Last night I headed out to meet Andy and Wendy at a Pintxos bar in a side street off the main square it was heaving with locals.
Andy and Wendy has bought Ed from Alaska with them, he was incredibly interesting and had walked the camino last year too but is back again. He was giving us lots of tips for the next day of walking. Back home he is a hunter and sous chef. It is really hard to imagine his life as reality. However, he has 4 kids and they all travel and work globally, certainly not isolated, absolutely fascinating.
I had invited Yannick to join me and she bought Someone she had met from São Paulo, Brazil with her, so we had a really fun evening of pinxtos and beer and wine catching up on experiences. Overall, I felt like my decision to walk on to Akerreta had been the right one. Andrew and Wendy has also walked in but to Larasonna and the hotel there, the only one, was not serving food as it was the chefs day off so they made sandwiches from the supermarket for the evening. Andy and Eric has stayed in Zubiri and said that it was very rough too, although Yannick seemed to have found a good spot and had really enjoyed her jacuzzi.
Andy and Wendy walk on today and unless their plans change I can’t see me catching up with them until Santiago, but we have agreed to meet the evening of 19th of October in Santiago and they are going to send me tips of where to eat in the towns before which is great.
Yannick and I met up this morning and did a tourist route round Pamplona visiting the main square Plaza del Castillo, the monument celebrating the running with the bulls, Inglesia de San Nicolás which is in the original Romanesque structure, the only church in Pamplona to retain this, inside is almost a gothic style (although not as gothic as I expected). We also visited the City Hall and walked round the Ciudadela which was an original fortress from the 16th Century. We stopped for lunch in the Parque de la Taconera for a cafe and Pintxos.
It was a lazy day of walking round and soaking up the atmosphere. After lunch we opted for a swim and enjoyed the sun before heading back into town to the cathedral for prayers and a tour of the cathedral.
I have to say this was special, there were organised prayers for pilgrim in a private chapel which is not open to the public but is just across from the cathedral, really amazing messages. We then had a tour of the cathedral, we were there an hour and a half, even after the cathedral closed and we toured round the cloisters and the museum as well as the cathedral which was great. We had planned to do mass afterwards but by the time we were done our stomachs were calling so we skipped mass.
Yannick and I were joined by Eric and Andy for the cathedral visit and the four of us then went out for dinner and a few drinks. I am so not going to lose weight even with all the walking!! Another amazing meal with good company, such lot of fun.
Now back at the hotel ready for bed and to walk on in the morning. I had to say goodbye to Yannick who takes a 9 hour train to Sarria tomorrow and then walks the last 117km to Santiago. I am sure that we will keep in touch. Eric, Andy and I carry on tomorrow.