September 16 Los Arcos to Viana 18.5 km / 11.5 miles

Breakfast and planning
Banana is for later. Drank my fresh-squeezed orange juice before I left the counter! Cafe Americana con leche. 
Sort of a late start, but I was tired and I had already shortened my day. I think about 12 miles today.
Leaving Los Arcos. Always watching for the yellow arrows!
Torres del Rio – Parroquia de San Andres
Many rock memorials along the way.
Casita Lucia – Another trail blessing. A chair. Coca-Cola. Snack.
San Sol – That last 3 km to a village is always 5 km long!

September 11 Larrasoana to Pamplona 16.5 km / 10 miles

[Note: Some of these posts, including this one, are being edited by husband John back in Kansas City. Putting these things together in a meaningful way is somewhat difficult using only a phone. John has offered to serve as an editor as Mary continues to hike, take pictures, do laundry, eat, and all the rest… He is making an attempt to put the posts in chronological order, so you may see some new posts further down the page.]

The map to the right outlines the hike taken from Casa Elita, in Larrasoana, Spain to Pamplona, a little over 15 kilometers.

To convert kilometers to miles, multiply by 5/8ths – gets you close enough…

The plan is to spend a couple of days at the Hotel Tres Reyes (Three Kings) and do some sight seeing. This town was a hang-out of Ernest Hemingway in the early 1920s where he wrote, The Sun Also Rises.

The path to the hotel passes the Plaza de Toros de Pamplona where bulls fights still occur.

Leaving LarrasoaƱa
Esteribar The wall art is incredible all along the way.
Always a welcome sight! These folks along the path with refreshments for sale.
Up. Esteribar.
Villava

September 7 Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Orisson 7.5km / 4.7 miles

Off to the Camino!
Along the way. The path isn’t steep yet.
It’s good to turn around for the view behind us from time to time!
Harriet on the left. An 82 year old gentleman. Me. A short, but VERY steep hike up the mountain. Our alburgue and bed (Orisson) in the background.
On the deck at Orisson. Where we begin to meet our Camino families – pilgrims we will see off and on over the next six weeks across the Camino Frances.
Dinner with seventy of our closest friends.
Everyday, at the end of the day. Laundry. “Wear one, wash one.”