Day 9

Cirauqui to Estella - 15 kms
19 April 2019

We were the first out of the albergue today and the street lights lit up the beautiful village with a golden glow. We are so pleased to have stayed in Cirauqui, it will be one place that will remain in our memories, such a special village. The land between Cirauqui and Lorca, the next village, was rougher than we had been through with smaller pockets of olive trees and vineyards and crops but it opened out between Lorca and Estella. We have had a brilliant start to our Camino weather-wise. We had some rain on our very first day out from St Jean Pied de Port but nothing since - although we could see that it rained during last night.
We weren't sure of where to find our accommodation when we arrived in Estella - it must have been obvious as a very 'helpful' Spaniard came to our aid. He spoke to us nonstop in rapid Spanish and led us through the streets before finally kissing me on each cheek and giving us what seemed to be a pilgrim blessing and left us somewhere in the middle of Estella  - we just didn't know where. Our host here in Estella told us that when the wind blows from the south it brings dust from the Sahara 1000 kms away, and when it rains as it did last night, it dumps mud on to everything. We're sitting out on a terrace that had been recently washed to clear the mud away. Tonight we went to the Good Friday procession in San Juan Square.

Leaving Cirauqui this morning - such a special village. 

Not far now

Remains of a Roman road.

Follow the arrow

First glimpse of Lorca

The church in Lorca

A very floral frontage - note St James above the door. We stopped at an albergue/bar and had a bowl of nourishing lentil soup for breakfast.

Look Girls - an Easter rabbit for you xxxxx

Irises and wild thyme. We've been enjoying picking sprigs of wild thyme and rosemary.

St James encouraging us on yet again.

Our Camino pathway

There are so many snails on the camino

A settlement in the distance 

Not far out of Lorca we passed an asparagus crop. We were lucky to see a couple harvesting the gorgeous white spears.

 A very long thin tool is used to cut the asparagus well below ground level as soon as the white tips appear

This lady very kindly allowed me to take photos. To my 'muchas gracias' (thank you very much) she replied 'de nada' (you are welcome).

The tips are lined up in the cutting box and the ends are cut even with a very long knife.

The bridge at Villafuerta - we had a rest here and ate some of our nibbles

A cute pilgrim

The Church of the Annunciation at Villafuerta. We were too late for the Stations of the Cross. The statue is of San Veremundo, Patron Camino Jacobeo Navarro.

Just out Villafuerta

A way further out of Villafuerta is a small old church - a 10th century hermitage of Archangel St Michael.now surrounded by old olive trees.

Inside Ermita de San Miguel

Pilgrims leave prayers and small tokens on the altar in the old church.

Some of the old olive trees that surround the church.

Today's Pappy house Girls - perfect if he had a pet giraffe and it's right by a beautiful river with a bridge and a small hydro-electric power station. You know how much Pappy likes bridges and power stations, he would be so happy here.

Pappy on 'his' bridge.

A sign in Estella that mentions St Jean Pied de Port.

Jeff and our 'helper' somewhere in Estella 

Our view from our accommodation terrace.

Some photos of the Good Friday procession