Postscript: Forgot to mention that we passed a monument to a Japanese peregrino who died on the way from Roncesvalles to Zubiri, Shingo Yamashita.
I am now in the Jesuit community for the Colegio de San Ignacio here in Pamplona. One of the Jesuits, Fr. Juan Bautista Larralde, took time to show me around Pamplona. He talked most of the time and I was able to follow and reply to most of his comments. I am glad he was with me as he showed me the place where St. Ignatius fell and a monument to him. Also the Cathedral and a monument to what Pamplona is most famous for to many people, the running of the bulls.
I am now in the Jesuit community for the Colegio de San Ignacio here in Pamplona. One of the Jesuits, Fr. Juan Bautista Larralde, took time to show me around Pamplona. He talked most of the time and I was able to follow and reply to most of his comments. I am glad he was with me as he showed me the place where St. Ignatius fell and a monument to him. Also the Cathedral and a monument to what Pamplona is most famous for to many people, the running of the bulls.
I arrived here around 4 pm. The last two hours were quite hot. I hope the rest of the camino won't be so hot.
Left Zubiri 7:45 AM. I thought I might get to Pamplona by 2 or 3 pm.
But a combination of fatigue and sore toes (no blisters thank God)
slowed me down. I find the steep downhill parts difficult because my
toes press against the shoe and are painful. Maybe I should learn to
just ignore the pain as it is not blisters.
Lesson learned this stage is to check where I might get lunch along
the way. The guidebook listed quite a few villages we would be passing and I assumed I could stop and get something to eat from them, but it turns out they are so small they don't have even the simplest of eating places. The paths this time were different: very narrow, just a couple of feet in width, way above the main highway, so one can see the cars and trucks way below. So instead of lunch around 12 noon, it was 1:30 pm and I was quite tired and hungry. The last 4 kilometers seemed to stretch on and on, maybe because I was tired. I got worried about dehydration as I finished all my water. Fortunately, in the last 2 km I ran into a man on the narrow road who was selling soft drinks (colorum I think), so I bought an orange drink and had a good chat with him. But another lesson learned is to take a longish break: I took an hour for the lunch and felt much better for the last two hours.
Many groups along the camino, dominantly French, German, Spanish, but a Russian couple too.
Left Zubiri 7:45 AM. I thought I might get to Pamplona by 2 or 3 pm.
But a combination of fatigue and sore toes (no blisters thank God)
slowed me down. I find the steep downhill parts difficult because my
toes press against the shoe and are painful. Maybe I should learn to
just ignore the pain as it is not blisters.
Lesson learned this stage is to check where I might get lunch along
the way. The guidebook listed quite a few villages we would be passing and I assumed I could stop and get something to eat from them, but it turns out they are so small they don't have even the simplest of eating places. The paths this time were different: very narrow, just a couple of feet in width, way above the main highway, so one can see the cars and trucks way below. So instead of lunch around 12 noon, it was 1:30 pm and I was quite tired and hungry. The last 4 kilometers seemed to stretch on and on, maybe because I was tired. I got worried about dehydration as I finished all my water. Fortunately, in the last 2 km I ran into a man on the narrow road who was selling soft drinks (colorum I think), so I bought an orange drink and had a good chat with him. But another lesson learned is to take a longish break: I took an hour for the lunch and felt much better for the last two hours.
Many groups along the camino, dominantly French, German, Spanish, but a Russian couple too.
There is quite a change in the last hours of this stage as one leaves the very rural parts of Navarre and enters a big city, Pamplona. These last two hours are through suburbs of Pamplona, along main thoroughfares with lots of cars and stoplights. It was good my guidebook had a simple map. With its help I was able to deviate from the designated path for peregrinos and make my way to the Jesuit house. Though it took some time and several inquiries before I found it. Had a good dinner with some of them -- was able to carry on a basic conversation in Spanish. They were patient.
Tomorrow I go to Puente de la Reina. I am not too happy about the 300m climb and similar descent.
Above all, I hope my toes don't hurt more. The good news is my
shoulders are ok.
All the best.
No comments:
Post a Comment