The Road from Zirauki

The road leaving Cirauqui (known as Zirauki in Basque) was a Roman Road, at least that's what the stories say. But I digress.

Last night I swallowed a little blue pill given to me by a stranger. What happens on the Camino stays on the Camino!!! Don't try this at home. This was after I started a trend where everyone in the hostel room lay on the floor and stretched their feet up the walls in solidarity with my tired feet, and because they agreed that it was a bloody good idea. Anyway as a result of this, and possibly the power of smothering Betadine on your feet, which makes your blisters look much worse, I was offered numerous blister remedies and one little blue anti inflammatory that Jill from Florida swears by for her arthritis.

Feeling quite spritely this morning I bounded off down the Roman road in search of adventure. For a while I managed to pass an 80 year old carrying a full pack while going up a hill but he got me again on the straight. I did actually walk at the same pace as another group for a couple of kilometres which was a first.

Unfortunately my feet were back to needing bionic replacement by the 10km mark and the last two kilometers took me the rest of the afternoon. At some point I passed Villatuerte, known and much easier to pronounce in Basque as Bilatorta. Must be that 0.1 % of Basque DNA I have that results in Basque language making more sense than Spanish. There may have been lunch in there as well with an 70ish Italian guy who needed someone to help him finish his bottle of red.

I'm in ancient territory again tonight with the old city of Estella, founded in 1090 by the then King of Navarre. The buildings date back to the 1200's. Estella was purposely built on the Way of St James to service the pilgrims and honour the Christian god. Spain is a deeply Catholic Christian country and all the many churches I pass still hold several masses each day and everything remains shut on Sundays.

My photos show a few other Camino wonders, a rest spot in the olive groves built for pilgrims, a table with free or 'donotivo' food left out for pilgrims and my new clam shell. These shells are a symbol of the pilgrimage but I hadn't acquired a commercial one yet to hang on my pack. But my little blue pill supplier also deals in clam shells and now I have a personally collected shell from Mexico. I also have another little blue pill for tonight. After that, I might have to practice my Spanish on the next lucky pharmacist I come across. Spanish for over the counter anti-inflammatory anyone?Read more