Today was a sort of “rest day.” I walked about 4kms into Pomploma on a beautiful sunny morning. My plan was to go to the tourist office and ask them how to get a bus to Puerta La Reina. Well the Camino provided. I was a short walk into the old town when the tourist office magically appeared. I had a half hour before it opened to have breakfast, which was avocado on toast with a coffee.
I decided on a shorter walking day because I was quite exhausted from the climbs yesterday. My feet were sore from the descents and there was rain in the forecast which never really materialized. It’s a beautiful sunny day again today!!
The tourist office gave me directions to the bus stop, the times of departure – every hour and the cost – 2.80euros.
On the way to the bus station, I stopped at an intersection to orient myself, when a lovely older gentleman asked if he could help. He spoke fairly good English and after I told him I was from Toronto, he said that next week his son was going to Toronto. I wasn’t sure if this was a permanent move or just a vacation. It didn’t matter, he insisted on taking me right to the station, the ticket office and finally the docking area for the bus. We then shook hands and he left. I was going to give him my contact information for his son, but he said that was alright. It was a Camino moment.
I was planning to walk just 18kms tomorrow, but all the hostels were full in Villatuerta, so I reserved a place in Estella and will take a bus a few kms ahead and start walking from there. When the route flattens out – if it ever does or if there are more openings at more hostels, I’ll stop busing ahead. In fact I would not have booked as far ahead as Puerta La Reina, but everything else in between was full as well. I knew September would be busy, but not this busy. Buen Camino!!