Pamplona! A beautiful city, full of history. This is part of the route for the Running of the Bulls…read moreand a major Basque city on the French Way of the Camino de Santiago. The Cathedral is right on the Camino, and don't forget to stamp your credential on your way out. Our visit to to the Cathedral was cut a little short, since it was Sunday and Mass was starting soon, we enjoyed the church view and bells from the outside, and a nice look inside at the main altar. One interesting aspect of this stunning Cathedral is that the Mediaeval kings of Navarre were crowned and some also buried there. The Navarrese Cortes (Parliament) was also held here during the early modern ages. In those times, the Church was the State.

The reoccurring theme on this trip was being humbled. Humbled inside a thousand year old cave,…read morehumbled that human breath could destroy another thousand year old cave and humbled in a dim, quiet, Spanish church. After a reverently hushed walk through the sanctuary we made our way to the staircase. It was amazing. There are a few wonderful things about this church but most of them seemed to be on the second floor and the staircase was the beautiful introduction to that splendor. It is sinuous and symmetrical and asymmetrical at the same time and because it's inside the tile work has been protected from the elements and it is just lovely. The second floor offers a near endless number of options for a good photographer. The little alcoves, the moss crusted roof tiles, the gently fading, ornately painted interior..... And if you pause for a moment and look at the floor you realize that the white dust is nothing like the original design. A little water and a gentle scrub and suddenly a green bird emerges from the floor. And then a flower. And then a colorful geometric design. And you stand up and squint and imagine the vividness of the colors when the tiles had first been laid and the paint was just drying on floor to ceiling ornamentation and you hold on to that for a moment and you are stunned at what a thing of wonder this used to be. And you are humbled.

Wonderful church along the Camino. Stop in, light a candle, and say a prayer. Oh yeah, refill your…read morewater supply as well. ¡Buen Camino!