21 April 2008

We got an early start today and after breakfast in the well appointed kitchen we set out for Pamplona (where the bulls run!) There was a continuous drizzle at times heavier. However our clothes and the rain protectors on our packs kept us dry and the cool weather kept us comfortable. We walked the entire distance on a concrete strip running beside a raging river. It was most pleasant and a welcome change from struggling through the mud. We had to cross one of the four medieval bridges over the river and entered the walled city through the Portal de Francia. Judging from the layers of defence around the city it was very well protected during its heyday. After stopping for a bite to eat and getting our sello (stamp) on our credencial (proof of passage), we hit the road for Cizur Minor. We stopped again along the way to get another sello from the Universidad de Navarra, and proceeded with a Mexican lady we picked up along the way to Cizur Minor. We finally got there seven hours after leaving Huarte, and found the only refugio quite full. The lady running it insisted she had place for us, but it was too much like sardines. We opted to walk another couple of kilometres to Cizur Major and checked into a little hotel. We feel in the lap of luxury. In fact we feel that we don´t belong in a nice place like this with our grubby clothes and muddy shoes. It seems like we are the only guests here tonight. There is a large lounge here with great internet facilities, so we took the opportunity to fix yesterday´s hurried blog. As we look out the window here, we can see the string of windmills atop the Alto de Perdon . Tomorrow´s route takes us over the hill a height of 400m on to Obanos. We will keep you posted.

As a postscript, the restaurant was closed as it was Monday, so the owner of the hotel made us a spectacular dinner with two kinds of wine and we went to bed about 10pm to get some rest for the next day`s climb of the Alto.