The Walk – Day 03

Zubiri to Pamplona | 04 Oct 22

FOREWORD
Okay, for complete transparency, this blog entry and those that follow, are occurring almost three years after the fact. Yes, that’s right, I abandoned my realtime blog entries on Day 3 of the walk. At the time, I found I had no time in the day left to actually commit to that overhead after processing and uploading my daily GoPro footage AND dealing with all the usual end-of-day logistics (I explain this more in my actual last blog entry from 22 October 2022).

So why now?

Well for one, because I said I would, and even if I’m the only one reading this right now, I like to make good on my promises. Secondly, because I still have all the photos and walking data available to me. But thirdly, and more pertinent to today’s date, I’m only three months to the day away from embarking on my 2nd Camino. This time I’m tackling the Camino Portuguese, walking from Lisbon, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, Spain (about 630km).

So although the following belated blog entries will provide you all the data along with a selection of photos taken each day, one thing you may find lacking is my memory of many of the daily details, so I apologise in advance for that. Let’s hope as I sift through my data and select my photos, some of those memories find their way back into my brain somehow.

THE 2022 ADVENTURE CONTINUES…
So one obscure thing I can remember is that I bumped into fellow pilgrim Beth from North-East England as I was leaving Zubiri. Given the rush to make it to my accommodation the previous afternoon, I had no idea if any people I’d met thus far had stayed in Zubiri. I remember walking and chatting to Beth about her job as a piano teacher and life in general for an hour or so before we parted, as you tend to do on the Camino. 

As you can see from the map at the top of this blog entry, most of the day was spent walking alongside the Arga river. And even though this was only Day 3 of my Camino journey, already the absence the everyday white noise I’d previously adapted to, had heightened my senses. I remember hearing the water flowing in the river and the rustle of leaves on the trees, all from a considerable distance. At one point, I heard the distinctive flapping of a bird’s wings above me and, thinking it must be so close it was swooping me like a magpie, I was surprised to see it 10-20m above. This is one of the things I love about the Camino, getting away from the “noise” and being able to hear and appreciate nature around us. Nature is always there splashing and rustling and flapping away, we just can’t hear it above all the man-made noise.

So about an hour or so out of Pamplona my watch went flat and ceased to track my movements via GPS. With no time to just sit by the path waiting for it to charge, I started walking while it charged. Once it was charged enough, I once again engaged it’s GPS tracking services, the results of which you can see in the 2nd map image above.

The Magdalena Bridge is a 12th century Romanesque bridge and the 2nd oldest in Pamplona. It’s significance to pilgrims is that for centuries it was regarded as the entrance into the first big city along the French Way of St James, and indeed it’s the first part of the city pilgrims set foot in when arriving in Pamplona.

Bought SIM – 20 eu for 100Gb 4G

After locating and checking into my accomodation for the night, my first point of business was to buy an mobile eSIM data package for my phone. Up until now, I had been relying on WiFi at the albergues, which really wasn’t helpful if I needed to figure out where I was or research something between towns.

With phone fully sorted, I realised that I hadn’t stopped to eat all day and this needed to be rectified stat. This was probably because I didn’t want my walking time to blow out like the day before, so it was off to find myself some fuel for the body. While looking for said fuel, I bought a packet of Pork crisps which were nearly the death of me. Choking on those dry so-and-so’s I was saved by a cafe owner who offered me a glass of water. I thanked the man, celebrated my continuation of life by buying a gianormous gelati, and then repayed the cafe owner’s kindness by eating (and drinking of course) at his establishment.

With another day of excitement in the bank, I booked my next night’s stay at Puenta la Raina – my next destination on the Camino.

Total Distance From SJPdP:	67
Distance To Santiago de Compostela:	749
Total kms actually walked:	72
Total Step Count:	110,384

Some of the Pilgrim’s met today: Emma California, James#2 Birmingham, Brothers Nathan and Mathew Albury/Wodonga, Jose Spain.

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