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Day 3 Camino de Santiago: Uterga to Estella

September 3, 2016:

We leave at the crack of dawn to beat the heat today and find the path surrounded by tall plants that look and smell like dill. 
As we proceed down our path we hear the hum of paragliders as they entertain us with dips and swerves making the moment seem surreal. (Included in the video at the bottom of this post.)hennings-1010613eDelicious wild black raspberries are a treat along the trail.

hennings-1010652eThe Romanesque 11th century bridge at Puenta la Reina (The Queen’s Bridge) owes its foundation to Queen Doña Mayor who had the bridge built over the river Arga.hennings-1010699eThis old Roman road is said to be the most important stretch of Roman road left on the French Way. My mind wanders imagining centuries of use and here I am in this moment, right here, right now. Mind boggling…
hennings-1010668eWe take a lunch break next to a water fountain and enjoy the entertaining company of a group from Italy as we communicate using charades and the English skills of the young woman on the right. Why are Italians always so much fun? I may need to go to Italy some day to discover this phenomenon.hennings-1010707e2The final leg of the day proves to be challenging as the high temps and lack of shade takes its toll. Our survival strategy is shade hopping as we slog our way under the hot sun and take short breaks under the shade of the occasional small tree.

 Aa-a-a-r-r-r-g-g-g-h-h-h… So hot!

We are too slow today and there are no beds for us in Lorca, but an outgoing character from Amsterdam is at the bar highly recommending Oceana Youth Hostel in Estella.  Better pick up the pace so we can find nice cozy beds. At this point, cozy isn’t even necessary… just a bed will do.

Top three photo picks of the day:

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Day 2: Pamplona to Uterga / Where the path of the wind crosses that of the stars.

September 2, 2016:  We (Joan, Randy & Joyce) leave Pamplona shortly after sunrise and find the early morning streets fairly quiet. (Short video of the day at the bottom of this post)

ALERT!!! Joan and Randy possibly witness an ATM scammer at work this morning with a Camino bicyclist as his victim and it reminds us to always be aware of people nearby when using these technologies and don’t use a machine if you view anything suspicious. Click on this link: How to avoid ATM fraud while traveling for some useful information when withdrawing cash. 2016camino-1010492dmv Also, be sure to alert your bank as to where you will be traveling so they are aware of your activity. Shout out to the fabulous customer service, while we are traveling, from our local DNB National Bank in Clear Lake/Gary, South Dakota. You are definitely an important part of our adventures.2016camino-1010505dmvSo much history… It was in this area that Charlemagne’s Christian forces defeated Aigolando’s Muslim army in the 8th century. 2016camino-1010516dmvRuins of Guendulain palace are visible from the path, but I am having trouble finding historical background of the palace. There is a hotel in Pamplona by that name –  Palacio Guendulain.  If someone has a link to its history, please leave a comment  The plowed field in the foreground is interesting as it is almost totally made up of rocks which must be hard on equipment.
2016camino-1010550dmvAs we approach the summit of Alto del Perdon (Hill of Forgiveness), we discover that there is ambulance service on the mountain and feel fortunate to not need their services. The high temperatures combined with the climb and lack of shade are certainly taking a toll on pilgrims.2016camino-1010586dmvplCheck this off the “Bucket List”:  On the summit of Alto del Perdon is an iconic sculpture dedicated to all the pilgrims who walk the Camino de Santiago. The long metal sculpture representing pilgrims on foot and on horse reflects the historical and eternal nature of the walk. There is a Spanish inscription on it “donde se cruza el camino del viento con el de las estrellas” meaning “Where the path of the wind crosses that of the stars.”  ~caminodesantiago.com

2016camino-1010588dmvBeautiful views as we look back towards Pamplona, but what goes up must go down, and we carefully make our way down the steep descent.  One wrong move and the hike is done.  The unfortunate and injured pilgrim would need to be picked up after rolling down to the bottom. It wouldn’t be pretty and I’m sure tears would be involved.

Top three photo picks of the day:2016camino-1010539dmv

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Short video link below of today’s hike.

Grant-Deuel High School…class of 2017

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Images blended by Joyce Meyer

Things end, but memories last forever.

Kyera + Brad

Kyera + Brad ~ And they lived happily ever after…

Beauty in more ways than one…

Beauty in more ways than one…

Not surprisingly, the flower called Queen Anne’s Lace originated in Europe and was given its name for the lacy nature of the flower head. It was very popular during the reign of who other than……. Queen Anne.

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Image by Joyce Meyer ~ Manfred Township, Lac qui Parle County, Miinnesota

According to legend, Queen Anne was tatting white lace. (Tatting is the all-but-lost art of making lace by hand.) The beautiful white lace she was tatting became the white lacy flowers of the wild carrot plant. She pricked her finger and one drop of blood oozed out. This became the central dark red or purple sterile floret that is present on some, but not all, Queen Anne’s Lace flowers.

Legends disagree as to which Queen Anne was tatting such lovely lace. Some say it was Anne (1574 – 1619), the first Stuart Queen Anne, who was brought over from Denmark at fourteen years of age to be a Queen to King James of Scotland. Others argue it was Anne (1665 – 1714), the daughter of William and Mary, and the last monarch in the Stuart line. Both Annes died in their forties.

Queen Anne’s Lace was brought to North America by early European settlers as a medicinal herb. Also known as Wild Carrot, this wildflower is easy to grow, and is prolific in spreading its seeds by the wind. It can be found growing wild along roadsides and in fields almost anywhere in the U.S. ~ The Gardener’s Network

Where does the time go?

What a treat… Having spent quite a bit of time with his parents in fourth and fifth grade during the mid 1980’s, I experienced a flood of memories as I photographed and edited these images.  It’s always a great feeling to see former students turn into not only good citizens but fabulous parents, as well. Kudos to Trish & Jack…

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Live Simply… dream big.

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Image and design by Joyce Meyer

Live simply, dream big, be grateful…

Challenge…

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Image by Joyce Meyer

Sports, lighting and a misfire…

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Image by Joyce Meyer

It was getting towards dusk and the plan was to light the subject from both sides, but it was at the end of the session and the batteries were getting tired. Hence, one flash fired and the other didn’t. After looking through the images I decided this one was worth saving after all. I’m a sucker for drama.

Canon 5D Mark 3, 580 EX 2 speedlight, 3.0 at 1/125, ISO 400