Spain
Estella-Lizarra

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    • Day 8

      Day 8: Estella

      September 17, 2022 ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

      We hiked 25 beautiful kilometers between our lodging in Obanos and our hostal in Estella, with a few very steep inclines along the way.

      Obanos and Puente de la Reina were glowing in the early morning light.

      Between the towns, we saw a farmer irrigating his crops, and a blue tractor rolling down the road. Red peppers, green tomatoes, and leafy greens were visible along El Camino, giving way to plots of grape vines and olive orchards as the day wore on.

      Fields with hues of brown and gold are becoming prevalent as we move south and west.

      After Puente de la Reina, the path became quite steep leading up to Mańeru.

      It didn’t take long to traverse Mańeru itself, and we could soon see Cirauqui beckoning from its hill. We arrived at that village with a group of Spanish women we’d met at our albergue in Pamplona. They are on their sixth annual weeklong walk on the Camino, and they are a fun, boisterous group. They put on an impromptu 15-minute song and dance fest in front of a Cirauqui cafe before we continued on toward Lorca. Along the way, we sampled fresh fruit from a donativo stand before losing track of our Spanish ladies.

      Lunch was a quick bocadillo and a slice of tortilla in Lorca, with about 9 kilometers to go to reach tonight’s lodging in Estella.

      By the time we arrived, our feet were protesting! Tomorrow we’ll walk 19 kilometers to Los Arcos.
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    • Day 31

      Ayegui

      May 22, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

      Resting for a few days to get over a cold...I arrived here by bus to Estella and then taxi to this albergue in Ayegui where I could stay for three nights. Not a lot of the albergues allow more than one night hence coming here.

      As I was waiting for the bus I took a couple of photos of the square where I sat, watching the tenants come and go, so different in a small village where everyone knows each other...some are happy to see you others grumpy if you say hola.. but it's the general thing to do, and if one adds "quetal", the face lights up " muy Bien" e tu"…mucho Bien gracias...sets us up for a good conversation.

      Another thing I've noticed is that people have firm boundaries in that they focus on one thing at a time and you wait for service people to finish what they are doing before asking for anything else,.. otherwise they get grumpy. I'm not explaining that very well

      On the way I got to take a photo of one of the wee towns I missed Ceraque, again I think my spelling is wrong...just an amazing town on top of a hill... Famous for many things but one pilgrims love is the free wine that pours out of a fountain...hehe! The other night time photo is the view from my room at this albergue...a bit hazy but an idea of Estella from above.
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    • Day 6

      Reflection

      August 5, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

      5 days ago I started my way on the Camino Frances! Time for a quick reflection! I realize that I am getting calmer and more mindful about the nature around me! „Time after time“ or step after step could be a good Soundtrack for it! The Camino teaches you that there is a huge power in supporting others! Planning is important but as important is to react flexibly in the moment! When things change, change your plans and go with the flow! Leading here means define the goal/target, find the right path for your group, and check that you are right! Make sure the people around you give you energy and make you better! And the Camino is the best school for Europeans! Spanish people feel as Europeans, which I love! Speed is a question of perspective…
      And it’s important to know where you finally belong! Missing my family!
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    • Day 7

      Siesta and Fiesta

      August 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

      Yesterday we decided for a Siesta after our daily stretching session! Afterwards we went to there Fiesta where the bulls run through the city! Estrella was FULL of people all dressed up in white and red! Although the whole „Corsa de Torros“ is disgusting I understand that it means identity to the Basque people! Our albergue closed at 10pm so we left the party early- we met a lot of others (Italians, who else) in the kitchen and had a real pilgrim experience of sharing!Read more

    • Day 7

      Good morning

      August 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

      The best sleep of the week as we got the quiet room! After „Good morning“, „Boit ton café“ and „Don’t stop me now“, Silvia selected „it’s a beautiful day“ as our song of the day! We will sing „…and I just can’t stop smiling“ when we have the steep uphill today! Now it’s time for breakfast- the others are already gone! We get them later! Btw- I decided not to read the news anymore because they make me angry! Maybe football news!Read more

