After we left Barcelona, we headed toward the Spanish city best known for two things: bull fighting and Ernest Hemingway. I wanted to stop in Zaragoza for a couple of hours but it took longer than expected to get there, so we just had time to walk Saucy in the park.
When Saucy was ready to go, we continued on to Pamplona. But G and I agreed that we would come back and see more of Zaragoza another time. The hotel we chose for the next two nights (Hotel Alma) was about six minutes outside of Pamplona, next to a river. It was very modern looking and we had a nice big suite to stretch out in. After our long drive, we were looking forward to massages and dinner in the acclaimed restaurant!
Pamplona is a lot bigger than I thought. We walked along the old city walls – some of the best-preserved in Europe – and over the drawbridge into the old town. Our path took us along part of the infamous trail: Camino de Santiago. We had lunch in front of the beautiful Baroque façade of the Town Hall. We had missed the Running of the Bulls by just over a week….but the streets were still full of people. G cracked me up when he pointed out that a lot of them looked injured (either on crutches, with canes or in wheelchairs), and said it must be a dangerous place to live. No doubt!
We had such great food while we were in Pamplona. Our first dinner was at Enokerri in the city (recommended by a friend), which was hailed as a place for foodies. My favorite things there were the “amuse bouche” (a cup of gazpacho, roasted beet chips and cod bread) and the lobster salad. The second dinner was at the Alma Hotel, whose restaurant has a Michelin star. I can’t say enough about the Alma restaurant….everything was delicious, even the house made bread which was as light as air.
Next stop: San Sebastián.
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