Stage Pamplona to Puente La Reina 15.6 miles

We were warned yesterday that we would run into thunderstorms today at some point heading to El Alto del Perdon. Another hike up a mountain. We left at 730 and made great time to be at the top of the mountain by 1030ish.

We started out with a sprinkle in Pamplona then we had a double rainbow at the beginning of our hike. And then the rain cleared. The ascent was more gradual than the Pyrenees, to the top. After we hit the last small town of Zariquiegui (stopped in the church San Andres) until our final ascent, the winds were whipping and the rain began. It was well worth the climb to see the famous sculpture group representing pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago. It’s probably one of the most famous photo spots on the Camino Frances. It was so windy that I felt like I would blow off the top.

The rocky descent was slippery with the rain. We stopped for a bite at the first town, Uterga. We thought we were out of the woods but the thunder storms began. It was quite an amazing day of many weather changes.

Puente de la Reina has many cool sites to see and a lot of history. We will be attending the famous Church of Santiago for the Pilgrims Mass at 7:30 pm. There are more sights to see in the town; the Old Bridge, Plaza de Mena, and a couple of other churches built in the Middle Ages. We will explore if we get the energy to do so. It’s rainy again.

Tomorrow will be an easier day. We hope lol.