Author: Thom

Halfway up the Alto del Perdón, I took another look back. You can see Pamplona in the distance, and the muddy river of a path we were climbing. There were spots where it was literally a river (well, a stream) of water cascading down. The mud was slippery, and even with a stick I lost my footing a couple of times. Once, […]

We’re partway up the Alto del Perdón here, and for some reason Petra got a phone call. You might think she was excited about the call, but that’s just how she always looked: excited, friendly, happy to be here. Even when we were climbing a wet, muddy track up a steep hill in the rain. She started in Pamplona, and this was […]

As we climbed the well-named Alto del Perdón in the rain and cold and wind, I stopped briefly to turn around and take a photo into the broad plain behind and below us. Just a couple of hours ago, we were down there. Date: 04 April 2013 Place: climbing Alto del Perdón, between Zariquiegui and Uterga (Navarra, Spain) Map!

These days Zariquiegui is a sleepy little hamlet of perhaps 170 people. In the 12th and 13th century, however, it was a prosperous town. It never really recovered from the devastating effects of the bubonic plague, which largely wiped out the population in 1348. In the 16th and 17th centuries (when the church was renovated), a number of minor noble […]

The Iglesia de San Andrés de Zariquiegui is a typical village church. Built in the 13th century, the interior was restored as recently as the 17th century, which is when the current retablos were installed. Photos of the interior are relatively easy to find, but I’ve never managed to get inside to take a look for myself. Maybe next time. Date: 04 […]

The scallop shell, the symbol of the pilgrim, is found everywhere on the Camino. You’ll see it on signs, on art, and hanging from the pack or neck of most every pilgrim. In many places, including here in Zariquiegui, it simply marks the Way. Date: 04 April 2013 Place: Zariquiegui (Navarra, Spain) Map!

We arrive at last at the hill town (well, village, really) of Zariquiegui hoping for lunch, but settling for a refill of our water bottles. I’m not sure why we didn’t stop for lunch here. In 2016, we actually stayed at the albergue here, so I know there are places for food. Perhaps the granola bar was enough, or perhaps […]

After the long climb, we rested here, at the memorial for a fallen pilgrim. Franz Joseph Koks, a Belgian pilgrim aged 67, died on April 28, 2004 in Guendulaín of a heart attack. Benches for weary pilgrims flank his memorial, and we delved into our packs for some snacks to keep us going. In the background, you can see the […]

The long slow climb from Pamplona is captured here by a look back at the city as we approach the hill town of Zariquiegui. From here, Pamplona looks vast – far larger than it seemed when walking through it, though I suspect that’s because the Camino is routed through as much rural and park land as possible. The climb was […]

It might not be obvious in the photo, unless you can see the bending of the long grass, but we spent a great deal of the early afternoon walking into a strong wind. No doubt it slowed us down and contributed to the utter exhaustion that would overtake us by the end of the day, but for now it was […]