The beautiful front of Basílica de Santa María del Coro.

By the San Sebastián Aquarium.

Roberth and Peter are climbing Monte Urgull.

Roberth has a new friend.

Views towards Isla de Santa Clara and the Bay of Biscay.

11.27 The rays of the sun pass between the leaves. The three travellers have a break on their way up to the top of the mountain. Christer and I breakfast purchased bread and dry-cured ham. We have just, like so many times before, been visited by a dog.

11.37 As suddenly as he came, the dog disappeared. Was he sent from FIDO? At least we didn't see any owner.

11.55 No leaves stop the sun's glow. We're at Santiago bateria, a lookout point on our way to the top. The view towards the city, the beach and the sea is amazing. You could sit here for a long time.

12.20 The top will have to wait. Roberth found the cafe Polboriña. It's on a shelf below the lookout point we just left.

12.42 During our coffee time in the sun we were visited by another dog. Now we've staggered up to the top of the mountain. Here is the fortification of Castillo de la Mota and a statue of Jesus. Once again we see a statue of Christ. In the past, we have seen such statues, for example in Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro, Dili and Puerto Plata. I'm sure there's a lot more of them to see.

13.11 Our steps have begun to lead down from the mountain. The question is whether we have chosen the right way back?

A view of Playa de La Concha

A nice break with dog company at Polboriña.

Roberth and Jesus.

The beach is receiving more and more visitors. Everything can be seen from the hill.

Between the trees we can see the Bay of Biscay.

The remains of an old British war cemetary.

13.21 The right way or not, we in any case take a break and the last pieces of the purchased ham are now eaten. We are sitting on a bench near a British war cemetery. Here rests Britons who fell in the Battle of San Sebastián in 1813. It was then that Portuguese and British forces took over the city that was then under French control.

14.02 The Basque flag waves at Baluarte del Mirador. Another view filled place on this mountain. From here you can see the old parts of San Sebastian from above but we also have a good view of Zurriola, the beach in the eastern part of the city.

14.28 The trio is once again down to sea level. Now we're going to research how to move on. This applies to both today and tomorrow.

14.38 We walk along the river Urumea which currently has low tide, ebb. We're on our way to the bus station.

14.57 The visit to the bus station was successful. Now we have tickets to the third city on the trip, Pamplona. Let's find a bench where we can take a break for a while.

15.20 It's nice in the shade on our bench. An older lady with black glasses and two dogs stopped by us. She said, "polícia", pointed at her glasses and said, "polícia" again. Did she wanted to warn us? It may also be that she believed that the dictator Franco still controls the country.

A lonely boat is passing by.

The Basque flag at Baluarte del Mirador.

The Zurriola beach.

San Sebastián between the leaves.

The conference centre Kursaal.

Christer and Roberth are walking towards the bus station.

15.39 It's nice on the outdoor terrace at Bar Amazonas. I read in the menu that was for tourists. The dishes were in English and French. I chose, a bit confusing, to order in broken French believing that I read in Spanish. It wasn't successful.

16.47 The thing about sitting still and eating great it's not bad at all. Our waitress started by serving us, then went in and changed before she left the bar with a suitcase. The payment was picked up by an older waitress instead. Now we sit still by a church, Catedral del Buen Pastor.

17.45 I purchased a souvenir and Roberth some pintxos (Basque side dishes) before we went home. It's time for some own time. Free for everyone to do what you want for a while.

19.16 A little sleep perhaps a siesta and book reading has done the trick. Soon we will return to Donostia (San Sebastián).

20.10 We have wondered where I bought the journal that I write in. The answer is Keell's Super, Colombo, Sri Lanka. It's time to buy a new one for this summer. These thoughts and others are aired at the city's Starbucks Coffee.

20.48 We wander further and enjoy a bench break in Gipuzkoa Plaza, a cozy little park. Here is a lying clock and a small pond.

The symbol of San Sebastián.

Urumea is the name of the river in San Sebastián.

Bar Amazonas.

Fountain at De Bilbao Plaza.

Peter and Roberth are walking to a late dinner.

Italian dinner tonight. The restaurant is called La Tagliatella.

21.25 The focus is on finding a good restaurant for tonight's dinner. This applies both online and in reality. They should be open for a while. Prices should be humane. The food should be in our taste.

21.34 We first chose to go to the Basque restaurant Aitzgorri but the outdoor table was less charming and the service poor. Among other things, all orders would be made at the bar. We're moving on to better options.

21.51 Roberth was, after a short moment of waiting at a table outside the Italian restaurant La Tagliatella (https://www.latagliatella.es) asked to go inside and talk with the boss about a free table.

22.04 Christer and I went in as well and the trio sat down at a table. Now we have ordered dinner.

23.18 We walked home both pleased and satisfied. Now the debts are cleared and soon the day is over.

Tuesday 23rd of April

09.10 The sounds of reality from the outside world are getting in with the fresh air through our window. This is the day we will travel on. We're leaving both the coast and San Sebastián behind.

