Walking the Camino de Santiago
The city of Pamplona is famous for its annual running of the bulls in July. Since it was April, no bulls were in evidence – except at the tourist shops. We saw dozens of shops like this with bull t-shirts, plushies, magnets, and other various geegaws. This one, with its cartoon bulls and runners, is one of my favourites. Date: […]
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As I wandered through Pamplona that afternoon, I chanced upon la Basílica de San Ignacio de Loyola. This church was built on the spot where the saint was hit by a cannonball. Most of the entrances were locked up, but one open door led me to a chapel of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. I sat there some time in prayer before […]
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This statue of King Carlos III stands in the Plaza del Castillo in Pamplona. What I find interesting about this statue, is that Carlos was not King of Spain. No, he was King of Navarra from 1361 to 1425. The plaza in which he stands is named after an entirely different Kingdom. Having in my ignorance always thought of Spain […]
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This music kiosk, built in 1943, rises from the center of the Plaza del Castillo in Pamplona. The plaza itself has undergone many changes over the centuries. Back in the early 2000s when they were converting it to pedestrian-only (and building a carpark underneath!), archaeological remains were unearthed of a menhir, Roman baths, a Muslim cemetery, a section of the medieval wall, and the remains of […]
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The Café Iruña anchors the northern side of the Plaza del Castillo. It’s exterior is colourful and festive, while the interior shines in full 19th century splendour. It is “a gilded ghost of the 19th century, vast polished mirrors affixed to its walls, Arabesque pillars rising to ornate ceiling, black-and-white tiled floor scuffed by decades of chair-legs scraping backwards.” (source) […]
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After settling into our albergue, showering, and washing our clothes, we headed off to see the sights. We were immediately drawn to the nearby Plaza del Castillo, which is the main square for the old city of Pamplona. It’s one of the great public spaces of the city and, indeed, the world. This is just our first glimpse. Here we […]
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We were not prepared for the plethora of shops in the old town that catered to pilgrims. This shop was directly across from the entrance to our albergue, but it was not the only one we saw. One questions whether these shops are actually catering to pilgrims, or to tourists who wish to have a touch of the pilgrim experience. […]
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After wandering around Pamplona a bit (and taking many inadequate cityscape photos), we finally found the albergue that Carlos recommended. We had actually walked past it at one point, wandered around the block, and came back here. You would think that with the big pilgrim’s shell hanging by the door, we wouldn’t have been able to miss it, but we […]
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Pamplona was the first Spanish city I’d been able to explore. It’s an explosion of colour and movement, with quirky corners and crooked streets. It’s still one of my favourite cities. Here we find our intrepid pilgrims completely lost as we try to find our albergue. Nobody’s complaining – we are lost in wonderment as much as physically. It would […]
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After the drawbridge gate, we come to the second gate. And like a magical door into another world, from the parklike area outside the walls we are suddenly within the old city of Pamplona. A moment of wonder! This was one of the first big “aha!” moments of the Camino, and I treasure it. Date: 03 April 2013Place: Pamplona (Navarra, […]
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