Estella! Picture Perfect!

Village of Lorca in the distance sparkles as the rains let up.

I am not a picture taker.  And if it weren’t connected to my smartphone I would never have brought a camera.  Yet I find this small village, Estella, (population about 15,000) so photogenic.  Maybe it’s the way it flanks both sides of the boomerang shaped Rio Ega.   Maybe it’s the different levels the village has grown into.   Maybe it’s just the mountains in the background or the arches and arcades that are on almost every street.   Whatever it is I find it very appealing to the eye.

Some of the best remaining Roman Roads between Puente la Reina Estella.
After close to 1700 years it's easier to walk on either side!

Leaving at 7AM, the day began crossing over la Puente la Reina in a light rain.  Most of the route I walked alone.  While the mud was not a great factor it was still present.  At a certain point a group of us were on one of the secondary highways as it began to pour.  Two Italian men and myself decided to stay on the road’s shoulder for longer than the Camino markers indicated.  I just could not take more mud.  So we waited to almost the last minute to return to the posted Camino for our entrance into town.

St. Peter's Church - Estella

One of the Italians who was walking with me at the time (even people who travel together don’t always walk side by side), began to tell me this is his third Camino walk.  I didn’t ask his age (he looked late 60’s early 70’s) but he explained that he did this same Camino Frances in 2011 as well.  Last year he walked the Camino Portuguese, which goes from Lisbon to Santiago.  He was a devout Catholic and also enjoyed both the walking and the sights.  He should know about sights, as he is from Ravenna (just south-east of Bologna) famous for its churches and 4th century buildings.

Rear view of St. Michael's Church

By the time we reached Estella (Which gets its name from CompoSTELLA) there was one last downpour before the sun and winds came out.   I got my bed at the albergue by 1PM and got ready for the main meal.  I walked around a bit noticing the beauty of the village and joined the evening Mass.  The parish of St. Michael the Archangel, which has a very imposing Romanesque church on the hill near by, runs the small albergue I am staying at.  After Mass I got a ham sandwich for dinner and went to the central “Square of the Brave” (Plaza de Fuertes) to watch the townsfolk and chat with some other pilgrims.  Remember the sun does not set until after 9PM!

Palace of the House of Navarre