I would also like to share with you my experiences and observations on one of my days on the pilgrimage.
It went from Monreal to Pamplona. I choose this one, because I have fond memories of walking that day. I remember that I was happy and felt at peace.
The day starts, as all days normally would on a Camino. Getting up at dawn and waiting a bit for the sun to rise and begin walking at first light. Obviously I was a bit nervous about the whole thing, as it would be a day without fellow companions and no waymarks to look for. I must confess that I really need the yellow arrows and when I walk the Camino, I always look for the next one.
NB. If you would like to walk this way, it is highly recommended that you bring a detailed map and have gps on your phone.
So I said goodbye to my camino family (buen camino) and started walking. The first part follow the road Antigua Carretera a Jaca (NA-2420). It is an asphalt road and it is not used that much. I only encountered one or two cars. They use the Autovia that run parallel to the Carretera. Some 3 km further ahead I turned right at the roundabout and went under the Autovia. Then left shortly after on a small dirt road Calle el Calvario, that go to Elorz. In Elorz I took the first road on the right, just before the church. It is a little like backtracking, because it seems to go in the wrong direction. The road ends abruptly at a farmhouse! (On the map, Andricain).
You can however continue, so I pressed on and was greeted by the farmers dogs and the farmer himself? I asked if it was the right way and he said yes and told me to take a small overgrown path instead of the normal looking road on the left. After trying three times, back and forth to the farmer, I finally got the message and pressed on. You can't always rely on Google maps, sometimes you have to rely on the goodwill of others, espescially if you have no sence of direction like me LOL.
Here is a picture of that little path to take after the farmers house.
The path is not that bad after all. The farmer drew me a map and some 50 meters up, I simply went right and around a bend to come back to roughly the same spot, just further up from that (150m). On Google maps the road is simply called Camino. I arrived at a spot where the road splits. There is a big white rock there. As I had previously been there (back and forth to the farmer), I knew not to go right, but continue straight a head.
Here is a picture of the split by the white rock.
Some 250 meters further on the road kind of ends, but I continued straight ahead and took a path up along a field. At the end of this field I saw to my relief a signpost, which was most unexpected. I went down to look and there was all the information I needed.
Here is a picture of the signpost with direction to Labiano. (I had a rough outline of where I wanted to go, planed beforehand).
On the way there I was greeted with a beautiful vista of Pamplona.
Walking into Labiano. There is a fountain there and a place to rest.
I went back out on the road and took NA-2310 to Zolina. Then up and through the city and continued along a bike and nature track, that took me directly towards Pamplona and the suburb Multiva.
Arriving at the outskirts of Pamplona I crossed the Autovia PA-30 on a bridge that connects two roundabouts on either side of said moterway. Here is a picture of a sign giving directions on how get to Pamplona city. Going from here and into Pamplona and the Cathedral/albergue seems very straightforward.
I continued into Pamplona on the NA-2304. I found many water sources and refilled my water bottle at Plaza Conde de Rodezno. After some detours and confusion I found the right exit out of the Plaza del Castillo, and walked up the Calle Curia to the Cathedral.
And finally......The Albergue where it had all begun in 2010, my very first Albergue.......Albergue Jesus y Maria in Pamplona. What a great albergue it is.
I was and still am so very grateful, that God called me to go on this pilgrimage.
