Day 7 - Pamplona

Arrived in Pamplona at about 2:30 pm. Yes, this is the Pamplona of Hemingway, “Running of the Bulls” fame. The first part of today’s walk was quiet, along the Agra River, but the second section was noisier going through city streets leading to Pamplona. Even in Pamplona itself, a city of about 200,000 residents, I weaved through the centre of the city to get to my hotel which was just off St. James Way, another name for the Camino trail. The Camino path is well laid out where we follow yellow arrows or shell-shaped symbols. A lot of pilgrims are taking a day off tomorrow, exploring the many churches and museums Pamplona has to offer. A big feature of every town so far has been the hourly ringing of church bells- sometimes not great for sleeping. The Running of the Bulls (Feast of San Fermin) is a multi day festival in July where bulls are led through the streets by daredevil runners. Some of these runners have been gored by the bulls., but that’s when it gets to be even more entertaining, I guess.
I wore my sneakers today instead of hiking boots, and it was a good decision for the first 10 kms , but although I have yet to get blisters, I did get hotspots, a precursor to a blister. I have been using Compeed bandages and so far they are doing the job. I’m going back to hiking boots tomorrow. So far, the weather has has been perfect, low 20s with a slight wind.
My focus has generally been to reach my destination at a reasonable time, get settled, then explore the place a bit, but I’m learning that enjoying the journey, noticing nature, noticing the countryside, chatting with fellow travellers makes this a richer experience. That’s the advice I would give others, but have to discipline myself to do it. I’ve included photos highlighting the different types of terrain I went through today.Read more