    • Day 9

      To Estella

      September 8, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 75 °F

      It became obvious to us today that our memories from five years left out some of the more grueling aspects of this journey. Our memory of today’s short, steep hill in reality was not short, but a very long, steep path that went on forever. I told Alan our brains must have glossed over some of these hard sections and just emphasized all of the good. 🙂

      Besides that, The morning was beautiful walking towards and then through the towns of Cirauqui and Lorca. Then the early afternoon heat hit hard and it seemed Estella would never get closer. After a needed popsicle/ice cream bar break, we broke out our reflective umbrellas! They really helped keep the worst of the heat off of our heads. We’re praying for some cooler temperatures. 🙏

      Special Person of the Day:

      Nestor - Nestor is originally from Argentina and he hosted us at his pension tonight. He does not speak English, but through Google translate he showed us so much kindness - making sure we were drinking enough water on our journey and that it was ok to take a bus if needed. I think we must have looked pretty wiped out. 🥵😂 He also served us an amazing paella dinner, explaining to us the local ingredients used. It was the best we have had so far on this trip.

      It’s now almost 10:00 pm. Our room is in the old part of Estella and we can look down onto the street and see families with kids walking around, visiting and playing plus a group of teenagers rolling a couch down the street on top of a shopping cart. 🤣

      The Most Irritating Fact:

      Biting flies/insects seem to be attracted to me (probably because I sweat so bad) and like to bite me. 😡

      The Most Surprising Moment:

      3/4 through our walk today, when we were low on energy, we came across a donation only food stand for pilgrims. I can honestly say I didn’t expect to eat toast with olive oil along the trail -Yummy and a big morale booster!
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    • Day 8

      Reconsidering options

      August 7, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

      Perhaps not surprisingly, this is turning out to be a harder thing to do than I anticipated. I planned and prepared as much as I could, but it’s different being here and navigating the unexpected challenges each day. I forwarded my heavier pack today using a transport service and just carried a small packable daypack with water and essentials. I was able to keep up a faster walking pace without my full pack and my knee didn’t feel as strained. Walking 13ish miles still takes time, though.

      Unfortunately, I ended up with new blisters and they’re becoming increasingly uncomfortable as they build in the same area on the ball of my foot. The next few days are going to be extremely hot - close to 100 degrees. I was planning to leave in the early morning tomorrow to try to beat the heat by midday, but that doesn’t seem like it will be possible. I tried walking into town to get food for tomorrow at a grocery store but all the shops seem to be closed for a town festival they’re holding tonight. Apparently every town in Spain has a weekend when they hold a festival celebrating the town. They had one in Zubiri and none of the pilgrims slept as they played loud music from the plaza until 5am.

      I’m doing everything I can to adjust and figure out how to keep walking without injuring myself or being too miserable. I’m going to have to seriously reconsider the timeline I have to work with and whether this pilgrimage really feels like a good fit for me and what I was hoping for from the experience. I can’t keep up with the timeline suggested in the guidebooks that I used to set my itinerary (I have some 17 mile days coming up, which feels impossible in 100 degree heat). I’m considering my options and allowing myself to accept that maybe I don’t want to do this after all. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow. I’m considering finding my way to Sarria, doing the last 100k at a leisurely pace, getting my certificate and using the rest of my vacation time however I please.
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    • Estella

      September 4, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

      As I was crossing the stone bridge from Puente la Reina, I met a woman, who was also staying at the same Albergue. Mimi from Massachusetts—walked by and we started talking, the next thing you know we are walking the entire hike!

      I enjoyed walking with Mimi. A good bit of the time was silent—which I loved.

      I realized a few days ago, when I admire a little town on a hill, that means we will be climbing the hill to reach it and pass through it. When we climb up, that means we have to also climb down. Sounds simple, very elementary—until you are exhausted and just hoping the next town is within sight—hopefully not
      on a hill.

      Showered, laundry washed, and is hanging out to dry, with everyone else’s laundry! I was so excited that for once I didn’t get the top bunk!!

