What a good decision Cecelia made yesterday to take on the extra 5K to Larrasoana, as we were wrecked today after only walking 18K. The meal last night was fantastic. A lovely little bar, Paraquena Taberna. I think. Was it Cordon Bleu? non. But I was never so happy to see a plate of pasta! And a lovely beef stew. We hadn´t much to eat yesterday, so every mouthful was nirvanastic. Cecelia slept through the night, and I got 6 hours sleep before waking up at 4am. I think I dosed off again around 5am only to be awakened at 6am by the chorus of crinkling plastic. I understand why pilgrims get up so early, they collapse in bed at 7pm. Then they wake at 4am, lie there until they can´t take it any more before they finally get up and start packing up their stuff to leave.
We were up and on the road by 7am. It was finally NOT raining! Praise Jesus! It wasn´t sunny however and it was rather chilly (12C degrees?) We thought we were making decent time, but it seems that the little blue camino signs with the yellow writing are just giant teases. The say that you´ve got 13K left to go, meaning that you´ve walked 6K in one hour, only to dash your optimism by posting another sign several kilometers later, basically saying the same thing. Hence the title of this blog: the Strolling Expletive.
We made it to Pamplona in just over 5 hours. Our feet however, are throbbing. I fear for the ´morrow. We have 25K to walk. I can´t think about that now, I´ve got laundry to do and a football match (Germany v Ghana) to go watch. Cecelia just left to meet up with Sacha and Felix as well as James (a recent BC grad) We met Sacha and Felix last night at Larrasoana. They are Germans who made HS exchanges in Ohio and Indiana. They love the States, and Sacha in particular, is dying to visit Boston. Apparently everyone in Ohio told him that, with his red hair, he looked like he was Irish and would fit right in in Beantown. Those Ohioans are soooo funny.
We won´t see much of Pamplona, other than the nicest, old center of town as we walk through it. We are staying in an old church de Jesus y Maria. Its a beautiful hostel with internet, very clean showers, laundry, charger plugs by each bedside, and clean sheets and pillowcases. Luxury. They have constructed a modern facility within the church itself. If you look up you can see the vaults of the church, otherwise,you wouldn´t know you were in one. I highly recommend this place to any pilgrim.
Ok....I think I have to get my laundry out of the machine. Hopefully it will dry overnight. Otherwise its me skivvies on me backpack again! Gotta run- those Germans are leering over my shoulder again!
Adios!