With only my traveling companions sharing the dorm, I slept mostly through the night. Waking a couple of times due to my legs being a little sore.
We had breakfast then hit the trail. The temperature was cool as the sun was still hiding behind the hills, which made pleasant conditions.
The path skirted around a magnesium plant and remained relatively flat passing through woodlands.
We passed an abbey that is being renovated and offered a stamp for our credentials. We called in for a picture and to collect the stamp.
We soon arrived in at the little hamlet of Akerreta. If you have seen the film “The Way” the albergue where they introduce the character Sarah, was filmed here.
The path continued through the shade of more woodlands following the river Arga before crossing a bridge at Irotz. I was running out of water, but luckily there was a fountain here.
The path followed a highway for about 600 metres before it went back through the woods. Then crossed under the road to climb up a hill. It was shortly after midday and we opted to skip Larrasoana for lunch and aim for Pamplona.
We were flagging at this point as Pamplona was further than we thought. It was here we had a bit of Camino Magic. In a small shaded area, a kindly gentleman was selling fruits and cold drinks. Up in the hills, no vehicular access!
I bought an apple, it was cool and refreshing; just what I needed. From here on, it descended into Pamplona. The scenery becoming more urban.
We entered the outskirts of Pamplona following the main road until we reached the river. We followed this into the old town behind huge fortifications.
Here I met Brian, a chap from California I met in Roncevalles. We walked into the old town together, however we managed to lose our way and couldn’t find the cathedral, the end point of the day.
Luckily I had set up a WhatsApp group with my traveling campanions and was able to get a bunk at the municipal albergue. It is within a huge hall, where they have built two floors in the middle of it.
Stu's Camino 