I left around 7am this morning from an Albergue, that will definitely not make it in my top 10. I was so happy when we got to Puenta la Reina yesterday. I passed at least 6 Albergues, only to find that I had to leave town and go through this last very long and step climb to finally get there. So no way you would go back down to see the village. The dinner we had to preorder was food, but nothing more. It was all feather dry, but I spent a night talking to Ben from the Uk. Ben just took one week of to walk as far as he can. I had a few more cervezas and went to bed.
But what a beautiful way from Puenta la Reina to Estella. Past olive trees and vinyards.
I walked the first 9km and met a few familiar faces, Lesly and her friend, and a friendly guy from Canada. We walked for a little and then I went ahead, as I felt still surprisingly fit. I came by a beautiful Olive tree garden, where a young man had started to build a pilgrims resting place. He always referred to it as his project, and you really could hear and see that he put his whole heart into this.
I continued for another 3km till I came to a bridge, and had my pan con queso y chorizo. And there came my Canadian friend again. We were talking and another man also in his early 70ties came a long and we continued the rest of the day together.
We had such nice conversations, and the two “old” man really showed me that age is not a matter of years. We had a wonderful walk, full of pain but with beautiful sights to see, and great company.
When we finally arrive in Estella, it must have been around 2:30pm we went our ways, hoping to met again on the Camino.
The guy from the us, needed his phone fixed, as it had drowned in the rain leaving Pamplona, and the Canadian went to his hotel.
I was really happy when I got to my albergues. Nice clean, and With 8 bed rooms, where due to covid only 4 could stay, and it seems I have only one roommate for the night.
It was quite hard to find food between before 7pm, but I eventually had a nice sandwich at the train station. I also finally got a pair of new pants as a change of cloth after the walking, as there was a market right in front of my Albergues.