Day 5: Larrasaoña

We’re getting used to hiking up and down hills in Navarra. We covered the 15 kilometers to Albergue San Nicolás in Larrasaoña in 5 hours today, including a couple of rest breaks.

In this section, the Camino goes through several small villages and skirts the town of Zubirí.

By turns, it parallels fields with grazing cattle and horses, cuts through birch and pine forests, offers up a few rocky sections that are tricky to get through, and also traverses an industrial site where signs warn pilgrims to stay on the path.

We bought a light lunch from a food truck along the way, and chatted there with Marie, a pilgrim from France, who was also heading to Albergue San Nicolás.

When we checked in to the albergue we bought tickets to their pilgrims dinner: 14 Euros per person for a 3-course meal with wine, and let the owner know that Marie would like dinner, too—and to please hold her bed. Some of those who checked in after us were not as lucky. They were directed to a market on the corner.

Allan also took advantage of the availability of a washer and dryer to clean the clothes we wore on the Camino today. It’s part of the afternoon routine everyday, either hand wash or splurge on a machine, if an option.

To keep our backpack weights manageable we each carry two sets of walking clothes, plus something to wear to dinner in a larger town or city. So frequent washing is a must!

Tomorrow we head for Pamplona, another 15 kilometers south. We’re very much looking forward to sampling pintxos (tapas) there.Read more