Day 1: Pamplona to Uterga - 16.77k+

A more eventful start than I hoped for today!  Just moments after my “first day of school picture” was taken, I noted that my chest strap was missing. Another pilgrim, whom I had scowled at earlier for trying to get away without paying for breakfast, found it on the ground—that’ll teach me to judge.  Beth and I then spent 2 hours going to 4 establishments—one seamstress, one suitcase repair place, and two shoe repair places—until we finally located someone who could fix it.  Pilgrims say there are “Camino angels,” and mine is named Miguel Angel who heroically leather-punched a hole in my backpack. Now my strap works just fine!  We’ll see if I return the backpack to REI anyway…

After scrambling all over Pamplona, we managed to pick up the Camino right outside Miguel Angel’s door..

Gorgeous walk with many wildflowers and waving green grasses.  I was delighted to see the poppies that I remembered so fondly from my last trip. Climbed up a hill and carefully picked our way down a steep, rocky path before arriving just before 5. Yummy dinner now resting in a comfy sleeping bag on a bottom bunk, listening to snorers.