Estella (July 4, 2017)

First of all to our American friends…Happy 4th of July!  This is our second time not being in the US for the 4th and we must say that we miss our friends, bar-b-que, the beach, and the fireworks over the San Clemente pier! Here in Spain it’s Tuesday…that’s it.     We are writing this blog having a beer and watching children play in the main plaza in Estella.  

Probably the most important thing to pay attention to on the Camino is your feet.  I didn’t mention yesterday that our feet were majorly stressed as a result of the heat, the stones and shale, the uphills and, more importantly, the downhills.  Last night when we went to sleep a toe on my left foot was sore and red.  I thought it was nothing but when I awoke this morning my toe was completely swollen, red, and hot.  In addition it was painful to step on it.  Not a good start to the day!  We thought about what to do.  Given that the day ahead involved several uphills, downhills, and very hot walking for about 15 miles, we decided that we did not want to compromise our entire trip by further aggravating the foot.  One of the realities of the Camino is that once you start walking you are often on remote paths with very limited options for assistance and transportation should we encounter problems on the trail.  So the plan became…ice the foot…rest the foot…take public transportation to Estella…and spend the day really seeing the sites of Estella using my sandals instead of my hiking shoes.  In addition, we decided to get something to immobilize the toe for the walk to Los Arcos, hopefully, tomorrow.   This turned out to be an excellent decision because Estella is a town of about 14,000 with many exquisite churches dating back to the 11th century.  Typically on the Camino you start walking early in the morning, walk until mid to late afternoon, get to the next town, get settled, perhaps see a site or two, eat, prepare for the next day and then sleep.  Of course there are those who walk less, stop earlier, and see more depending on their time constraints.  The books written about the Camino often include point A to B to C explanations often leading to a Point A to B to C experience.  While the best books try to discourage this, it is easy to approach the Camino this way.  We have been guilty of this ourselves. Today we were able to take our time and leisurely enjoy Estella seeing several churches (my knees are sore), relaxing over a 2 hour lunch, having a beer in the early evening (and writing this blog), and going to the Pilgrim’s mass at 8 pm. 

Despite my comment about sore knees, the churches in Estella are worth a day and a few of them are right on the Camino.  We started exploring Estella by walking over a bridge and seeing children playing in the river.  The picture I took has an ethereal look to it with a ray from heaven.  We started at the Church of San Pedro de la Rua enjoying its 13th century arched door, a Baroque chapel, and the cloisters. Worth the walk up the hill!  Further on, we went to the Romanesque church of Santa Maria Jus Del Castillo which was a Jewish synagogue until 1145.  It stands at the foot of the castle of Belmecher.  The next stop was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which began construction in the 12th century and was finished during the 14th century.  While we could not go inside, the entrance door with the elements of the Passion was beautiful!  The church is just above a lovely spot overlooking the River Ega.  Our final stop in the early afternoon was the Church of Saint Michael.  The altarpiece of Saint Helena is from 1416.  Our Mass was at the Church of Saint John the Baptist which includes both Gothic and Romanesque architecture.  There was an incredible statue of the pilgrim on his way to Santiago.

Tonight there will be more icing of my toes and tomorrow taping and, hopefully, walking from Estella to Los Arcos. Buen Camino.