Day Seven - Eunate

DAY SEVEN – May 22nd – Eunate – some detour!!


From Alto del Perdon we tumbled down the mountain to Uterga. Barry rang from Maruzabal where he was already enjoying some lunch. We confessed we had just arrived in Uterga and could not bring ourselves to leave the Corrs. We told him of our cunning plan to extend the day by visiting Eunate an eleventh century Church built by the Templers.

Barry takes a well earned rest.

While in Uterga the café played music from the Corrs in our honour. Pat nearly stayed and became a resident on the back of the summer job he got stamping the seal for all the pilgrims that came into town. When no one was looking we put the seal back behind the bad and fled as a group of about 20 pilgrims were seen entering the restaurant.

We stoutly marched along the dusty path between the wheat adorned with poppies. Daniel and Pat spoke cricket, a foreign game of which I have no knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed this part of the Camino.. This had the real feel of the Camino. I had forgotten the beauty of this part of Spain, but no doubt it had subliminally captivated me five years ago and drew me back again.

We arrived at Eunate at 3.20 – 40 minutes ahead of its scheduled afternoon opening. We later learned that Barry had been there an hour earlier and had attended a procession from the local town Obanos and had left only 20 minutes before we arrived. We chatted with a cyclist whom I mistook first for German, then Dutch and finally French Belgian – it turns out he was Flemish – anyway we left on the best of terms. The Church at Eunate is cared for by a French couple who run a little refuge with accommodation for 8.

From Eunate we walked slightly more slowly to Obanos. There we enjoyed a drink and a chat with a Spaniard fascinated with Irish rock music and in particular Rory Gallagher.

We made our way to the outskirts of Puente La Reina – the town with the bridge built by the queen. I wondered why I remembered so little of the town until it dawned on me that I had arrived by taxi the last time. I had missed a lot.

Puente la Reina is one of my favorite towns on the journey. Maybe because of its size – a mere 2,000 people, or its attractive Calle Mayor, but probably because of its exquisite bridge with a length of 110 m and seven arches.