Day 13 - Atapuerca to Burgos

Last night we found out it was fiesta in Atapuerca.  Our hotel was far enough away from the "action" that we could just hear the music.  This was definitely a much lower key affair than the previous night.  There was a large stage set up with a disc jocky playing CDs.  The town's kids were dancing to the very Spanish rythyms. The older folks were sitting and talking.  There seemed to be little else going on. Surprisingly, the stage was gone when we passed where it had been this morning.

We took avantage of the free wifi in the park to deal with emails and the blog. For the first time wifi wasn't available at the hotel. The clerk said it was dead.

The hotel was beautiful, again exposed beams and old.  The supper eclipsed that we had the day before, Lynn had steak and Russ had rabbit. The owner seemed quite pleased when we went on about having green beans instead of french fried potatoes.  Two peregrino dinners, including a bottle of wine, 20 euros.  We noticed a little dog standing against the kitchen door, and finally getting the door to open enough to enter.  I asked the owner if the dog was the sous chef, or saucier.  He laughed and said, no, the boss.  Something you would never see in Canada.

Today we got up at the usual 6:30 but had a picnic breakfast the owner had set out for us the night before. Basically bread and coffee, and we were on the road at 7:45am.

The day started out very clear, the moon and an unknown planet hanging in the sky.  It was interesting to see constellations, that due to Spain being further south, Canadian's wouldn't see for several more months.  Then as soon as it started to get lighter, the fog rolled in.

Leaving Atapuerca was, of course, a climb.  The track was not overly steep but the ground was covered with large cobbles, so all your attention was directed downward rather than toward the scenery.  Which was hidden by fog anyway.

We passed two woman, one from Baie Como and one from Montreal who were also heading for Santiago.

Further along the climb, we encountered a military zone on the left of the path.  It was bordered by two rows of very unfriendly looking barbed wire and signs warning you to keep out.  It went on for kilometres, and was in sharp contrast to the path of peace we were walking.

The top of Matagrande isn't that high, only 1078 metres, but looking down into the valleys, the fog made it look as if the hill tops were sitting in a lake.  As we descended, the fog thinned and the farms and beautiful vistas peeked through.

Spain in the early morning is very unlike Canada.  The shutters on the windows are all down, windows are locked.  Most of the houses are behind tall, formidable fences, and many doors don't even have door knobs on the outside, only keyholes.  There is almost no activity, other than the one rooster crowing, a farmer gathering bails of hay, and the perigrinos.

We could tell when we were approaching Burgos.  The pace quickened, traffic increased, the track became a very hard asphalt road and markers harder to find.  We stopped at a bar for a pit stop and it was obvious the owner didn't really appreciate the peregrinos coming in only to use her bathroom, and consuming her toilet paper.  We bought two cafe con leches, quite good, which eased our guilt, made her happy, and provided the one and only much appreciated break in our walk today.

The walk to the hotel was similar to a walk through any downtown.  People ignored us, a few said buen camino.  We were struck by the lack of fellow peregrinos on the trail. We didn't see any after leaving Orbaneja all the way to Burgos, a distance of 10km. This was making Lynn nervous but we were passing Camino markers so had to be on the Way. The high point of the walk through Burgos was finding an Yves Roche, which let Lynn buy sample sizes of her favorite olive oil bath gel and familiar bath balm. The clerk threw in all sorts of extra samples and a wonderful bar of vanilla soap for the peregrina and said she hoped to visit Canada one day.

We got to our hotel at 12:15 and the clerk searched for a room that was ready to give us even though check in wasn't until 3pm and found there was only one. For the first time our bag wasn't already here which caused a little feeling of uneasiness but it arrived about 5 minutes later. Lynn thought she had left her jar of peanut butter she brought from home at the breakfast table this morning and was very happy to find it safe and sound in the suitcase.

We were both too tired, mainly a carry over from yesterday, to do much exploring.  We are here for two days so perhaps Sunday can be an exploration day.  We had hoped to go on a guided tour of the city, or some of the sights, but all tours are in Spanish and we've done one guided tour in Spanish in Roncevalles and it was a complete waste.

Our hotel room in Burgos is the nicest room we've had yet, it has a lovely bathtub and a fridge. We are here for three nights which will be wonderful (this because on day 3 we walk from Burgos to Hornilla and then bus back to Burgos because there are no hotels in Hornillos. On day 4 we bus to Hornillos and carry on walking).

We asked about a laundromat, Lynn was hoping to wash and dry everything while we were here, but there is none in the city ,so we have constructed our customary clothes line in our high class hotel room and did a ton of wash by hand that is strung all over the room. That $4 clothes line has really come in handy on this trip.