10.14 Roberth just said that we are living in a box. What are we going to do in the two hours remaining before the bus ride?

10.29 Roberth, who said he would return to the room after a toilet visit, has just been seen going into the adjacent church of San Vicente. Should we go after him or does he need a spiritual moment for himself? Who knows? Christer and I will remain in the room for a while longer.

10.55 We found our friend sitting outside the church, waiting for us. Now we sit in the cigarette smoke on the outdoor terrace of the bar La Señora Colombo. We're near Bar Amazon where we sat yesterday. We went here because we saw signs of breakfast offer here when we walked past yesterday.

11.18 I saw an older lady by the counter who with twinkling eyes watched when the waiter filled up glasses of cava as I was placing our orders. There will be no Spanish bubbles for us. We have instead ordered croissant, coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Roberth visited the San Vicente church during the morning.

Breakfast at La Señora Colombo.

Roberth and the bottle have entered the bus to Pamplona.

Arriving in a rainy Pamplona.

Roberth is having lunch at La Olla.

Peter found a beer store.

11.36 During breakfast or whatever it was Christer noted that there were people who took pictures of shop windows. It is a new habit in today's mobile phone community. You take pictures of all the offers and then think at home what to buy. Now we sit on a park bench by the river and study the crowd. This is done because we have some time to spare before our bus departs. The lady who warns about police officers is not visible today.

12.08 We are back at the bus station, this time with the intention to get out of here in a bus.

12.22 Abróchese el Cinturón de seguridad can be read on the small sign on the back of the seat on which Christer sits. It is simply a call to fasten your seat belt. Now the female driver starts the bus. We travel with the bus company Conda today.

12.50 Slowly, calmly and quietly our bus goes up the hill through the hilly, green and wooded landscape. It feels good to be on the way again. Now we went into a tunnel called Oindolar and is 511 meters long.

13.40 The bus went underground and we arrived in Pamplona. It is a smooth solution to have large bus stations completely underground. They can be located centrally without taking up any place. Now let's look for tickets for the next trip to Vitoria. Might as well have everything ready while we're here.

14.01 The ticket vending machine did not know our next destination and the ticket office was closed. We waited and after a while a woman came to the office and Christer bought three tickets. Let's go to the next home. It can be a special one.

Is it rain or siesta making the streets empty?

Albergue Plaza Catedral. This is where we are staying.

Catedral de Pamplona.

In this city you are often reminded of the bull run at the San Fermín festival.

We are taking a walk in the neighbourhood.

Ayuntamiento de Pamplona, the town hall.

14.21 Rain welcomed us to Pamplona, or Iruña as it is called in the Basque language. We did not want to meet with it for too long and have therefore sought shelter at the restaurant La Olla (http://www.laolla.com). We might possibly eat something here, maybe a lighter lunch in the form of a ham sandwich or something similar. Hopefully the rain will calm down in the meantime. By the way, La Olla means the pot.

15.25 Our light lunch became a delicious delicate meal. The check is on its way, no wait the waiter turns back. Ok he changes his mind again, here's the check. They want 16 Euros for the wine Príncipe de Viana. I'm glad we're three to split the payment.

16.05 Christer and Roberth are the names of the room comrades, Iposate is the name of the room, Albergue Plaza Catedral (http://www.albergueplazacatedral.com) is what the accommodation is called and Pamplona is as I said the city. We are now in Navarra, but it remains bilingual. Both Basque and Spanish are viable. This is most likely the 500th sleeping place on foreign land in the years when I kept a diary.

17.15 It is a nice room but as so many times before, the number of guests does not match the number of towels. In fact, we do not have a single towel.

17.57 We have, for three euros, received three towels. Now as that it is arranged and we have rested a while, we will get acquainted with Pamplona.

18.33 We are down in the starting pit for the city's famous Bull Run, el encierro during the San Fermín festival or as it is called local sanfermines. From here the bulls are let out on the city's partly steep and narrow streets before they after 825 meters reach the bullfighting arena. It all takes place during the month of July.

We are now in Navarra province which the museum name shows.

Here is where the bulls start running in July.

Plaza San Francisco de Asís with the library in the background.

Wine makes your vision worse.

We will have dinner at Txirrintxa beer hall/restaurant.

Peter and a bull head at Txirrintxa Cervecería.

18.40 As we walked up the Paseo de Ronda, a man in blue has run past us and then against us and away. Does he exercise for the running with the bulls?

19.04 It is not crowded here but we are not alone at all. We are at the bakery/diner Pannus (https://www.pannus.es to drink coffee for a while.

19.51 We walked across San Francisco de Asís Square and went into the small shop Carrefour for purchases. Carrefour's shops have been visited by us earlier. We're back home.

21.08 As soon as we get rid of fluids that were drunk earlier today, we'll go out again.

21.28 A brisk walk in rough weather took us to the restaurant/beer hall Txirrintxa (http://www.txirrintxa.es). Here we have ordered our dinners. Roberth has also spoken to his wife at home in Överbyn and made a progress report.

