The 13th century Romanesque church of San Esteban / St Stephanin Zabaldika lies on the Camino at the top of a steep hill. The main altar is 17th century, with polychrome painting, typical of the region around Pamplona. It features the Virgin Mary and St Stephan in its centre, flanked by other saints. A spiral staircase leads to the tower where the smaller of the two bells, which was cast in 1377, is believed to be the oldest in use in Navarra. The nuns don’t mind if you ring them!
The imposing 16th century city walls, which you pass through at the Portal de Francia / Gate of France, are a fitting reminder of Pamplona’s historic importance. The site of Pamplona Cathedral was originally occupied by a temple to the Roman gods, which, after the arrival of Christianity, was replaced by a series of churches, which in turn was replaced by the present cathedral in 1501. Originally entirely Gothic in style, both inside and out, an unadorned neo-Classical western façade, completed in the 18th century, now conceals the original Gothic façade. Inside, at its centre, is the mausoleum of King Carlos III(the Noble) and his wife Leonora de Trastámara.
I will try to follow this format day to day as you can follow our progress on Google maps of you use walking mode. WiFi is somewhat slow in some of the places we stay so it is best to try and update before all rise. We are starting to hit our stride and have a daily routine worked out. Walk, clean clothes , eat supper, sleep,eat breakfast and repeat. Tonight we hope to stay in Albergue Jesus y Maria in Pamplona.
Where in the world are KMSB 