Under the Milky Way 4: From Zubiri to Pamplona

6/1，Day4: From Zubiri to Pamplona  20.3 km

International Children’s Day today in my book. I know that I am way away from youth, and yet the stubborn mind refuses to age, immature like a child! How awkward!!  

By the end of the day’s walk, I’d be arriving at the first large city along the Way so far –  Pamplona. How I looked forward to it! There, I’d love to get a local SIM card, find a good pair of hiking sandals – to give the feet more opportunities to air.

Along the Way, there was no lack of beautiful scenery and the walkers who have been keeping up their pace and have never given up . In the place where I was, in northern Spain, there were the ancient traditions of the basque culture, with its unique customs, language, food, etc., along with the unique weather, vegetation, harvest and the warm-hearted local people in this land. Some online references mentioned that this land nurtured those honest, hardworking and kind people, as well as their rich culture and long history.

Road signages (shells and arrows) were everywhere, some marking the mileages left from that point. All these were crucial to a safe journey!

One could not get any closer to nature – trails, mountainsides, mountain tops and valleys! What a luxury!

Boundless and deep gratitude and joy at the sight of the wildflowers. The sight of honeysuckle reminded me of someone special, who gifted me with this plant, blooming beautiful yellow-red-white blossoms every year. 

Another new discovery today – the poppies’ blossoms facing the sun, thus I saw how they turned their faces towards the sun throughout the day. So magical! They bloomed in the field, as far as my eyes could see. At that moment, the world seemed to exist to me only for the sake of breathing in the fresh air, enjoying the most amazing, magical wildflowers, listening to bird songs, being present, cleansing and healing myself in nature. 

Occasionally, there were pilgrims passing by. They couldn’t tell me what kind of flowers the yellow, slightly fragrant blossoms were. Some online bloggers guessed that these might be Spanish Broom, “Piorno” in Spanish. Walking alone among the flowers, I felt immense feeling of overpowering happiness. I no longer had manners, couldn’t resist the temptation of singing, loud singing to no other audience than the flowers. Might their waving of their blossoms be their applause, their praise, their admiration of my singing? Or were they mocking me for my loss of my mind and my manners and were resenting me for disturbing their peace?  (https://www.reddit.com/r/CaminoDeSantiago/comments/u3g7et/anyone_know_what_these_yellow_bushes_are_they/) 

Piomo were so widely-spread that they were part of pilgrims’ unforgettable experience. They have added so much to the wilderness that they made a harsh hot journey less consuming. For a moment, I forgot my fatigue, lost track of my time. The moment was eternity! 

Today I met a pilgrim, M. She was a graduate student from England. She was on her summer break from a master’s degree in Psychology. Being a school psychologist at a K-12 school was her pursuit of a future career.  Her parents and her elder brother all walked on the Camino Frances once upon a time. This summer, she, too, stepped on the path. We walked together for several hours, chatting about everything that came to our minds. She shared with me what a friend of hers had told her – there was a very old church up in the mountains, managed by a few nuns. My strong interest and fascination drove me on the uphill hike with her.
 

As soon as we walked to the front of the church, a senior nun greeted us with a friendly smile and enthusiasm. She reminded us that the church would close in half an hour. She informed us the highlights of the church, the location of the bathroom, stamped on our passports, and offered to watch our backpacks. If we were willing, the nun mentioned, we could also go up the narrow stairway to the top and ring the church bell. Needless to say, M and I were so excited about the new adventures that we set our backpacks by the door and began to explore. 

The church was taken care of by this nun and her younger sister. They were also managing an albergue (donativo-based).  

Our future psychologist and I climbed the narrow steep stone stairway, so looked forward to what we were about to experience. Finally there, breathless and sweaty!! We found ourselves right next to two large church bells side by side. We walked on the dirt floor in the small space on top of the church, and looked around. The world out there looked so beautiful, so broad and so wide open. Birds see what we humans could hardly see, I thought. A small sign there on the wall instructed us how to maximize the bells' experiences. 

We took turns to sound the bells with attached wooden poles, stood back to enjoy the lingering echoes dashing through the fields and mountains far away, bouncing back with a perfect diminuendo! For the first time in our lives could we alert a quiet world in a foreign land, startle the birds, wake up the nappers, and create sounds almost like music, and yet reach so far into the unknown. We looked at each other, amazed by the rare opportunity. The timer on my phone reminded us that it was time to leave.

After saying thanks and goodbye to  our nun friend, we left the church, went down the mountainous trail and tried to figure out which path to take next – toward the same destination. Should we go by the river, or climb along the mountains? We decided to walk along the river, to experience different scenery. We saw numerous kinds of wildflowers again, pleasing our eyes, lighting up our hearts. We sang together – the fields are alive with the sound of music…… 
 

This pilgrim designed her own shell – showing a pilgrim who would never give up. M decided to stay at a nearby albergue. I was pushing along for a bit more distance. I’d better quicken up my pace. Rain threatened to come any time. I should arrive at my stop of the day soon. Let’s see who could get there faster – me or the rain?

