This morning I left Puente La Reina in northern Spain for my next leg of the Camino Frances trail… around 7.30am….
The Puente stone bridge, where one is supposed to take off shoes and cross barefoot (I was told later)…kind of pleased I didn’t know this at the time as it was still chilly, even though I had donned my shorts in anticipation of the temperature rising during the day!
The overcast morning, with the view from the bridge….meant the water was green and murky!
Leaving town I noticed the locals had also been up early as the laundry was already hung out from the windows…
The path meandered through fields and wild poppies…which seem to grow prolifically in this Navarre area.
The sun was trying to peep through and warm up the day…
Breaking though to highlight the fields of yellow wildflowers! Halfway up the first climb, I can get up with my pilgrim friends Sue, and the Gals from New Jersey … we walked together for a while into the first village..
Of Maneru…an ancient village with another uphill climb entering through the gates…
Cobbled streets and sandstone brick buildings, very reminiscent of my Malta home! we came across a public toilet (yes one only) and all decided we should utilise this facility as the next one could be mikes away!
This convenience area also had the luxury of flying bats!!! Upon leaving this village (on the top of the hill there was a very long descent…
It was at this point that I suggested the girls carry on without me as my knee requires less pace and lots of zig zagging on these stones downhills… the undulation continued as I picked my way through the countryside…
Yes another slow downhill!
Through wheat fields, olive groves, and wild roses…
It was here I caught up with Bob and Betsy, my pilgrims in beer drinking crime from a few nights ago…or rather they caught up with me….
And here we are on Day five, with over a hundred kilometres under our belt! Minus 10 for me as I took a half day bus on day two after my treacherous mountain crossing…
We visited a beautiful Catholic Church… and carried on to Lorca – the coffee break, lunch stop village again high on a hill…I took a coffee and met up with my Dutch dinner companion from last night…whom I left the town with!
And for all you wine lovers….we are heading into vineyard country, with rows and rows of grapevines…in the infant stages of fruiting…
Still wheat fields and still wildflowers and poppies! In the next little village a local was picking cherries from his huge cherry tree and he offered me some….delicious! a young Croatian girl and I walked for the next little while…until another steep decline slowed me down again…do the last few kilometres I walked solo into the town of Estella…underneath these water bridges …
Spanning the countryside from hill to hill…
Another little bridge and alongside a river into town…
Spying this castle on the other side of the river…I cannot find any reference to its history, but it was rather impressive…
The locks that lead to the hydro power plant on the edge of town…
My booked hotel was on the other side of town…and being mid afternoon all was very quiet in the streets…as closed up for the afternoon siesta!
I walked past the chapel of San Andrés, patron saint of the city, which was built in baroque forms in 1706. As I had an extra kilometre to cover…the first bar I could find open(and only 600m from my destination) deserved my patronage! And medication for my knee…
My medication of choice is now san Miguel beer!
I arrived at my hotel after my little sojourn, and reflection upon my 22 km walking day, around 5pm…I love these hotels…they all have baths…perfect for soaking the sore bits and doing another round of washing!
All who wander are not Lost girls 