We are pretty fast in comparison to the pilgrims we are travelling along with. We tend to leave later because unless it is a very long day or there is fiesta and the hotel keeper wants to sleep in, we wait and go to the included breakfast. We then seem to eventually pass everyone on route to the next location.

What we still can't figure out is how we managed to get from St Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles in 6 hours. Most people we have talked to did only St Jean Pied de Port to Orisson their first day, taking 4 to 5 hours to do that (we did that in 1 and a half hours), or it took them 10 hours to get all the way to Roncevalle in one day. This will have to remain a great mystery. We followed the route Napoleon getting there and there's no shortcut we know of to do it.

Summary - although not a long day, we are exhausted and really needing our scheduled day off tomorrow.  We are really enjoying the walk. Every step of the Way (ok with the exception of possibly 30km so far that has been on major highways) has been stunningly beautiful and we are definitely getting fitter and are able to walk longer and longer distances before getting tired.  What is very clear, however, is that this is a pilgrimage, not a holiday.  You don't have the time, or the strength, for a lot of sight seeing (by this we mean wandering around interesting historic or cultural places) along the Way, and you certainly can't capture all of the spectacular views on camera.

Distance today - 21.5km
Distance total - 295km

Day 12 - Belorado to Atapueco

Last night was the first of the five day fiesta in Belorado.  There were rides set up in the main plaza, main stage for live bands and party goers everywhere.  We had a bit of trouble finding a restaurant for supper that wasn't full and a bit away from the racket.  We ran into Rhonda the field hockey player from Australia and her friend who said they were eating at their alberque but they had to reserve. Rhonda's friend was also taking a taxi tomorrow, blisters.

We wandered through the tiendas and mercados looking for possible super material without luck. We did run into the couple running our hotel picking up material for our picnic breakfast. With 30km to cover tomorrow we didn't want to wait for the hotel breakfast, and they encouraged us not to because I think they wanted to sleep in after fiesta.

The restaurant we finally went to was  at Rhonda's albergue and we had the best meal we have had so far.  It was so nice to get something that wasn't dripping in oil. Even though there is always oil and vinegar on the table they insist on drowning your salad in oil. This came with nothing on it and it was such a treat to have only balsamic vinegar on it. The potatoes with the main course were also boiled - so nice other than french fries with your main course.Most of our Camino friends were there.

The hotel we stayed in was away from the action and the only noise we heard were people going home after the bands packed up at 2am!  So we were able to sleep with windows open most of the night. The hotel was a beautiful Spanish motif with exposed beams and limestone walls.

We left the hotel at 7:20, in the dark, and passing one bar still playing loud music and right beside the albergue most of our friend's stayed at, it was  obvious that the party hadn't stopped all night.  There was a guy at the door of the bar selling hot dogs for breakfast, and two girls kissing.  Ah youth, I hope they all survived the day. I think there were going to be a lot of people with hangovers in Belorado today. The streets were strewn with broken glasses and beer bottles.

One thing we forgot to mention were the markers every kilometer along the Camino while we were in the province of Rioja. Often information is nice to have on a hike, but this was way too much information and depressing, showing you how small a distance you had travelled in what seemed like such a long time.  Luckly, they were a Rioja thing and disappeared when we entered the next province of Castilla y Leon.  Except the last marker in Rioja said 555km to Santiago and the first sign in Castilla y leon said 576km.  Not much communication between provinces.

The walk today was pleasant. We started out passing through fields of grain and seeing picturesque hills and valleys in the distance.  Once again the weather gods blessed us with cool conditions.

One of the first points of interest today was the hermitage excavated out of the rock in the mountains near Tosantos. We passed through numerous small villages where no one was awake, wondering if they had spent the night at the party in Belorado, then stopped for cafe con leche and a pastry at Espinola del Camino.  Further on we took pictures at Monasterio de San Felices.

We found a tienda at km 12 at Villafranca and stocked up on water and fruit and other heavy items because there were no more towns until km 24. This turned out to be a tactical error as we were then presented with a long steep climb for the next 6 km. The climb today was accompanied by a beautiful forest on both sides.  Nothing like Canadian  woods. The sides were covered in what we believe was heather and ferns. At first the forest was Pyrenean oaks, nothing like the holm oaks we saw before. At one point there was a stunning   view of the highest peak in Burgos. Lynn warned Russ about wearing his hat and here is the result of not listening.

Further along, the forest turned to pines and near the high point ot today's walk, you reach the Monumento de los Caidos.  A stark monument to the fallen caidos of the civil war.

