Today we had a short journey to Pamplona.
There is not a lot to say about Akerreta except that in the 2019 census it had a population of 11 – so when the hotel is full (20 guests) then the population triples. The Hotel Akerreta was originally a private dwelling, built 250 years ago, and very nicely converted / restored by the owners themselves over the last 20 years.
It was a beautiful morning as we set off, sun wasn’t yet beating on us but was pleasantly warm. We spent most of the morning walking alongside the River Arga, a tributary of the Aragón River, itself a tributary of the River Ebro, and was known as the river Runa in antiquity. The river stretches some 145 kilometres (90 mi) and is dammed in the Eugui reservoir to serve the needs of Pamplona’s metropolitan area.
As we neared the various towns that make up the outer metro areas of Pamplona we crossed the river twice more on huge bridges and even stopped at a lovely church to put another stamp in our pilgrim’s passports.
As this was a short walk (only 15km) we had an afternoon of sightseeing ahead of us. After navigating a few of the narrow streets and checking in to our Hotel Maisonnave we met Helena for a beer/coffee at the Plaza de Castillo and then set off into the old city.
The first picture is the Cathedral Metropolitana de Santa María which is the most complete cathedral complex preserved in Spain, built in the 14th century. We then took a look at the town hall and walked the streets where the famous Bull Run takes place every July. Of course we had an ice cream stop – the ice cream was crafted to look like flower petals!
Next up was a tour of the Pamplona Bull Ring. A very impressive arena – 4th biggest in the world and holds 19,000 people. Unfortunately Bull Fighting still takes place in this arena.
Today was an easy day and tomorrow, joined by Dal & Julie (as well as Helena) we will head to Puente la Reina
