Pamplona to Puente de la Reina (17.3 miles) July 3, 2017

Our morning began with a quick breakfast and then on to the Camino.  What a difference a couple of days make!  The weather has turned hot and today would find us traveling along a path with little shade.   The dry heat and Spanish sun reminded us of the California desert.  The first part of our walk was out of Pamplona.  The outskirts were beautiful with parks and apartment buildings. Along this part of the Camino it was mostly pavement and asphalt which was very hard on our feet. The Camino markings were excellent navigation markers!  We soon climbed to Czur Menor.  This hour of the morning found wonderful long shadows of our pilgrim silhouettes!  Soon we encountered sunflowers…. along with rolling hills and endless fields of grain. We had excellent views of Pamplona. By mid-morning the trail was quite hot so staying hydrated became very important.  Our first rest stop was in Zariquiegui.  There was an exquisite church with a Romanesque doorway.  The altar inside was beautiful and the music being played matched this church.  We spent several minutes praying and reflecting on our journey.  Relief from the heat was a cold orange soda and two chairs in the shade!  Leaving our respite, we headed for Alto del Perdon and the enormous wind turbines.  You could hear their whooshing sound from a mile away!  Again, the path, for several hours, was long, steep and very hot!  At the top of the mountain, near the turbines, is the famous monument to the pilgrims.  There is a reason they put the turbines where they are!  The wind was blowing like mad!  We found shelter and ate a quick lunch of avocado, nuts, and chocolate.  The chocolate was part of a bar that we bought at Area 103 between Madrid and Pamplona.  It was a local chocolate which might be the best I ever have eaten (and I love chocolate!).   The descent from Alto del Perdon was steep, rocky, and treacherous.  Coming up was hard on our cardio and going down required careful patience.  Not sure which I prefer!  Uterga was the next stop for a cold soft drink and time to change socks.  We also came across a boy selling lemonade!  The relief from the intense heat was wonderful!  Finally, after about 8 hours, we entered Puente de la Reina. We stopped at the Iglesia Del Crucifijo for reflection.  And then a cool beer seemed in order before sorting out our things and preparing for tomorrow.  The weather tomorrow is supposed to be hotter than today so we plan to leave around 6:00 am.  Buen Camino!