We came down stairs to a covered wooden table set with boiled eggs, cold meats, mini croissants, Yogurts, bread and cheese. Our husband and wife hosts poured our cohort of eight hot coffee, but not before setting the scene with a little Gregorian chant music. Nice touch.
Cool morning start, blue sky, must’ve warmed up to low twenties. Gorgeous day.
Some minor ups and downs today but mainly just good steady walking through some bush, light forest and a handful of picturesque villages.
It’s surprising how quickly 16km goes when all you’ve got to do is walk. Amazing too, how the body starts (note ‘starts’) to adjust to being up right all day.
We’re both faring pretty well I think; a few small blisters and some sore muscles and that’s about it, particularly given that day four was forecast to be a ‘day of suffering’ by some of our fellow travellers. I’m sure there’s plenty of surprises to come, but so far so good.
We stopped at a little Cafe somewhere around the half way mark for a breather and a cup of coffee, a lovely little villa on the river Arga at Zuriain. Some rush in and gulp coffee, others take their time, each to their own needs and desires. When we arrived I was going to photograph the 30 backpacks lined up outside. When we left, they were gone.
Our albergue in Trinidad de Arre is an old monastery and chapel, with a small grass courtyard leading out into a walled ploughed-garden – Cadfael would be proud of it. The dorms are clean, minimalist and tidy. We’ll see how the sleeping goes.
We arrived at two and so sit in the square to enjoy a beer under a shady tree. Later for dinner everyone comes out dressed up to promenade in the long spring evening. They wander and talk and drink coffee, beer and wine. There are little kids running around every where. We enjoy a slice of potato and egg omelet, Di’s vegetable, mine prawn and tiny little eel like thinks.
Tomorrow breakfast at Pampalona then on to somewhere I can’t pronounce.