Day 2: Puente La Reina to Estella

PW. 22km of flat, well managed paths that pass through delightful small villages. Some of these villages are on steep inclines that are a grunt to access. Add to that 27 degrees Celsius of scorching, unrelenting heat . The day wasn’t physically easy requiring lots of water stops, and we glad to reach the albergue, exhausted, after walking 6 hours in depleting sun.

Then there are the other pilgrims at we pass and sometimes talk to.. Everyone there for their own reasons., stated or unstated. The Australian mum who had triple negative breast cancer 15 years ago, still around to tell the tale. She watched the movie The Way during her early recovery and said to herself that she’s going to walk the Camino. The South African born, UK based corporate lawyer who retrained as a child and adolescent psychotherapist, and now going through a messy separation in her 30 year marriage. The Spanish gay couple celebrating 20 years of their marriage together.

There are folk I pass will have physical challenges completing the Camino. Age, body weight, lack of fitness, or experience in walking longer trails. They are grinding it out, one step at a time, one town at at time.. It is both painful and inspiring to watch. I always give these folk a hearty “Buen Camino” when we pass them. With 720km still to go, they are the real heroes.

Our exceptional culinary experience in Pamplona was followed by the worst meal of our lives at a restaurant in Puente La Reina. Frozen, uncooked pasta shells, seafood marinara with 3 small mussels and tomato sauce in pasta, and packet cappuccino in boiled milk. We had dinner with Catherine, used to eating well in London’s best, who tossed her plate aside and claimed this was, without question, the worst meal of her life. Paul N has a lot to answer for choosing the restaurant.

We went from the sublime to the ridiculous overnight.

My first blister on trail being nurtured. Long 28km to Sansol tomorrow.Read more