August 26, 2011

First full day, walking from Pamplona to Puente la Reina. It rained for the first half of the day. More importantly, it rained while we were climbing up to Alto du Perdon. So a nice, if invigorating, climb up a rustic trail was turned into a slip sliding affair on slippery rocks and very clinging mud. Not sure, but I think I might have been personally responsible for shifting several pounds of the finest Navarran mud (on my boots).

Standing on Alto du Perdon was breathtaking! the views were simply amazing. But, having probably seen a hundred or more photos of the peregrino cutouts, to be standing there looking at them was undescribable. So I had someone take my picture in front of them, complete with silly grin.

The afternoon was sunny and hot, more like I´d expected. That made the walk through Uterga and Obanos more pleasant. The churches are fantastic, of course. But I also admire some of the newer residences with their beautiful stone and tile work. In Muruzabal, I stopped to watch some stoneworkers restoring a centuries old house; one of the obvious restorations I saw.

It´s now mid-afternoon, time to go and enjoy a beer and log the pictures I took today (surprisingly few, actually).