Pilgrims on the Way

After Uterga, the Camino heads back out into the rolling agricultural hills of Navarra. It was about four in the afternoon, with intermittent rain and wind gusts. We were beat from our climb of the Alto del Perdón earlier, which I recorded in my journal as “probably the most physically demanding thing I’ve ever done”. And yet, we were now […]

At 3:30 in the afternoon, we finally stopped for some sustenance. Here you see a good cross-section of our ever-expanding Camino family: Eamon, Charlie, Cliff, Kristof behind him, Ali, and Petra. According to the sign outside, we’re 697km from Santiago. It’s cold and rainy, and I’m drinking café con leche. Date: 04 April 2013 Place: Uterga (Navarra, Spain) Map!

Here Eamon points out where we are on a map of the Ruta Del Vino de Navarra – the Wine Route through Navarra, just in case the Camino wasn’t enough. The two routes intersect in Uterga, so you could interrupt your Camino for a week or two with this! Date: 04 April 2013 Place: Uterga (Navarra, Spain) Map!

Our Camino family make it at last to the next village, Uterga. From left to right we have: Cliff from Massachusetts, Ali from the French Alps, Petra from Bavaria, and Charlie from the U.K. Quite the international group! And where is Eamon from New Zealand? I suspect his quick pace has carried him ahead of the rest of us! Date: […]

Just before the Camino arrives in the village of Uterga after a long downhill trek, it passes by a lovely grove with flower beds, benches, what appears to be a grave with a cross and shell marker but no name, and a statue identified as la Virgen de Irunbidea. I have been unable to find out anything more about this particular title […]

Over every ridge, there’s another valley. Here’s the view down the Camino into the next valley we are to descend into and then cross. Tonight’s destination: Puente la Reina, which the sign here tells me is 10.3km away. But first, we will take some small digressions… Date: 04 April 2013 Place: Alto del Perdón, between Zariquiegui and Uterga (Navarra, Spain) Map!

In the midst of exhaustion and rain, we took some time to relax and goof around at the top of Alto del Perdón. Here I join the endless stream of pilgrims to Santiago, dressed in my rain poncho. Francine and I have taken to calling these our “strawberry troll” outfits, because, well, because we look like a cross between a […]

At the top of the Alto del Perdón is a row of windmills and this piece of pilgrim art. It depicts the dress of pilgrims from all eras, from the ninth century to the twenty-first. This photo is just the middle section of pilgrims, and it’s one of my favourite images from any Camino. Getting here is one of the […]

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, […]