Zubiri to Pamplona - part one

What an absolute Great Day. Folk pop usually makes me either really happy or really sad but the gamble with Noah Khan's Stick Season album paid off today and I was swinging my arms and tilting my head like Winnie the Pooh down the path. At one stage, without anything chasing me, I actually ran up a hill. Can you imagine.

Gear MVP continues to be the hanky I stole off Dad, it occupies prime strap real estate and is summoned into service often. I'm actually starting to think I must sweat through my nose, I'm a drippy gal. If I was a dog, with my wet nose and bright eyes, I'd be adopted quick smart.

Cats seen 1, cats pet 0, to be fair though I saw an information board about the amount of birds of prey in this area so I reckon they're just being stealthy. Luca caught up with me after a while, I heard him on the phone before I saw him, apparently someone was sending him a patient and he was trying quite hard to explain he was actually in a Spanish field at the moment and perhaps another doc could do it?

Popping out of a hemmed in section, we encountered the cops parked rakishly across the path, stood looking serious in their surely over-engineered outfits. We all got sheepish for some reason and wandered over, assuming it was a passport check or a quiz about Jesus to confirm we were the real deal. Turns out, and bless their HEARTS, they were there to hand out cards with special pilgrim help numbers and insist we call them if we run into any trouble. I mean ACAB but it was sweet, good on em.

Across the bridge from that, there was a cafe and we recognised a bunch of pilgrims in it and thought it was a good idea. In for a coffee by the fire, Nicole, Rusty, Marrick (Mr 4.5kg) and a few others turning up while we were there. We all discussed where we'd be staying in Pamplona, and I let them know I'd be staying two nights. I'm genuinely enjoying the easy company of this group, and am upset to move out of sync and potentially never see them again.

On the flip side, I've known them for less than three days, and the part of me that gets too attached too quickly is one I'm working on out here. So, in an act of pulling my emotional big girl pants on, I think the fact I'm uncomfortable with moving out of step with them is the exact reason I need to do it.

Oh ps the SUN CAME OUT.Read more