varied landscapes

Arguedas - Bardenas Reales Natural Park (Navarra), Spain

getting there

Arguedas - Bardenas Reales Natural Park (Navarra), Spain

just entering the park of over 42,000 hectares (100,000 acres)...

 

plains, plateaus and canyons

Arguedas - Bardenas Reales Natural Park (Navarra), Spain

surprising landscapes

Arguedas - Bardenas Reales Natural Park (Navarra), Spain

sandcastles

Arguedas - Bardenas Reales Natural Park (Navarra), Spain

This particular clay-chalk-sandstone structure seen in this photograph, nicknamed castildetierra (land castle), is one of many that has been formed in the Bardenas Reales Natural Park due to wind and water erosion.  It reminded me of the Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

the wild wild west...

Arguedas - Bardenas Reales Natural Park (Navarra), Spain

The wild wild west... in northeastern Spain!

explosion of color

Tudela (Navarra), Spain

I love this!

Walking down down a dreary street and coming into contact with a mural like this one on an abandoned building really adds a great deal of beauty to the surroundings.

funny signs

Etxalar (Navarra), Spain

Funny signs for the pharmacy...

 

popular Basque architecture

Etxalar (Navarra), Spain

eguzkilore

Lesaka (Navarra), Spain

This flower, eguzkilore, literally translated from Basque means "sunflower".  The name of this flower in English is the silver thistle.  Traditionally, Basque families put it on the outside of their houses for good fortune and to protect themselves from the evil spirits that were known to be out at night.  Having this flower supposedly meant the sun was shining on the house, which in turn would keep these spirits away.  Another belief is that the flower protected the house from lightning and storm damage.

If you travel around the Basque country, you will notice it decorating many homes!  So, now you know why!

village life in the north

Etxalar (Navarra), Spain

verdant villages

Etxalar (Navarra), Spain

Here's a perfect example of what a village is like in Navarra...

austere beauty

Lesaka (Navarra), Spain

Quite somber and austere, but at the same time something catches my eye and I can't stop looking.

 

mountain villages

Lesaka (Navarra), Spain

The northern part of Navarra bordering France is full of villages tucked away in the mountains, valleys, pasturelands and forests.  This area is well worth a visit!

in the heart of the Pyrenees

Ochagavía (Navarra), Spain

This medieval village located in the heart of the Pyrenees mountains, just minutes away from the French border, is worth a visit.  Its stone houses along the Anduña River create a picturesque setting for any time of the year.

 

a stop on the way to St. James

Burguete/Auritz, (Navarra) Spain

This small town set in the Pyrenees Mountains resting alongside the French border is one of the many towns and villages to be visited along the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James), the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.  Starting this route in Spain at the French border can take, on average, 4 weeks to cover its almost 750 kilometers.

Ernest Hemingway also mentions Burguete in his 1926 novel, The Sun Also Rises, after staying here for a fishing trip on his way from Paris before heading to Pamplona to see the running of the bulls.

I especially remember this town, early one still morning, walking down the only street that crosses this village from one side to the other, and hearing the trickle of water flowing in tiny canals that line both sides of its main street.  The white houses with red trim have also left a mark on my ever so memorable first day of the Camino.



Seen in this picture is the Church of San Nicolás de Bari.

balconies

Pamplona, (Navarra) Spain

So many different balconies, each one with its own beauty...