One moment in time ….

Today has been a truly lovely day for both of us . I think it’s fair to say, that after our descent into Zubiri on Sunday , we were slightly anxious about another descent marked with a ❗️ in our trusted guidebook! However we found both the ascent and descent of that enormous hill today, not too troubling …you’ll be pleased to hear .

However like everyday , I need to fill you in on our evening in Pamplona . We decided to return to the bar where we had enjoyed our beer on arrival ..actually we didn’t have much choice as it was the only one open early enough for us to eat! So we enjoyed our meal at a table tucked at the back of the terrace . Then the heavens opened …..

Method in our madness you see … others chose to sit on the edge of the terrace …well, they soon had to move !!!!

Whilst we were seated …testing a wine out for you …that is our purpose on this Camino , you understand ….we saw a girl we recognised, sitting on her own ( we knew from a previous conversation overheard that she was on her own having lost her husband four years ago ) So Cia came to join us….

The rain continued ….💧💧💧💧and as we needed to be sure of any wine we recommend to you , we felt perhaps to be really certain we should try another bottle and ask for Cia’s opinion. Success! She liked it …so we feel certain we can recommend a Spanish white wine called Rueda to you …🤪🤪🤪🤪

Finally the heavens stopped dumping their waste water on us all and off we went to our hotel …and a decent night’s sleep .

Breakfast was the closest we got to the Michelin starred restaurant in the hotel…as we had our breakfast in it!!!

Then we were on our way!

As we walked through Pamplona we passed the Town Hall…..

Then we were on the way out of Pamplona on Stage 4 of our journey! Our guide book suggested we get our pilgrim passport stamped as went past the porter’s office of the University of Navarra . Unfortunately, it would appear that the Porter has been replaced by automatic barriers and number plate recognition cameras 🙄🙄🙄

No matter, onwards and literally upwards!!! In case you’re wonder how we know where to go there are signs everywhere…

So no way we can get lost …oh, and of course you can follow people walking with poles and heavy rucksacks as well! Though that is not perhaps totally reliable, as you may imagine!!!

Anyway onwards and upwards on paths like these

No certainly not ! I made the big mistake of offering to take a photo of a Malaysian couple in the same place . Well, he gave me his camera to take the picture …I haven’t used a camera for years . However, after several retakes, I managed to take a satisfactory photo ( in his eyes) including their legs, heads and the path behind them ….and they kindly returned the kindness by taking one of us on Kathleen’s phone . If you look closely on the horizon, you can see the windmills that we’re heading to …,

First stop though was Zariquiegui … the church of St Andrew was open …

We lit our candles …helped by a lovely man who was in charge at the time …for whatever reason we both felt very emotional whilst there …yet said nothing until about an hour later …strange how emotions can hit you 😘😘

Anyway we had to return to the church shortly after , as the heavens opened again ! A place of comfort in any storm ! One pilgrim came in completely soaked … took off his poncho and hung it on the church door then lugged his rucksack in to the church, opened it and started rummaging around in it . We both thought he was going to get changed out of his wet clothes in full view of other sheltered …,fortunately though, we were spared that vista ….he just pulled out a banana 🍌🙄🙄🙄🙄

So up we continued …the rain stopped but there were lots of puddles and in places the path was tricky.

As we were reaching the ridge with the windmills, a cyclist who we had seen passing us on his way up, had clearly stopped and left his bicycle on the path . He then appeared from the top of a banking on our left . Looking up we saw ….

Now you can imagine what we assumed ( wrongly of course 🙈🙈) clearly he’d been caught short ( but hardly out of view !)…really, some people …STOP right there . He spoke to us in Spanish to tell us there was a hidden Nativity Scene in the wall ….pull the other leg, I thought , it’s got bells on … but no, clearly he wanted to show us this “ Nativity Scene” Well, I stepped up onto the banking , and he put his hands on my buttocks and pushed . Woosh …I was up in a jiffy ( at this point Kathleen had leapt up , no need for a heave ho for her!! ) …and at this point I should say no, I am not going to sue him for assault…why would I ? He was helping me – it was an act of kindness – he really wanted to show us the scene …

Apparently his friend who had set this up had heard that a bird had gone in and knocked all the figures down ..so he had cycled up to right them all.

We felt extremely privileged to have been shown this …one minute later and he would have been on his bike back down the mountain and we would have missed it !

We reached the top shortly after to see the Pilgrim’s Monument between a ridge of wind turbines – a wrought iron representation of medieval pilgrims, heads bent to the west wind, with the inscription “Where the way of the wind crosses the way of the stars “

And then the descent! Full of trepidation we started on our downward trajectory!

That is not to say that the descent didn’t require full concentration…of course it did , but it was far less treacherous than Sunday’s descent .

When we finally got to the bottom we sat and ate our lunch beside a statue of the Virgin Mary …

Anyway just as we were ready to set off for the next village , Uterga, the heavens opened again and we found ourselves sheltering under the tree behind the much revered lady. Soon enough the rain passed and we were back on the road again ! Along with the Amazon man as it happened 🙄🙄🙄!

A tree ? Very good ..top of the class … though it isn’t in itself a particularly healthy tree .

Kathleen? Hardly a what … but ok yes, Kathleen is standing under the tree ..

Give up ! Okay so the tree had been totally taken over by mistletoe . Amazing …two Christmas themed things in one day !…and thank you, but I have no need to be informed that there are 113 days till December 25 th 2024 !!!

We continued on our way until we reached Puente la Reina and our hotel …the Rural Bidean , when guess what? You know us too well by now …

After checking in , we came up to our room and showered – my goodness we had to tame the shower, turn neither hot or cold tap too much and the water pressure was enough to parachute you into the stratosphere. Anyway caution was employed and we both made it downstairs for our evening meal

Can you believe it , as we were sitting eating …Christmas music started playing !!! That is three signs in one day …what are you trying to tell me ??!!

Anyway, before you ask we were not at dinner in uniform …. however we were working as always on your behalf ..and we do have another recommendation for a Spanish white wine for you all …it’s called Rueda , you may not have heard of it before , but we can vouch for it’s deliciousness 😉😉😉😉

So now to bed Dear Reader … but I wanted to share with you in detail the poem we saw on the railings of the house in Uterga along with boots and a ruck sack ….

Translation ….

Blessing for the Path of Life

May love be a hope in your journey

May peace abound in your heart

May kindness be a mark on your life

May faith strengthen you before the mystery of your life

and when the time comes to reach the goal

May love embrace you eternally

And I will add “ In a world where you can be anything , be kind”

Over and out …and until tomorrow 😘😘