About 27 minutes away from my hostel, the rain came pouring down. It beat me by an inch! I put on my raingear, continue to move forward. Then came lightening and thunder. A few of us began to find a shelter – by an information stand with a few inches wide wing stretching out from both sides. That didn’t work at all! The rain came beating on us sideways, left us all soaking wet.  As I stood by the info stand, finding no protection anyway, I began to worry that my hostel would close soon, or would give away my bed to someone else who arrived earlier than I did. I took out my phone (in the rain), called the hostel via WhatsApp, and informed them that I would be there a bit late, due to the rain. I found out later that the call was so unnecessary, and that it was the newbie’s anxiety heightening up the fear!  Imagine, in spite of the darkened sky, it was only 3pm!  In times of uncertainty and much unknown, I completely lost my common sense! Silly!!
As we were still standing by the information stand, someone suggested we call a taxi. I quickly assessed my soaked up gears, saw the rainfall slowing down, and decided to walk the rest of the way. Some followed along. Thus a few of us marched into the first big city, Pamplona, fully covered in rain gears, looking exhausted, wet and awkward!  

The rain stopped. The ancient architecture in the city bore a special kind of charm – cleansed, calm, surrounded by lush green.  

Stepping into the city of Pamplona. An ancient bridge came to our view. I used Google Maps for road guidance, got lost anyway. I asked a gentleman, and found out that his name was the same as one of my children's. What a coincidence!

I was definitely in the city – the sculptures, all those buildings, city grids…  

I read that Pamplona was one of the cities that Hemingway spent much of his time in, and the bar here was one of the places he visited often. Some say that he used to live in one of those apartments upstairs, that he was spotted taking a sip now and then here, and that he perhaps looked for some inspiration here. I wonder if this place had much to do with some of his masterpieces. Back in my young days, when I read works by American literary giants, many of Hemingway's works were highly recommended, and I was a big fan of his! All those resilience, perseverance and grittiness in the Old Man and the Sea when facing insurmountable challenges… It’s interesting to see now how all these work – a giant in literature and a reader from a far far away land, having walked all the miles to find his footsteps, while he himself was nowhere to be seen!!! Might his spirit linger? Would he greet all the passers-by? Or might he be even slightly humorous to mock us all for being so sentimental?! 

The interior of the place carries a hue of antique-looking, and yet makes one feel luxurious and magnificent. I wondered if he had a favorite spot here, and whether his soul was still lingering, finding more inspirations and collecting additional resources for him to continue to create masterpieces in another space/world (of his) – for the future souls to read??  

(Media source: Google Images)

I read about a magnificent cathedral in the city. I got to see that.  

Found the cathedral. It interior and the appearance from afar looked equally magnificent!  The stories told about each sculpture and each art element were so rich and overwhelming, that I wandered around in it for hours, couldn’t bear the thought of leaving it. As I walked the Camino, I was learning and adapting a life of simplicity. Did I just hear myself say “couldn’t bear the thought of leaving” again? Parting from one’s love and passion – easier said than done!!

After numerous inquiries, I finally found out where to buy a local SIM card for more efficient communications with local facilities, such as with albergues, emergencies, etc. I walked in, didn’t speak Spanish, got no attention. Coincidentally, the camera-fan and the photography expert from Texas whom I met a couple of days ago also showed up in the store. He could speak Spanish, and he was also looking for a SIM card! With his timely and generous help, I got a local SIM, 20 euros for 100G, good for 28 days! Oh my, how did I get so lucky!!

I got three additional blisters on my toes, and they managed to be on similar spots on the matching toes!! I’d been running around in the city looking for a store that would sell water-friendly hiking sandals. I tried a few pairs, didn’t feel comfortable enough to walk in them, gave up and moved on. Perhaps I would have better luck in the next town, or the next next?

That evening, I met up with my Camino friend, Erin, the Australian photographer whom I walked in the first day of my Camino. I had dinner together in Cafe Hemingway. She took the time to study the menu while I ran errands for hiking sandals and a SIM card. What was hours of waiting on her part for the dinner-meet! Great choices for the dishes, Erin! We were too busy catching up to take any pictures of the yummy food. Sorry and thank you for the long wait, Erin!

Today’s hostel cost 20 euros. It was intended for three people, but only two showed up, thus there was a vacant bed. It was just my new roommate Sam from South Africa and me, enjoying the extra spacious room! What a surprise! What a treat!  

Key word for today:

Appreciation