The day was overcast and a bit chilly going downhill for the first three k's. We had actually ridden the first 12 k's the day before so did it fairly quickly including a fair climb over 2 k's to 922m at Mezkiritz then a nice coast downhill for a while. Then reality set in as we began a 45 min steady climb to Puerto de Erro at 801m. This was tough and we realised the weight we were carrying in our panniers was something we had not really considered. Anyway we made it to the top and believe it or not there was a coffee truck waiting for us. So having ridden a tough 16 k's in two hours we took a break.
After that we had a nice long 20k descent to Pamplona and reached the outskirts of the city around 12.30. A while later we managed to find our hotel - another great place then headed downtown for a drink, tapas and snacks. So we managed the 43k ride fairly well - about 4 hours on the bike which is what we expected. Tomorrow will be a tougher day and we have already decided to send our luggage on to the next stop by taxi. No sense being martyrs when $20 will save our bodies.Pamplona was founded on the site of the Basque village of Iruna and named after the founder Roman General Pompey. This is where they have the famous running of the bulls, thankfully not in Sept! The Pamplona Cathedral dates back to 74BC Inside is the mausoleum of King Carlos 111. The cloister is considered to be one of the finest examples of a Gothic cloister in Spain. It is a very impressive city, clean, spacious, friendly and full of Spanish patin. Would like to visit again someday.
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