Day 1 - Pamplona to Estella
Not so much a blog - more a photo diary this time. Pamplona to Estella shows only 42 km and 3 hours cycling if you put it into Google Maps. It’s not like that if you follow the pilgrims path markers. We left at 10:00 AM and arrived at 5:00 PM. A lovely sunny day with beautiful scenery throughout. Some tough climbs involving cycle pushing up to (and down from!) the Alto de Perdon. Here it is.
Eunate was followed by easy riding to the lovely town of Puente la Reina (Queen,s Bridge) for lunch including essential hydration!
Finally a relatively easy ride towards Estella. We were overtaken by Christian, a Spanish cycle pilgrim from Barcelona. He had heard that two mad Englishmen on cycles had taken the footpath down from the Alto de Perdon, and not the road, and wanted to meet us. We were only the second cyclists he had met since he had left Barcelona. We cycled together into Estella and had drinks together before finding our hotel for the night - no Albergues for me this Camino!
Estella is lust completing its annual week-long festival. Bars a streets packed out with lots of young people wearing the local colours of red and white. Couldn’t decide where to eat but ended up in a faux Irish Pub and had a great time (and great food). Back to the hotel for Pacheran and a good sleep.
Outside the municipal Albergue (pilgrim hostel) in Pamplona where we collected our “Credencial” - our pilgrim passports that will get us our pilgrim certificate in Santiago when we fill them with “Sellos” (seals) we collect on the journey..
The stony path up to the Alto de Perdon (the Mount/Hill of Forgiveness). The steel sculpture of pilgrims through the ages on a windy ridge and the famous inscription of Donde se Cruze el Camino del viento con el de las estrellas - “where the path of the wind crosses with that of the stars”. Alto de Perdon
The stony path up to the Alto de Perdon (the Mount/Hill of Forgiveness). The steel sculpture of pilgrims through the ages on a windy ridge and the famous inscription of Donde se Cruze el Camino del viento con el de las estrellas - “where the path of the wind crosses with that of the stars”. Alto de Perdon
After a brief rest we took the steep and rough path through the villages of Urtega and Murazabal to the iconic, and lonely,
Iglesia de Santa Maria de EunateEunate was followed by easy riding to the lovely town of Puente la Reina (Queen,s Bridge) for lunch including essential hydration!
The path and roads from here were hilly but not a severe as before. The pilgrim paths rolls through the hilltop villages of Maneru, Cirauqui and Lorca.
Finally a relatively easy ride towards Estella. We were overtaken by Christian, a Spanish cycle pilgrim from Barcelona. He had heard that two mad Englishmen on cycles had taken the footpath down from the Alto de Perdon, and not the road, and wanted to meet us. We were only the second cyclists he had met since he had left Barcelona. We cycled together into Estella and had drinks together before finding our hotel for the night - no Albergues for me this Camino!
Estella is lust completing its annual week-long festival. Bars a streets packed out with lots of young people wearing the local colours of red and white. Couldn’t decide where to eat but ended up in a faux Irish Pub and had a great time (and great food). Back to the hotel for Pacheran and a good sleep.
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