Since in three days we had had to find alternate accomodation from the refugios twice already, we figured out that there were a lot more people walking the camino than when Tim went two years ago, and that we might actually have to worry a bit about finding a bed each night. Bummer. I didn't really want to compete with people, but then again, we couldn't afford to pay 30 euros per night for alternative accomodation either! Our guide book told us that the refugio at our next planned stop, Pamplona, was small, and the city itself very popular, so we tried picking up the pace in order to try to secure a bed. Unfortunately on the way into Pamplona my knee started to really hurt - probably because I had been without a waist buckle on my pack since the first day. We managed to get some of the last beds at the refugio which was indeed small but nice. Again, I was very happy at these small victories.

Pamplona is a very beautiful city (I would love to go back there), and as is often the case, the refugio was in the interesting old part of the town were you have the narrow streets and old buildings. We went to the Cafe Iruna were Hemmingway hung out and met some Canadian pilgrims from Quebec, Toronto and Vancouver (unfortunately the pic showing how grand the cafe was didn't turn out - this is a pic of a public building in a square nearby). Oddly enough many Canadians walk the camino - there are stats in Rabanal which indicate that for a small country, we have a very respectable showing.

We hung out in Pamplona the next day getting my pack buckle replaced. The shoe repairman used a foot pedal driven sewing machine to do his work sewing the webbing (I think he didn't charge me because I was a pilgrim). I felt sheepish just saying muchas gracias over and over again - this is one of those times when I really really wished I could speak spanish to express my gratitude properly. Getting the pack repaired made me soooo happy and prevented me from having knee pain like that for the rest of the walk.

We also found an internet cafe and learned it is best to get *two* computers so Tim could enjoy sending e-mails and me updating my blog. I had no idea so many people were reading it - I was using it primarily as a way for me to remember what had happened on the trip since I wasn't keeping a journal, and each time I used it I was always rushed for time.