I got here early, so I had to wait a couple of cervezas before I could check in. Booked the cheapest hotel I could find, since I want to stay that extra day to give the body some time to heal. And albergues make you check out around 9am and you cannot check in before 4pm.
Checking in using a machine! That’s a first!
First wash of my cloth, and even tough I hate to admit it, Arne – the Right wing Ex Marine, who loves GoDaddy because Bob Parsons was a marine – was right. Get rid of everything you don’t really, really, really need. I felt every gram the last two days, so I have started to put aside some stuff I will send home tomorrow. Still hanging on to the tent, because of the 50% bed availability due to corona, I think.
Except for that continuing pain in my left foot the way to Pamplona was spiritually uplifting. Along the way the bag opened where I had put the bread and cheese in I bought in Viallva for the way, without me noticing. From behind I heard a “hombre, hombre. Pan y queso.” and footsteps approaching quickly. I turned around and looked in to the face of a man who maust have been in his early 80ties, smiling and holding my bread and cheese. He kept laughing and smiling and helped me put it back in my bag.
Entering the city of Pamplona, a jogger took detour from his route and approached me smilingly asking wether I needed any help and telling me where the Camino continued. Since I had left the official path to get to that hostel.
I got today’s stamp at the cathedral. I already missed three, the one at Viscarret, yesterday’s since the albergues was already closed when I got there, and obviously today’s as that robotic concierge at the place I am staying does not stamp.
Pamplona is a beautiful City, with many small streets, where you can almost feel the bulls chasing around the corner.
Today I will wait for things to open up again, currently Siesta time (1m – 5pm), and keep walking to a minimum.