22.36 We are again in the room, full and satisfied. Now another quiet moment waits.

23.19 News from Sweden reaches us. Forest fires are raging in our homeland again.

Pamplona in rain and darkness.

We are back where we will sleep tonight.

Wednesday 24th of April

08.09 There are activities here at our accommodation. Its hikers, pilgrims in motion. I guess they'll join Camino de Santiago, Jacob's trail. It is the pilgrimage route that passes the city. We ourselves prepare for a gosaria. First, a visit to the shower area in the room next to ours.

09.25 The gosaria is over and done. Let's prepare for the rest of the day. A garbage truck just passed outside. Gosaria is, incidentally, Basque for breakfast. A breakfast in the form of self-service, no great range but still a free meal to start the day with.

10.50 We got away from the shackles in the room. Now we have wandered on the city wall and enjoyed the scenery. Information signs have Braille and raised symbols of wall, churches and other things worth seeing. During the Civil War and when Franco led the country, there was a prison here. In 1938, there was a mass escape from prison. In principle, all of the escapees was captured or killed.

11.21 It's time for a little late eleven o´clock coffee at a kafetegia, which is what cafe is called in Basque. It feels good to sit down for a while. The place we sit on is called Al Norte del Sur and is a crowded little place with bookshelf and good pastries.

11.55 It rains and we have sought shelter under one of the arcades along the Plaza del Castillo, the city's main square. A new direction is being taken out of here.

A walk along the city walls in Pamplona.

A view from Mirador de Caballo Blanco.

Awful weather at Plaza del Castillo.

Monumento al Encierro, the bull run monument.

Paseo Pablo Sarasate, Pamplona.

Looking for a lunch restaurant along wet streets.

12.01 The new direction took us to the street Avenida Roncesvalles and the monument over the Bull Run. It is not so beautiful but still something one must take a photo of when you are in Pamplona.

12.25 Out there in the rain we see a big sign where it says The Dance Company of the Opera in Gothenburg. It stands outside the Cultural Complex Baluarte. We're at the top of the El Corte Inglés department store. Some floor down below, I've bought the books for the next diary I'm going to write.

12.41 At the sports department in the department store, Christer has bought two striped sport shirts for a good price. It is not relevant to buy jerseys from any football team, then the price is almost ten times as high. Speaking of football teams, the city's Osasuna team is well on its way up to Spain's top La Liga series. Osasuna, by the way, means health in Basque. There also the word to use when toasting in Basque.

13.04 We have searched for the restaurant La Comedia. They have a lunch offer in our taste. However, they start serving at 13.30 so we take a little walk so long.

13.31 What a comedy, La Comedia had turned crowded during our walk. We instead went across the street and into El Patio de las Comedias (http://www.patiocomedias.es). Here we have ordered different two course options. Why all this comedy all of a sudden? Well the street here is called Calle Comedias.

15.04 Satisfaction is a good word to describe the feelings we have now. Now a little personal time back in the room here at Plaza Catedral.

15.34 Suddenly the door to our room opened and an elderly lady looked in. She apologized and closed the door. Did she have the wrong room or floor or is our room now part of the Camino de Santiago?

Lunch today is at El Patio de las Comedias.

Counting down to this year´s bull run.

A coffee stop at Taberna.

Café Iruña, Pamplona.

Cava is delicious.

17.45 Roberth has played news from Sweden on his phone. There was talk, among other things, of forest fires, the attacks in Sri Lanka and arriving of Kim Jong-Un by train to Vladivostok. There he will meet Russian president Vladimir Putin.

18.32 Who knows, maybe it's time to return out in the less pleasant weather. How long will we be out?

18.59 A visit to the beer shop Birra Box rendered in a purchase of Peruvian beer for my part.

19.43 Our café hunt led us mostly to already filled premises. At least now we're in the cosy Taberna. There were free tables here.

20.20 A brisk walk in the drizzle brought us on to the fancy Café Iruña (http://www.cafeiruna.com) at Plaza del Castillo. A misunderstanding from the stressed waiter led to the fact that he thought we wanted to order dinner. It all worked out and now three glasses of cava are coming for us. Here Ernest Hemingway used to have breakfast when he was in town.

20.47 It was exhilarating for bodies and appetite with a glass of bubbles each. Let's move on in the Spanish Twilight.

21.27 Others beat us to the planned restaurant. Instead, we will soon dine at Hostería del Temple near our accommodation. We will drink the wine Zaramendil.

22.50 Yet another tasty meal is completed. The restaurant was cozy and genuine. Now the day should be summed up and the evening prepared. For me it will be a Peruvian evening beer. One thing's for sure. We are living pure pleasure.

Christer received a big piece of meat at Hostería del Temple.

Peter during tonight´s dinner.

Roberth and Peter outside Hostería del Temple.