After that first real long-haul journey to Spain, I finally arrived in Pamplona and unloaded the trailer at sunrise. The unexpected part came only after that. My loading slot was moved to the following morning, and suddenly I had a full day and one night in the city.
And that was the gift.
I was still at work. I was still on the road with the truck. But inside, it did not feel like work at all. It felt more like a little holiday that appeared in the middle of my first Spanish journey. It was around 17°C, the sun was shining, and I told myself there was no way I was going to spend the whole day sitting in the cab.
After the stress and uncertainty of my first long-haul route to Spain, including the wrong turn I described in the previous part of this journey, this felt like the complete opposite. No rushing, no panic, no narrow road in front of me. Just a sunny Spanish city and a full day that suddenly belonged to me.
The City Instead of the Cab
I checked public transport, found a bus from the place where my truck was parked, and went into the city. Even that simple feeling of taking a bus to Pamplona with a free day ahead of me felt special. I had no exact plan. I was not looking for a list of landmarks to tick off. I did not want to turn it into forced tourism.
I just wanted to walk, look around, and let the city show itself to me.
I headed roughly towards the main square. It was beautiful and had that pleasant Spanish atmosphere I cannot describe exactly, but I can feel very clearly. A street musician was playing saxophone, jazz music was in the air, and I was just smiling.
I walked through the streets with music in my ears, letting it create the atmosphere around me. But sometimes I turned it off just to hear the city itself — people talking, cafés, footsteps on the pavement, and Spanish voices all around me.
I did not have any exact destination. I was not trying to see everything or follow a strict plan. I simply kept walking through the streets of Pamplona and let the city guide the day in its own way.
Old Streets, a Viewpoint, and the Pyrenees
What I liked most was that I was not following any plan. I simply walked wherever I felt like walking, through old streets, between houses, and across the stone pavements that gave Pamplona its own atmosphere.
Later, I found out that Pamplona is the capital of Navarra in northern Spain. Many people around the world know the city mainly because of the San Fermín festival and the Running of the Bulls through its streets, but the Pamplona I experienced that day was completely different — calm, sunny, and almost private.
After some time, I reached a large viewpoint. It looked like old city walls or some kind of fortification. From there, I could see the surrounding area and even the Pyrenees. There was no wind. The sun was shining. And for a moment, my head was completely quiet.
Pure peace.
Moments like this are rare in trucking. Most of the time, trucking is about fatigue, parking, loading, unloading, timing, and the next thing you have to deal with. But here, everything came together: good weather, an interesting city, a bus stop nearby, and a whole day I could actually use.
A Little Spanish Holiday on a Work Trip
Since I have always been a traveller at heart, I have one personal rule. When I come to a place where I have never been before, I try to find a local bar. Not a tourist restaurant. More like a place where local people sit, eat, drink, and live their normal day.
I found exactly that kind of place in Pamplona.
Local wine and Spanish food in Pamplona.
After that, I went back to the main square, lay down on a bench, stretched my legs, and let the sun shine on me for a while. I was not rushing anywhere. I just walked around, recorded a few short videos, and enjoyed a day that had not been planned at all.
That day in Pamplona confirmed something I already know about myself: I need the sun. I did not feel like going back to Slovakia, into fog, autumn, and cold. In Pamplona, there was light, warmth, and a feeling that this whole day had arrived at exactly the right time.
In the evening, I took the same bus line back to the truck. On the way, I bought some local fruit and returned with the feeling that this was one of those rare moments when truck life gives you something unexpectedly beautiful.