Ponferrada - Rest day

3 October 2023

Today has been a day of housekeeping: finding a lavandería (laundrette) and getting everything washed and dried; making sure we have cash to go forward with; contacting various accommodation places for the next few days on the Camino Invierno; sorting out what supplies we'll have to carry with us until we're in the next town with a supermarket; going to Albergue de Peregrinos San Nicholás de Flue to get new creditentials, and sussing out the start of the Invierno for when we set off on Thursday. 

It's been yet another hot day and it looks as though the temperatures will be the same or higher for the next few days at least.

Some photos taken while walking around Ponferrada:

The Basilica de la Encina. The word Encina translate as Holm Oak - they used to cover the whole area. The 16th century Basilica was given the name of Encina as a vision of the Virgen Mary appeared in one of the oaks.

A Knights Templar cross, with the Alpha and Omega, on the Basílica wall.

The entrance 

The alter in the Basílica.

The detail throughout the church was incredible. 

In contrast to the Basílica, these buildings are next-door to it.

La Torre del Reloj, the 16th century clock tower.

The Ponferrada town hall.

A few snaps of different streets. 

And the Templar Castle again. 

Saint James on the albergue wall.

The cafés spill out onto the plazas and streets. 

Pamplona to Ponferrada

2 October 2023

Today we said goodbye to Pamplona and we are now in Ponferrada. We had a very interesting five and a half hour train trip. It was interesting to see the landscape as we travelled through the different regions, especially as we had walked from Pamplona to Ponferrada when walking the Camino Francés in 2019. 

The train went more or less directly west from Pamplona, taking us way north of the Camino Francés route but then went south-west to Burgos. From there it continued southwest to Palencia, almost in to the heart of the meseta - with brown fields stretching for miles each side -  then we travelled northwest to Sahagun. From there it more or less followed the Camino Francés route to Astorga before snaking its way through high country - with views out to hills beyond hills with lines of giant wind turbines -  passing through many tunnels, to Ponferrada. 

Before we left Pamplona Jeff read, on information that had been emailed to us, that Spanish rail company, Renfe, prides itself on running strictly on schedule. The email said though, that if a trip was delayed for more than 15 minutes 50٪ of the cost of the fare would be refunded, and if delayed more than 30 minutes the full fare would be refunded - and our trip was delayed by 35 minutes late so we can now apply for a full refund. 

It's a warm evening here in Ponferrada and people, including ourselves, are dining out on the pavements, or strolling by. 

A statue of the running of the bulls during San Fermin, Pamplona. 

I was intrigued with the buildings on Pamplona - in which order were they built, how do all the different roof heights work together without having any internal leaks etc.

I love the different styles side by side. 

The plaza was so empty in the morning. 

On our way to the railway station I spotted what looked like pain aux raisins and just had to buy a couple as I had missed them since leaving France. 

So many goodies. Note the green Oparara Wilderness Trail bag Nathan & Bridie. 

We walked past the Church of San Lorenzo enroute to the station. 

...and we popped in for a visit. 

Still on our way to the train station - it was a two kilometre walk.

We found a green area and bench seats so decided we wouldn't wait any longer to eat our Spanish caracola, their equivalent of pain aux raisins, but what a disappointment. They weren't at all like their beautiful French cousins!

Now in Ponferrada! We enjoyed the whole trip so much.

This chap was our camino angel of the day - he pointed out the correct road to take from the station into the area of Pamplona where we're staying. I later noticed a scallop shell in his tattoo. 

On our way to our accommodation. 

Crossing the Rio Sil.

On our way to our accommodation we walked past the Castillo de los Templarios - the 13th century Knights Templar Castle.

A view from our room - we look out onto the castle. 

Villava to Pamplona

1 October 2023

Villava to Pamplona - 4 kms

By some great coincidence our French/Basque friends stayed in all the same places as we did along the Baztan, and last night was no different - we ended our Camino Baztan by staying in the same place yet again. This meant we were able to have another dinner together. Once again it was a fun night trying to communicate in a mix of French, Basque and English. Jacques, especially, has a great sense of humour, we only wish we could have understood each other better. We saw them briefly again this morning at breakfast before going our separate ways.  

We had no need to rush as we were only walking 4 kilometres to Pamplona. We walked into the city on the Camino Francés route,  walking over the Puente de la Magdalena Bridge across the River Arga and into Pamplona through the Portal de Francia, just as thousands of pilgrims have done for centuries.  

Pamplona is a bustling city with people everywhere, bars and cafés spilling out on to the streets, just as it was when we were here in 2019.

We went to midday Mass in the Church of Saint Nicholas. We were early for Mass and when we walked into the church we were greeted in English by a priest which surprised us. When I asked him for a blessing and stamp for our credentials we were directed to the sacristy where there was another priest who also spoke to us in English before we said anything. 

It was too hot to do very much today, by mid afternoon it was 32°C. We explored a wee bit, trying to stay in the shade. At one point while out wandering around we came across Marie-Claire and Françoise, our Basque friends. Apparently Jacques was resting on a park bench nearby. It was easy to understand why. 

We sat in Plaza del Castillo in the early evening,  people watching. All ages, shapes and sizes, sitting on the bench seats, walking around, riding bikes, chatting nonstop at great volume. The café tables were full of people enjoying drinks, and long queues snaking out of the gelaterias. It was fascinating to sit and simply watch it all.

We had an early - early for the Spanish, late for us - meal of raciones. We can expect lots of street noise tonight. I could say that the street we're in is party central but I think so many of the streets are party central here. 

Walking into Pamplona 

A stone cross by the Puente de Magdalena thought to have been built in the 16th century to show pilgrims the way into the city.

Puente de Magdalena, built in the 12th and was reformed in the 14th century.

Walking over the bridge following the camino signs. 

The camino route passed through the old city walls.

At the Portal de Francia. 

The lifting mechanism for the drawbridge at the Portal. What surprised us is that vehicles still use this road.

A Pamplona street.

St Nicholas Church with the plaza in front of it being used by nearby cafés. The church was built in the 12th century. It was built to also serve as a defensive structure hence its watch tower, thick walls and grilles.

One of the two entrances. 

The alter. 

St James high on one of the church walls. 

A few snaps taken while walking around this afternoon. 

Pamplona is surrounded by massive appartment blocks. 

Some of the buildings facing Plaza del Castillo 

In the Plaza del Castillo 

Street musicians 

Our raciones: Pulpo con patata asada, pimentón de la Veray y AOVE

Patatas brava y croquetas jamón 

Ensalada de rúcula, quesos, tomato seca, y pera.