April 19, 2026

On Sunday, April 19, I started walking at about 6:20. I wanted to use my spiffy new headlamp, but I was in a big city, Pamplona, and the streetlights were more than enough to see the way.

From my albergue, the Camino went uphill into Pamplona’s Old Town (Casco Histórico). It was a Sunday morning after a Saturday of celebrations in the Old Town. Maybe all Saturdays are celebrations there. There was trash everywhere, bottles, glasses, food, cans, whatever. It must be quite a chore to clean it all up.

Walking out of Old Town you first walk through a residential area, then through parks on the campus of the University of Navarra, then along streets, over a highway, to Cizur Menor, about 4K from Old Town. Here, next to the sidewalk, I saw my first poppy of the year!

After walking through Cizur Menor you get in about 2K to Cizur Mayor. Then, after walking past this place, the Camino veers away from city streets and meanders through wheat and canola (I think it’s canola) fields, and starts going gently uphill. At one point there’s a monastery or castle in the not so far distance. 

After reaching the small town of Zariquiegui, the Camino becomes steeper and winds up to the Alto del Perdón (the Hill of Forgiveness).

The Alto del Perdón is a famous 770-meter high ridge and landmark on the Camino Francés. It is celebrated for its iconic metal sculpture of pilgrims and the panoramic views of the Pyrenees. 

The monument bears an inscription that reads: “Donde se cruza el camino del viento con el de las estrellas” (Where the path of the wind crosses that of the stars).

There’s also another monument at the start of the descent, tall stones representing Spain’s regions, and remembering all those killed during Franco’s government. 

The trail down is steeper than the one up. 

After a few K you reach the small town of Uterga. I stopped there for a coffee and a snack. 

Walking on from Uterga you go through more canola and wheat fields, through the towns of Murazábal and Óbanos to Puente La Reina, where I stayed at the Hostel El Puente. I had dinner with a group of 4 Australians, 3 Canadians, 1 American, and 2 Germans. I had a thick cod-fish stew that was very tasty. 

The most memorable part of this day was seeing red poppies once again. I know I’ll see many more, but I love them every time I see them.

Tomorrow on to Estella.