We slept in this morning in our little apartment on the fourth floor of the Albergue by the French Gate in Pamplona. The plan was to go to mass in the Cathedral around 9:30 and then see how far I could make it on my leg. We left the outskirts of Pamplona and made our way toward the 900 meter pass known as Alto de El Perdon. A couple of small villages along the way would allow us to stop if I thought I was going to injure myself further - we pressed on and made it down a treacherous downhill. We stopped somewhat short of a full day but both of us seem to be done and the ankle was only slightly swollen.
Other than stunning views, the highlight of the day was probably the climb and the monument at the top of the mountain (made famous in "The Way" - see my previous post about Emilio Estevez's death).
I'm getting into the habit of trying to light a candle for loved ones who have passed. I try to light one in one of the churches that we visit each day. I feel that I haven't been touched by death that often, so I'm surprised that the list is as long as it is. It seems a nice practice to spend a little time reflecting on what each of these people have meant to me. Today I lit a candle for Ray - a close friend who died in 2009. Ray would have loved the Camino (at least all the people - he may have been so-so on the walking). He definitely would have talked to everyone on the road and attempted to speak Italian to them all. RIP Ray.
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