29 September Very cool morning warming up to nice afternoon

A day in the suburbs.

Slept in this am and then ate an excellent breakfast at the hotel. I had unlimited fruit, melons of several types, cheeses, local as well as camembert and other hard ones, several types of ham (was able to compare and contrast with the prosciutto), some different sausages, potato torta, toast of course but a container of puree tomatoes with garlic to make pan tomate – one of the locals added sugar to his topping, many pastries sampled. No lunch needed!

Walked the ‘hood for several hours. We are near the University and hospitals, many people out and most shops open even thought today is a general strike, Huelga Generale. The pastry in the shops are very similar to the ones in Italy. One goes in, orders pastry and coffee (we had a cannel, and a choc chip roll), or buys bread, or wine or other goods. Almost all forbid smoking. The tapas and pintxos bars all seem to allow smoking.

My Spanish has become fearless and generally cannot be understood except in concept. Everyone seems to put up with my butchered attempt at the Castilian pronunciation, not that my Latino pronunciation would be understood but I expect I am much closer. My goal is that in six weeks when I say Hola or Buenas Dias they will stream a long amount of Spanish as if I were a native. A goal. Not all are achievable.

Visited a supermarket. Wonderful hams at fab prices. QB at her tourist best as all our clothes are at the laundry. Apparently no self service place in all of Pamplona; had to pack it up and leave it for 24 hours. KB tourist outfit is not pictured out of courtesy to our gentle readers.

Also pictured, a shout out to those in choirs or who enjoy the recitals, is a hymn book, about one meter high, in the cloister at the main cathedral; pic from yesterday’s visit.