Two days in one

Out last night with Jonathon Pereira’s cousin Kishore in Pamplona, an absolutely wonderful city. Regrettably, had a problem with Renfe, the Spanish railway network, that meant that we didn’t arrive in Pamplona till 6pm when we should’ve been there at 1:30pm. Renfe informed us in Spanish that people had to get off for a new train a stop prior to Pamplona. That meant there was a swag of tourists that missed the diversion, and had to get off at a much later stop, After pleading with Renfe officials in broken Spanish, a bus was organised by Renfe to take us into Pamplona. As a result we missed exploring Pamplona and watching the test rugby loss to SA with him. But mostly this meant less time with Kishore, who was a gentle, , generous and erudite host, when he could figure out my accent. True to the Pereira standard of hospitality and welcome. We went to some amazing eateries in the Old Town and tasted quality portions selected by Kishore. It was a sensory overload, amplified by fact that we were already pretty tired. . We tried to tempt Kishore to a walk a part of the Camino with us, but he gracefully declined. He would be great to walk with - knowledgeable about local cuisine and custom and fun to be around. . Both Paul’s are absolutely blown away by the regions various food delicacies, the novel, seriously packed, bars and warmth and hospitality of the Spanish people. . Just wish their train system was a little more efficient. Nevertheless, life here certainly beats NZ on a wet, winters Saturday night. Happy Fathers Day to everyone out there.

Tomorrow we start our Camino officially. 24 km to Puenta del Reina.. I’m typing this in hostel accomodation, no air conditioning and feels I’m in early twenties heat. Hard to sleep, still a bit jet lagged, but I think daily exercise will solve that. PN doing next post.Read more