DAY FIVE SUNDAY 20 OCTOBER ZARAGOZA to THE BAZTAN VALLEY

We were in the breakfast room by 0915 on Sunday as we wanted to avoid the rush of people from either the hotel guests or even the later party goers from the wedding party that went until the early hours at about 0530 according to the young gal from the hotel staff. It had been quite the party until the dawn hours!!

Loaded the car and we were on the move by 1015 in the AM. Carmen found her way to the edge of town and out onto the A-68 motorway towards Pamplona and points west of Zaragoza. A very smooth and easy run to Pamplona with cloudy skies and few travelers on the Sunday morning highway.

We stopped for coffee and a leg stretch just outside of Pamplona bypass. Jane was pressed into translation service as a chap who had stayed at this hotel was speaking French asking if anyone had seen the medical equipment and supplies that were missing from the back of his Porsche car parked outside the hotel. He spoke no Spanish and quite frankly, though I had studied French for 6 years, I was in total Spanish mode and couldn’t get a word of French out of my mouth! Ultimately he asked if I spoke English to which I replied, oh yes let’s do that! Unfortunately, it did NOT help with chap finding his missing medical equipment though. He really didn’t know what he had done with the luggage and the staff in the bar and hotel had no idea either. 

We set out refreshed and made good time through the tunnels into the Baztan valley now damp with drizzle and leaking clouds…. the usual weather for the fall timeframe.

We arrived at the apartment in Elbete at 1335 in plenty of time for lunch at 1400. Juan Miguel welcomed us with hugs all around, a quick phone call to Maite that we had arrived and that lunch beckoned to us. Maite arrived in short order, hugs again and a hurried explanation of thermostat, washing machine instructions, etc and we piled into their BMW 116diesel and headed to the Bar Juli for lunch.

Paul had white bean stew and a Baztan chuleta, Jane a mixed salad followed by a huge two pieces of fish (Merluza). The server at the Bar Juli was also named Maite,  who was born the same day as Juan Miguel and had gone to all of the same schools as Juan Miguel and although now retired she helps at the bar/restaurant on weekends for her brother and sister-in-law at the restaurant.

Juan Mi and Maite hit the road to Madrid at 1600 while Jane and Paul walked back to the apartment for a siesta. JuanMi had a surgery early on Monday, Alberto had just got back from Rome(!) and was hoping his suitcase had arrived so his Mom could do his washing! Boys, boys, boys! He is not a boy anymore!

Sunday evenings challenge was to find an establishment open for supper; we choose the ever dependable Muigare turnoff for a combination plate when they opened at 8:30PM. A soft drizzle greeted us as we headed home for the night at 10:00PM.

All in all, a good day, busy but good!