75. Zegama to Pamplona

What a start to the day! Wordle in ONE! A 3,500 to one probability! 

And Liz…would you believe….has done it five or six times! She should probably buy a lottery ticket!

Zegama is a small village….the sort of place one imagines little ever happens! Not this morning though. Much excitement as cars, motorbikes, police and ambulances arrived…and crowds of marshalls…all preparing for the annual bike race! Cars with bikes atop….all very serious stuff! One circuit around the village and they were off!

The fairly modest podium was ready for their return!!

We were not!

Lazy late start for us though for not too far to Pamplona from here!

Having said that….the start was not very lazy at all. 8km straight up……on a full stomach!

Steep riding up….

….and a long long lazy descent!

Very pretty.

I made a bit much of our arrival at our coffee stop though. Just about at a halt…one foot on the pedal….swung my other leg over the bike…but it got caught on something. So over I went….clattering onto the concrete!!! 

I laughed! Folk came rushing out to help…but I was fine!

Well….I thought I was…but The bike and I had landed on my knee….and it was SORE! Not too much blood though!

All very embarrassing really!!

From there it was only 33km to Pamplona…but the first twenty was a real struggle….sweat-inducing stabs of pain every time I turned the pedals. But the old adage of walking off an injury…worked! For the final bit really was not too bad! No lingering effects either!

Very lovely…in bits! 

And apparently lots of deer. Amazing….this particular sign flashed at you! Has anyone ever seen a deer on the road in Spain?? The spectacular number of warning signs would suggest they are everywhere!!

And that language again! So many z’s and k’s. But at least this sign has more purpose I feel!

Our apartment in Pamplona is perfectly located just between the Cathedral and the main Plaza del Castillo bang in the middle of town.

And what an apartment it is. Rather than explain….here are lots of photos!

Amazing really! I certainly prefer the artwork here over the stuff I saw a the Guggenheim! Mostly very tasteful. And even a baby grand piano!! (Sadly out of tune!!) 

The delight was tempered slightly by full waste bins and damp towels…but hey…minor details…this place is a delight!

Out for beers and food….and guess what!?

It rained!

The fact that so many folk produced umbrellas so quickly suggest once again that rain is not unusual!

Shit!

Poo!

I forgot to mention a couple of days ago….we cycled through the town of Poo!! 

It wasn’t raining there! 

But what a name!!