Up, Up, Up and Down, Down, Down (JULY 8, 2015)

Cizor Menor to Puenta Reina July 7, 2015, 22.6 km, 33,572 steps
   

 We got up before 6 am, which Leea thought a major inconvenience. However, since temperatures were expected to reach the high 90s again and an expected long walk was to be done, it was necessary. She spent the day letting me know this was not going to happen again and I spent the day letting her think that was true. ;)
We walked out of Cizor Menor and up the hill to Zariquiegui as the sun was rising. We stopped in Zariquiegui for café con leche and tostada con mermelada y mantequilla which was served quite eloquently on a large oval plate with a dish of mermelada fresa and a separate dish of mantequilla. No little plastic container servings. I felt like I was at the Ritz.
After that lovely breakfast, we continued our upward climb for another hour or two until we reached Alto Perdon (High-Forgiveness,) and high it was. We ran into our friend John, whom we met three or four days ago. He's Canadian but has lived in Spain the last three years. We took some pictures, had a soda, chatted a bit, then headed off.
To say this was a steep downhill, doesn't do it justice. It is a downhill rock pile. It makes the decline from Zubiri look like a gentle slope. But we made it down. By this time we were so hungry, I thought Leea was going to start chewing on my arm.
We came to one town that had an Albergue, but they only had food for people who stayed there. The bar/Albergue across the street where I had eaten twice before was closed. I don't know if it was closed because of the holiday (San Fermin,) if the owners were on vacation or if they had gone out of business.
Anyway, we had to continue to the next village where we finally got a jamon y queso bocadillo and a café. Spanish news was on the TV with some segment about a rich and/or famous person having an affair, divorce lawyers, and scandal. Followed by the Spanish version of The Amazing Race. Their TV is about as mindless as ours.  
Leea and I were talking about how several people had suggested to us separately and together that the two of us should do the Amazing Race. Leea says the other contestants wouldn't have a chance because we would be the two most competitive and ruthless people. Whoa. Who me? Competitive? Ruthless? I was thinking I wouldn't want to do it because I don't like my travel adventures to be stressful. She says either we would either be ruthless or get all ADD and forget what we were doing. lol
We are sharing a lot of laughs. Leea had a plate of ham for dinner and was carrying home the leftovers wrapped in tin foil. We were both a little tired and dingy. She asked me if I would hold her ham while she did something and for some reason I burst out singing, "I want to your ham, I want to hold your ham" we both cracked up and couldn't stop laughing.   
 After that, she was following me down the trail and I asked her how Mr. Burple was doing in the back of my pack. She said he looked like a tortured animal and then she started making up Mr. Burple's pleas for help and/or rescue. It was very distressing. We laughed almost all the way into Puenta Reina until the humidity notched up to steam room.
We got to Albergue Jakue (which is attached to a hotel of the same name,) looking forward to the foot bath and a massage. Alas, the people who do the massages and foot bath won't be here today because of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona. I don't know why the festival keeps them in Pamplona, maybe they are massaging the bulls. lol
So we took a shower, did laundry and napped. Well, strictly speaking, Leea is still napping. I think I'm wearing her out. Hehehe. The shower was a trip in a container that reminded me of the space program and had several different options for water spray. Tonight we get to have the hotel buffet dinner which was quite yummy when I was here two years ago.