Music Is My Drug: Pamplona to Puente la Reina

Day 5 of our Camino started in an overcast and cold Pamplona. We bundled up and headed out early this morning. After 5 KM, we stopped at a bar in a city we were passing through and had breakfast. Coffee and bread was what was offered to us by the sweetest older man ever. The bread was served with butter and apricot jam. In the States I used to hate jam, but I'm developing a real taste for it over here. When we finished we discovered that the clouds were gone and the sun was out! We continued on through rolling hills and countryside with smiles on our faces, so glad to see the sun. Farms with many acres of crops lined each side of the Camino. 

There was one giant hill today. We walked all the way up and at the top was a line of windmills and a monument to Pilgrims. It was so windy on top of the hill, I thought we may blow away!

Back down the other side of the hill, the path was totally covered in rocks. We went slowly and carefully so no one would twist an ankle. 

We then stopped for lunch (Abe and I had bacon and pepper sandwiches, quite yummy) and a break to rest our feet. With 7 KM left, I knew I had to be careful. The last bit of the day is usually when I become really exhausted and my feet throb with pain. I downed two Advil and decided to try listening to music. I turned on my iPhone and practically danced down the path. It totally took my mind off pain and provided a welcome distraction. From now on, I'll enjoy silence in the morning, and then listen to my music in the afternoon. 

The town before the one we are staying in tonight had an interesting Pilgrim memorial and we had to  stop to take pictures. 

They also had a weird Jesus statue, which I dubbed Tim Burton's Jesus. He was scrawny and reminded me of one of his claymation characters. 

Now we are resting safely in Puente la Reina. We did our laundry and hung it out to dry (so thankful for gorgeous weather today) and are waiting on our Pilgrims supper. 

I've had several questions about how we find our way along The Way. "What markers are there to follow?" and "How do we know we are going the right direction?" I decided to take photos of some of the markers we used on our 22 KM walk today. 

There is the traditional shell on a cement block. The rays are supposed to face away from Santiago, but they don't always point the right direction. 

People love to stack rocks on top of these. 

Sometimes there are just yellow arrows painted on a sidewalk, rock, or stop sign. 

Sculptures of shells are also used.

If you can't find any if these things, you can always ask a local. They will usually be happy to point you in the right direction and wish you Buen Camino. 

Until tomorrow, Buen Camino!