Camino Day 6: Puente La Reina to Estella

Date: April 6th, 2022

Distance: 13.7 miles/22km (plus another km to get to our albergue)

Time: 7 hours (8:30am-3:30pm)

I woke up in a funky mood this morning- I hadn’t slept great (could have been the loud metal clunking anytime my bunk mate or I move an inch.. hah), and I was eager to leave our grimiest albergue yet.

Before we left the albergue, I bid adieu to my first item of clothing- a lightweight sweater- and in Marie Kondo fashion, thanked it for it’s service during those first freezing days.

We crossed the Puenta La Reina bridge, which supposedly a medieval queen built to help pilgrims cross the river. Some pilgrims crossed it without shoes on, but it was still a cool 30F/-1C, so I did not partake in that tradition.

I was feeling good after our first stop of the day- there’s no mood that 2 cafes con leche and a brisk morning walk can’t fix!

We walked on a 2,000 year old Roman road (below) and wondered what it would have been like back then. We also talked about life, work, passions, & ideal futures…

I have not tired of seeing quaint villages, naked vineyards waiting for spring fruit, green grass and blue skies. The scenery is constantly changing before my eyes, each view more remarkable than the last.

We found a chill spot for a rest, stretch, and snack.. the “Olive Gardzen.” It was perfect little respite for pilgrims with incense, music, tables for sitting, and snacks in exchange for a small donation.

At lunch, we took off our shoes and stretched out on a bench like lizards in the sun while eating the usual greasy potato tortilla (basically a quiche). Bonus- I found stroop wafels at this stop.

The last couple miles of the day are always a bit taxing, but the end of this walk was particularly physically challenging for me. My shoulders ached from my bag. My achilles on my right foot was achill-ing me. The arches of my feet were crying out in pain. The headphones came out, and I was fueled by my music. I was tired, and I wanted to collapse into a heap on the ground.. but you keep going. And you keep going. And going.

At one point, I descended (hobbled) down a rocky hill with about 2.5km left. Everything hurt so bad I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

If it had taken any longer to get to Estella, I would have been on my hands and knees crawling the rest of the way. We checked into a beautiful and clean hostel, and we had a spacious room (for the 4 of us girls) all to ourselves.

After a horizontal moment, I sat out in the plaza, journaled, and enjoyed a beer.

The day wrapped up with pilgrims in the plaza- drinking beers, eating paella, and saying goodbye to our British buddies. That’s the nature of the Camino. You meet new friends, you say goodbye to friends. You go to bed. You wake up. And you do it all over again.