Day 3: Zubiri a Pamplona / 14 miles

I´ve heard the third day of anything is the toughest, and in this case, it was. More mud and more mud and mudmudmud.

I walked all day with British Megan, who has loads of walking experience and was cheering me on to make it to the post office in Pamplona before they closed at 1:30p. No, not in a rush to get off those post cards, but desperately in need of off-loading the extra items I was carrying.

Extra to the tune of 5 lbs. Which may not seem like much, but try carrying it around for five hours, and my how it grows!

The Camino has a wonderful infrastructure set up. This includes the ability to post things ahead to Santiago, where the post office will hold them for up to 60 days. Quite handy for pilgrims who overpack because they don´t know any better (most of them) and those who are carrying extra stuff for before and after the walk (me). Only trouble is that the post office in Santiago is in temporary digs, and ´60 days´ is old information. According to the Pilgrim´s Office in Saint Jean, it´s currently a 15 day hold and then they send your stuff back where it came from. Fifteen days to Santiago is a bit ambitious, and by that I mean completely unrealistic.

So here I am three days into the walk with 5 extra lbs, and my feet are cranky. All problems solved on Monday in Pamplona at the Correos (post office).

Megan proved to be an excellent walking partner. Funny and British, and experienced, she offered some brilliant discussion on gear. Like the importance of having ´the right walking pants that don´t disappear up your bum.´ (´pants´in England are underpants, not trousers)

And on we go...