Left Zubiri early in the morning still dark. We stopped in Larrasoaño for breakfast. By chance it’s the lady that has a cameo roll in “The Way”. She sways between friendly and being very irritated when I asked for a sandwich with cheese. My quads are so stiff today and I’ve developed a small blister on my right heel. Attend to that after breakfast and the two of us head off without Scott and Sam.

Beautiful countryside with enough shade as by now we can feel its going to be a hot day. On the downhills it’s slow going for both of us. I’m again thankful that I brought my walking sticks as they are a great support on both up- and downhill.

We stopped for coffee at a small pizzeria in Parque next to the road for coffee and a break. Here we meet Ricardo from Mexico who is struggling with his knee. That night in Pamplona he was sitting on the washing room floor with an ice pack on his knee. I am grateful that I only have some blisters and don’t have any other injuries.

After coffee there is a cement road next to the path that Marieve tells me is 2km longer but flatter to Pamplona. Marcel is ahead of me listening to music so I have to leg it to catch his attention. We decide to stay on the normal way whic in hindsight was probably not a good decision.

Very steep uphill which inevitably leads to a downhill. I’ve now run out of water and there is not another fuente until Pamplona. None of these are good signs as I drink a lot of water. Luckily Marcel has some left and we hope it would be enough.

We pass through Cruze where there is a festival going on and the streets are very busy. We keep an eye on our backpacks as we’ve been told to watch out for pick pockets. There is traditional dancing in the square but standing still is no longer an option. So we head on for what seemed to me the longest 2,4km into Pamplona. Not having any water is not something I’m going to let happen again.

By now I’ve come to hate walking on asphalt; it’s hard on the feet. Heading into Pamplona we run into Scott again. We have to climb a steep hill to enter the old city through the old town gate which is beautiful. Marcel is ahead of me and has the guidebook. I’m glad we stopped before the gate to see where the albergue is where we’re going to stay as I loose sight of him. I continued up to the cathedral and wait there. About 5 minutes later he appears round the corner and an Irishman directs us to the albergue.

We stay in Jesús y Maria Asoc part of an austere 17thC Jesuit church which sleeps 114 people. That takes some getting used to because bunks are not even a meter apart and you hear everything. Marcel always takes the top bunk and I the bottom. Easy for stiff muscles.

We run into Sam and decided to share a washing machine. Marcel’s red towel coloured all our whites into a soft pink colour. My long trousers where the bottom half zips off are now two tone.

We headed out for gin and tonics opposite the cathedral and in Spain they don’t know what tot is; our waiter decide we needed more gin than tonic. We also saw a wedding procession heading into the church and after the ceremony the bells were rung.

There was some festival in Pamplona as we headed down to Piazza del Castillo for dinner. €17 for a three course dinner including a bottle of Navarra red wine. I had a great squid salad which would have been enough food, but there is still a sirlion and pudding to come. Lights out at 23:00 and I cannot fall asleep. Not a good night for me.

We head out at same time again and decide to get coffee on our way out of town. Somewhere in a suburb we find an open bakery with coffee. Sam is with us this morning as we head out of town. We are heading for Puente la Reina which is 21km away but we have to climb from 400m to 700m to cross Alto del Perdón. The hill of forgiveness. It doesn’t sound like much but believe me it’s steep.

On top of the hill is the momento peregrino. It’s a wrought iron representation of medieval pilgrims, heads bent to the west wind. Downhill is very treacherous due to loose rocks. We thought we would detour to Eunate but in Muruzábel we opt not to add another 2,8km to our route. It turns out to be a good decision as the Eunate church is closed.

In Óbanos we stop in the cloister of the parish church where there is a fountain with fresh water. Two Spanish ladies are also there and they crack nuts which they picked up along the way. Walnuts grow next to the road and are ripe for the picking. Twice she brings us nuts. It’s these small gestures from other people on the Camino that brings a smile to your face.

We make it to Puenta la Reina and stay at the albergue run by the Padres Reparadores. I’m very sore and tired but a shower and good rest makes me feel better. We limp off into the beautiful town centre where we have a beer. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are playing football so evry bar has the football on. Dinner is fresh tomatoes with olive oil and mains Paella. By now I’m so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open and its barely 21:00.

I’ve decided I’m carrying too much weight and throw out at least 2,5kg. We made a packet which we sent to Marc for €10 which weighed nearly 5kg. My sandals, two pair of shorts and two shirts plus small stuff. It’s amazing after 4 days on Camino how I’ve realised I don’t need all the stuff I packed. I’m sure I might loose more along the way. My backpack feels so much better. Less chafing on my hips. I think I tend to tighten the right side more. Another lesson learnt.

Today 8/10/2012 we took a rest day and no walking. We are in Estella and have just taken it easy the whole day. Tomorrow we are planning to Los Arcos which is 21km away.

The Camino is harder on my body than I thought it would be. As a result I have to be mentally stronger to push on. It’s starting to feel like a real pilgrimage. I’m just praying my feet will stay strong as they are the tools I have to use every day.