Technically I’m on the Camino Aragonese, but that only lasts until the border with France, so having a separate blog section for only a few days might test my WordPress patience. Additionally I went rogue today and created my own route from Pamplona to Monreal, so technically I’m not on any camino.
The day had a shaky start, if one subscribes to bad omens: firstly, I got a wicked cramp in the wee hours – before I’d even walked anywhere; secondly, my iron-on Canadian flag didn’t even survive day 0. One does not want to be confused with an American tourist. Yo no soy americano, which could possibly also translate as I don’t want soy milk in my coffee; Thirdly, my initial attempt to get a coffee from the vending machine was thwarted as it wouldn’t accept a Mexican 2 peso coin, which is almost identical to a 1 euro coin. Go figure – there’s no language barrier. The vending machine coffee was necessary as most cafes in Pamplona don’t open until 0900.
Once I escaped the city – the residential area is quite compact, but the light industrial section is less visually appealing – the walk was quite pleasant. The first farming village has an undisclosed bar/cafe, so I very happily joined the geezers and tradies. It’s great when Google maps is wrong! My route also took in some mountain bike trails, and towards the end I actually joined the official route, complete with signs and yellow shells. The day started out partly sunny, but has deteriorated to the point where I’ve cracked out the puffy jacket. I walked all day with a second layer on, which is a first.
I’m in the municipal albergue in Monreal, but I’m not alone! Linda and Ted from Sydney have done more than a few caminos ( they’re even headed to do a volunteer stint at an albergue in Pamplona), and James, who started his camino in his home town of Berlin. He’s been taking work induced breaks, but it makes my effort look quite modest. Best of all is they are all coming from where I’m headed, so the intel is invaluable. My itinerary is getting a quick makeover, as the albergues I’d planned to stay at are not yet open (despite the publicly available info saying that they are. And alternatives are few and far between, so I will have to do a couple of longer days to reach the ones that are open. James just came through the Somport pass, so I have advance info on the conditions.
2saunter 