
Sunrise from Cizur Menor.
In Cizur Menor, I sat down on the wall of the church, Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel, and ate the breakfast that I had brought with me while I enjoyed the sunrise. Which was amazing, it rose above Pamplona and coloured the heaven red. It was a fantastic moment. Below me, I could see both Signe and Daniel walking by.
In the outskirts of Cizur Menor, with a view towards Sierra del Perdon, which was shrouded by clouds in the morning.
To my great joy, I caught up with Torsten shortly after having left Cizur Menor, he must have left the albergue he was staying in while I sat and enjoyed the sunrise from the church. Unfortunately, I got to hear at the same time that Emma had become sick and stayed behind in the small village, she had felt unwell after the dinner the evening before.
On the way to Alto del Perdon and near Guenduláin, the Camino passes by this peaceful pond.
After Cizur Menor, the Camino went through a nice culture landscape up towards Alto del Perdon. Where we went, the forces of Charlemagne had conquered the Muslim army of Aigolando. There are more peaceful times here in these times, even though the cross and memorial over the Belgian pilgrim Koks Frans gave other associations. Amongst the fields around us, we passed a peaceful small pond, the ruins of a medieval palace, church and pilgrim hospital (Guenduláin), and small hamlets beneath the shadows of the windmill-park at Sierra del Perdon.
The ruins of the Guenduláin palace, with a church and former pilgrim hospital.
On the Camino there are a great deal of monuments and places that you look forward to getting to. At Alto del Perdon (790m) stands one of them, a monument for the pilgrims toiling over the ridge, a series of medieval pilgrim statues in bronze. On the bronze pilgrims it is written in Spanish 'Donde se cruza el camino del viento con el de las estrellas' - Where the way of the wind crosses the way of the stars. The view from the top of the pass is wonderful.
The pilgrim-monument at Alto del Perdon.
From the height of forgiveness, the Camino descends on a rough and uneven surface and takes you past the small villages of Uterga, Muruzabal and Obanos before arriving at Puente la Reina. It got hotter and hotter the closer we got to the walking goal of the day; we had to stop for refreshments in Muruzabal. While we walked in the dry landscape, a Brazilian man came running past us, he had set out to run the whole Camino in only five days. The record is apparently eight days; he has to run about 160km a day to reach his goal.
View next to a signpost at Alto del Perdon in the direction of the Camino.
Puente la Reina takes its name from the Roman bridge crossing Rio Arga, the same river we crossed yesterday on the way to Pamplona. The river has increased in size since the last time I saw it. The bridge was built by the demand of Doña Mayor, wife of King Sancho III, and got its name because of it, The Queen's Bridge. Six arches was supposed to secure the pilgrims walk across the river.
After Alto del Perdon, parts of the Camino went past a scrubland before Uterga.
The small town is pleasant, but we walked straight through it to the albergue we had agreed to stay the night at, Albergue Santiago Apostol. A large and yellow building, which looked like it was partly still under construction, situated on a barren plain just outside the bridge and town. It was blazing hot and we sat in the shade outside and relaxed after the walk. Our group had now become extended to include Claire from Australia, as well as Michael and Avril from Ireland. Michael and Avril was just walking a part of the Camino and were otherwise in Spain for the food festival in San Sebastian.
Puente la Reina with its famous medieval bridge.
The afternoon and evening in Puente la Reina got moist, and it all probably started while we sat and relaxed outside the albergue. Later, we moved into the centre of the town and ate dinner at a local restaurant. Natalie, however, chose to eat at the albergue. Torsten and I got on well with Michael and Avril, so when the rest of the group decided to return to the albergue, we stayed behind at a small bar. Back at the albergue, we continued next to the pool table at the place. Though, in the end, I had to succumb to my tiredness.
It was a super day on the Camino. To walk through the dark streets of Pamplona in the morning, the sunrise from Cizur Menor, Alto del Perdon and the evening in Puente la Reina were all highlights.
Dinner in Puente la Reina. From left: me, Christoph, Christel, Daniel, Signe, Claire, Torsten and Avril (Michael took the picture and unfortunately does not appear on the picture).
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