Walking Day 5:
22 kilometers
30,542 steps

We were expecting rain as we left in the cold 5 degree (41 Fahrenheit) morning from the old town on Puente la Reina on our way to Estella. We are happy for the third day in a row that the rain eluded us.

Last year on this very stage, while walking with my friends Philippe and Marie-Pierre from Paris, 45-minutes from Estella the skies opened and it rained harder than I have ever experienced. Philippe, Marie-Pierre, and I said our good-byes in the pouring rain as I headed off to find my hotel. Phillipe and Marie-Pierre were to be starting very early the next day, to be their last Camino walking day for 2016.

Leaving Puente la Reina, one crosses over a historic bridge over the Rio Arga. The Romanesque bridge gave its name to the town of Puente la Reina (Queen’s Bridge).
This bridge over the river Arga was built in the 11th century, seemingly at the initiative of a queen, to make it easier for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago to leave the town after going along the Rúa Mayor (main street).

I was able to get this picture of the historic pilgrim’s bridge from an adjacent highway bridge. The Rio Arga is very peaceful today, and the reflection is very clear.

We continued on. The problem with crossing rivers (three today) is that they are in valleys, so one must descend into the valley, cross the river, and ascend back up from the river valley. That translates to much up and down today even though we end at about the same elevation from which we started. Much of today’s stage is through farmland, and we cross over and then under a major Navarra highway.

It is always difficult to show the uphill sections as really looking uphill and as steep as they are. This is a fairly steep climb, but almost appears flat in this picture. Notice the beautiful blue sky on a day that was to be rainy. It is a gorgeous day on the Camino de Santiago.

There are a handful of clouds. In the distance, up on a hill the town of Cirauqui is highlighted between the clouds. This picturesque town is typical of many on the Camino in that they were built on hills as that makes for easier defense, but that also means we can see the town long before we can walk there. In this picture, it was close to 90 minutes before we reached the town. And when you can see the town, especially if it is where you are stopping for the night, the brain says, “I’m done” long before you have really arrived.

In Cirauqui was this waymarker on the side of a stone wall. Interesting presentation.

Soon we arrived at this old Roman-built bridge, still in use after more than 2000 years. But another river meant a long descent, the crossing, and long ascent back out of the river valley…up and down and back up.

Thankfully it is a beautiful day and most walking was over farmland or in the forest or near a forest.

Another bridge to cross, seemingly similar in structure to the pilgrim’s bridge at Puente la Reina but smaller.

Here we passed a farm where the hay had been cut, bundled, and stacked. Reminds me of the haystack scene in the film “The Way” in which Martin Sheen’s character meets the Irish writer. This is not where that scene was filmed, but it might have worked.

Here is a waymarker in the town Villatuerta are these waymarkers with Camino de Santiago on one side and the same in Basque: Donejakue Bidea. Donejakue is Santiago in Basque (Done is “saint” and “Jakue” is for James), and Bidea means “the way” just as Camino is in Spanish. Tom and I were walking with two Basque ladies from Pamplona who were going only as far as Estella (two days on the Camino…or the Bidea) and then returning home to Pamplona. They spoke almost no English, we speak almost no Spanish and no Basque, but we had an enjoyable walk together.

Here are the two Basque ladies in front of the Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro (church of Saint Sepulcro) in Estella where my hotel will pick me up (my hotel is not on the Camino). The Romanesque church was built in about 1200. We said goodbye, but not before they took my picture:

I seem to keep saying this, but it was another very good and tiring day on the Camino de Santiago. Less chance of rain tomorrow, but it will start cooler.

Next: Estella to Los Arcos and no large hills