I started the day walking through the town of Puente La Reina and over the six-arch Roman bridge over the Arga River. Then it was uphill walking to Maneru. By then the Italian guy, Alesandro, caught up to me. It was the second time of three times that day that he was supposed to be way ahead of me. What happened was that he was in such a hurry, he missed yellow arrows and ended up taking the wrong turns. He then catches me from behind, overtakes me, and goes speeding forward again. I have no clue what he is in such a rush for since he claims to not even be a Christian. I've found is best to walk at a leisurely pace, explore the towns, and stop to take plenty pictures on the Camino.
As I walked through the hilly city of Cirauqui, I found a stamp on a chain near a post office box. I tested it out. It said "Cirauqui, Navarra" in blue ink with a picture of the town. I finally found a non-albergue stamp for my credential book.
I proceeded on through to Lorca via an ancient Roman road for part of the way. When I passed through the town, I saw an open garage with a vending machine, a table and chairs, and a sign that there is free WiFi. I get a Coke from the machine and sit down to look through my phone for awhile.
From there, I finish out the day walking through Villatuerta and Estella. It looks like some migrants had been relocated to Villatuerta as there are lots of women with headscarves with kids as the grammar school was letting out. On the home stretch through Estella, I see a tourism office. I stopped in and asked the ambassador if she had a stamp for my pilgrim credential. It turns out she did. It said "Estella" with some religious symbols. I finally got to the albergue, which is connected to a Capuchin convent. They gave me the choice of a shared room for €16 or a private room for €25. It was an easy decision.
I showered and then went to pick up more medical tape at a pharmacy. Then, I went looking for somewhere to eat. I happened across a chain place called Telepizza on the other side of the Ega River. I ordered a cheese pizza with onions. The pizza maker, Jesus, found it hard to believe I did not want any meat on the pizza. Looking through the menu pictures, it looks like the Basque people love heaps of ham, salami, and bacon on pizza. He even showed me the pizza before putting it in the oven to make sure I really only wanted onions on it. The pizza was pretty good and probably the best meal I've had in Europe so far.
I went back to the albergue and shaved without shaving cream because I could not find a miniature bottle of shaving cream at the pharmacy.
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| The Roman-style bridge in Puente La Reina built in the 11th century. |
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| Cirauqui. |
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| The view leaving Cirauqui. |
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| The church in Villatuerta, the birthplace of St. Veremundo. |
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| Estella. |
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| San Pedro de la Rua Church in Estella. It was closed, but supposedly Saint Andrew's shoulder bone and a piece of the true cross are inside. |
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| Estella and the Ega River at night. |
