Day 4 started out finding me feeling a bit better. I started early about 5:30 and was walking alone in the streets of Pamplona. I had reached the outer limits of the city and began walking into the darkness using my headlight. I did not need it until now relying on Pamplona's street lamps. As I had just started walking getting adjusted to the darkness, I was having trouble finding the yellow waymarkers called "fleche amarillo", when I found an obscure one on a lamp pole. I noticed some other pilgrims behind me searching for markers too. I yelled at them and pointed to the markers, when out of the dark one yelled back "Snake?" I waited for them and it turned out to be the group I had been walking with from St. Jean Pied de Port. It was destiny! We laughed and caught up stories as we walked through Cizur Menor to a rise above town, where we stopped to rest a bit and eat a snack.
As we were preparing to leave, we heard some voices coming up the hill. We waited to greet the fellow pilgrims and when they arrived there was Nigel, an Englishman walking to raise money for his church. We met him the first night, where we stayed in St. Jean. That is one thing you come to expect from the Camino, one day you walk with someone, the next thing you wonder where they went. Then next thing you know, they show up again. After the reunion we began a long trek uphill towards the Alto del Perdon.
As we walked, we could see the many windmills on the hilltop providing green power to Spain. We walked on up a steep hill to Alto del Perdon. The wind was very strong and you could tell why they put the windmills there.
From here, it was a very steep downhill descent. Here is where you really have to take care in not pulling a muscle or allowing your feet to slide in your shoes, that causes blisters!
We walked another 10 km to the town of Puenta La Reina.
We spent the night here, we got beds in an area that was partitioned off with blinds. 2 bunk beds per area. This is the night I was awakened by a French woman with her hands grasping my shirt with her face in mine shaking me because I was snoring. I came very close to knocking her out! I did not hit her, but caught myself. I told her to get out of my face and I described what I would do. She gathered her things and left the albergue. I felt bad about the incident, but, to be awakened with a stranger in your face shaking you, well, what would you have done?
By now, you all know I snore ( that was before my nose job! lol)
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