Author: Thom

Ernest Hemingway is so popular in Pamplona that there’s a statue of him in front of the bullring. He lived in the city for a number of years, and he very much put it on the map in terms of visitors, so it sort of makes sense to me. Still odd to see statues and other memorials of an American […]

Although it’s difficult to tell from the outside, the Cathedral of Santa María la Real is actually a Gothic church. Built in the 15th century, the interior is undeniably and gloriously Gothic. However, the current facade – really a shell – was built around the older structure in the 18th century. The cathedral and the surrounding neighbourhood is the oldest […]

This year for Hallowe’en, I give you… this. An art installation in the tiny plaza in front of the Cathedral in Pamplona. It was… odd. Happy Hallowe’en! Date: 03 April 2013Place: Pamplona (Navarra, Spain)

On our way back to the albergue, we chanced upon these two musicians playing on a nearby street. In my experience, street musicians are ubiquitous in the larger cities of Northern Spain. Whether this is a general cultural norm, or whether they flock to the Camino cities, I couldn’t say. I’m not entirely certain why I snapped a photo of […]

The Café Iruña is a magical place. Even a simple beer and sausage is somehow an elevated experience. It is the Platonic Ideal of a café, and every other café but a shadow or an echo of this perfect place. This is, no doubt, why Hemingway favoured it. Or, perhaps, this is just the ravings of an exhausted pilgrim. Date: […]

Evening approaches, and we head back to Café Iruña for some refreshing beverages and perhaps a snack. Here we see Ali, Cliff, and Petra perusing a menu outside the doors. Date: 03 April 2013Place: Pamplona (Navarra, Spain)

This shop is located just off the Plaza del Castillo. The area has a number of unusual or eccentric shopfronts, including some in full-on art deco or art nouveau style. Date: 03 April 2013Place: Pamplona (Navarra, Spain)

The route of the running of the bulls in Pamplona is well-marked. Better marked, I daresay, than the Camino is through the city. I’m not sure this photo needs much of an explanation. The bulls run in July for the festival of San Fermín. In April, there are no bulls, so we decided to “run without the bulls”. The photo […]