      Several of us are headed out to eat soon. I think I could fall asleep standing up, except I am really hungry right now!
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    • Day 13

      Estella

      August 31, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

      Dzisiejszy dzień był wypełniony rekordami, pierwszy to temperaturowy, gdzie popołudniowa temperatura utrzymywała się w granicach 30C i odległościowy, dzisiaj przedreptalismy 32 km. Po kąpieli, już w łóżkach ale chyba w małym amoku, spróbujemy coś napisać bo potem się ciężko wraca myślami do dnia poprzedniego...
      Pierwsze kroki skierowaliśmy do oddalonego trochę od szlaku kościoła Santa Maria de Eunate. W ubiegłym roku tylko z zewnątrz udało nam się zobaczyć ten unikatowy kościółek, byliśmy tu już godzinach popołudniowych i był zamknięty. Więc dzisiaj specjalnie zaplanowaliśmy poranek, aby dotrzeć tam równo z godziną otwarcia by zajrzeć do środka . Jest to można powiedzieć perełka architektoniczna dobrze zachowana i właśnie poprzez oddalenie od wiosek i miasteczek nabiera jeszcze większej piękności. Zbudowana w sposób oktagonalny bardzo charakterystyczny dla Templariuszy, ale niestety wszystkie dokumenty kościelne zostały zatracone, tak że nie mozna to tak do końca przypisać Templariuszom. Trudno opisać czy też uwidocznić na zdjęciach ciepło światła i biało szarego kamienia, które w unikalny sposób się dopełniają. Na ołtarzu figurka Matki bardzo ciepła i zapraszająca. Miało się wrażenie, że patrząca nam prosto w oczy...
      Będąc to kiedyś np samochodem warto wcelować we mszę z chórem mnichów.
      Prawie zapomniałem ale na zewnętrznych kamieniach byle przeróżne znaki, okazuje się że po wykonaniu pracy masoni zostawiali je aby zaznaczyć ile kamieni zostało położonych a przekładało się to później na zapłatę.
      Ruszyliśmy w dalszą drogę korzystając z Camino Aragones, które łączyło się z naszym Camino w Puenta La Reina bardzo urokliwego średniowiecznego miasteczka, gdzie stare wąskie uliczki stwarzają bardzo urokliwy charakter. Najstarszym kościołem, a jest ich wiele, jest kościół pod wezwaniem Santiago zbudowany w XII wieku no i potem wielokrotnie przebudowywany z różnych powodów. W kościele znajduje się figura Apostoła zwana po baskijsku Santiago Bełza czyli Jakub czarny. Z miasta wychodzimy pięknym średniowiecznym mostem, który został zbudowany na polecenie królowej Dony, żony króla Sancheza III.
      Opuszczając Puenta La Rena ruszyliśmy w stronę Estelli, korzystając z po rzymskiej drogi, dość górzystej czasami przechodząc przez pozostałości mostów budowanych również przez Rzymian. Wkroczyliśmy w krainę winorośli i nie omieszkaliśmy skosztować orzeźwiających winogron . Niestety napotykane po drodze drzewa figowe potrzebują jeszcze paru tygodni by ich owoce dojrzały. W ubiegłym roku często raczyliśmy się po drodze figami, tym razem możemy je tylko podziwiać jak dojrzewają. Mijaliśmy dużo małych miasteczek korzystając czasami z lokalnych barów wyrównując straty wodno elektrolitowe..
      Po 10 godzinach wędrowania dotarliśmy w końcu do naszego miejsca noclegowego.
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    • Day 9

      Early starts the norm!

      August 21, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

      Another early start today, my whole room decided to follow suit and asked me to make sure they were up. The weather is just getting worse over the next few days. Not a bad walk today- a fair bit quite close to the new A6 ? Motor way that was built with "no consideration of the 1000 year old track" the walk in to Estella, where I am tonight took forever from the last town, which was actually only 3km but I stored about twice to check the map cos it was taking so long. Meet a lovely old, shirtless Spanish man this morning who wanted to give me a tomatoe the size of a rockmelon!! I'm trying to shed the weight in my back pack not add to it 🤣😂.Read more

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