Day 6: September 6, Puente la Reina to Estella - late post

 By the time we called it a night at Puente la  Reina, we were low on funds. Thankfully, it was not such a tiny town that they didn't have an ATM. We were able to get some cash before continuing on our way. 

On our way out of town, we ran across a familiar face. Unfortunately, it was her last day on the camino. She was taking a taxi back to Pamplona where she will take a train to the airport and fly on home. We traded stories for a bit but neither of us could stay. We all had places to be on this camino so we said our goodbyes and bid each other 'Buen Camino!'

Today's destination was Estelle.The town of Estelle was a bit on the elusive side. It was tucked so neatly in the countryside. You wouldn’t think to look for a town there unless you already know for a fact that there is in fact, a town. 

We passed by the historical area of town and looked for a place to eat before heading to our albergue which was perched on a hill. Of course, it being a Sunday, that was trickier than expected. The only place we found was on its last opening hour and was about to close. Luckily, they allowed us in and have dinner first so that was a blessing. 

The albergue that we found was big but a little bit creepy, if only because it used to be a hospital and like I said, it’s on top of a hill. It was spacious enough, but still quite a distance from the main town. It was a good thing we decided to have dinner before heading up. It had a nice, quiet location actually and they offer dinner and breakfast if you reserve early enough. 

The thing that makes it creepy to me is that it used to be a hospital. In fact, you can still smell the antiseptic that they used to mop the floors and clean the rooms with. The hallways are well-lit and it was well-maintained. But it still made me think of those horror films with mental patients being tortured by some mad scientist on a stormy evening. Weird thoughts to have on the camino, but there it is.

The walk out of town is one leg of the camino that a lot of pilgrims look forward to. This is where the wine drinking fountain can be found. In fact, on our way to our albergue the previous day, we already came across some giddy pilgrims who went for an early sampling. It’s not really good wine, but it’s free and you can have as much of it as you want.