When then made a very steep descent to a footbridge followed by a very steep ascent to the highest elevation of the day. That was followed by a gentle descent to San Juan. As we approached San Juan de Ortega, we had the distinct feeling we were being watched.  As we came over the hill, we saw them, "The Guardians of San Juan" with all their faces turned toward us.

Actually we haven't mentioned but we've passed many large fields of sunflowers over the last several days. They are so cheery and friendly looking it is a very welcome sight for a weary pilgrim.

Stopped for lunch and foot airing, sock change at San Juan. We met up with Jack and company who wanted to carry on but many were too weary. Not sure how that turned out. We had no choice because our hotels are all booked, so had to carry on for 6 more kilometres than the guide book recommends for today to get to our hotel in Atapuerca.  A walk along a paved, hard, hot road.  We passed the prehistoric caves of the earliest human remains, over 900,000 years old.  Our feet refused to add the 250 metres to arrange a tour, followed by a two hour visit, something we can do while we are in Burgos.

Today was the longest distance we have covered in one day so far and I thought of the girl who said she loved the feeling of total exhaustion. That was us when we got to our hotel today - totally exhausted.

However, the room has a bathtub, but even better a dish to soak our feet in. The salvos foot soak was heaven!

I did learn my first lesson on the Camino. That is not to allow yourself to be abused in order not to appear rude. I am prepared to suffer for another if they will benefit from it. However one should not be weak and subject themselves to an uncomfortable or time wasting situation if they are just saving someone else's false ego or enabling them to engage in abusive or bizarre behavior. I have a problem extracting myself from these type of situations. I have learned you don't need to justify protecting yourself and abruptly leaving if you want to. Just quietly walk away.

Summary - a nice walk through some varied and interesting landscape.  We are starting to get churched out, as every town has at least one, if not several, that are must sees.  exhaustedIt is interesting to note that no matter how modern the village appears to be, the church is medieval. The feet and legs are toughening up and so far, all is good. Tommorow's 22 km should be a piece of cake (not likely).

Distance today - 30km
Distance total - 273.5km

Day 11 - Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado

We stayed at the Hospederia Santa Terestia, which is a 700 bed hostel run by the Cisterian nuns.  An interesting welcome was had.  An older nun was on duty and she went out of her way to indicate that she didn't, or wouldn't, understand a word of English.  She finally got another nun to come out and help when presented with a piece of paper that had "wifi" printed on it.  But, an ok place to lay one's head.

We found a place that had a perigrino special.  The entire German walking club seemed to be there, occupying two tables.  They appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely.  One of the group had an ankle taped up and from the way he was limping, it was unclear whether he would be able to walk next day.

We tried to get into the Cathedral, this morning, to see the 2 chickens that were part of a miracle story, but it was still locked, and we couldn't take the time to wait for it to open.  A perigrinos task is to walk, so we walked on.

The day was cloudy and cool again.  We have been so lucky with the weather.  The ground looks like it would become treacherous going down hill where there is rock, and would become sticky gumbo where clay.

The walk was pleasant, without the hills of previous days.  The fields became more grain and vegetables, and the olives and grapes disappeared.

On the way out of town we were greeted by a flock of sheep heading the other way.  We decided the wisest course was to wait and let them pass.  They were in the very capable hands, err paws, of a dog that stopped them as close to the cross road as one could get.

For the most part, today was just walking, something that will become the daily routine when we reach the mesa.

Until you read the guide books you might get the impression that the Camino is a pilgrim's path, separate and unconnected to the real world, In many cases, the path is along roads like this.

We stopped in Villamajor del Rio for lunch, and ran into the priest we had met earlier, setting up in the park for a mass.  The mass, all in latin, was interesting, but totally Greek to us.  He is looking for an order to join and is walking the Camino for guidance.    We bid him good luck and left him with a few chocolate bars.

Then 5km more and we were in Belorado. A beautiful hotel, unfortunately still no bath tub. Today is the first day of their town festival so there was plenty of noise and excitement in the city. Luckily at our hotel you can't hear the noise so hopefully we can leave the windows open to dry our laundry and stay cool.

Tomorrow is 30km so we are planning for an early start and we have been provided with a lovely picnic breakfast since we hope to leave long before the hotel breakfast is served.

Distance today - 23km
Distance total - 243.5km

Day 10 - Najera to Santo Domingo

On the train from Paris to St Jean I think we mentioned meeting a (Jesuit?) Priest from Kansas and his companion.  Well we saw the Priest limping along the river in Najera yesterday. He had quite a flock of pilgrims with him.

When we arrived at the hotel yesterday after our long walk it was Siesta and we asked the hotel clerk if there was some place we could get some wine. All shops were closed, without walking a fair distance. The hotel clerk, who was a young and very fashionable lady, gave us two wine glasses, a half bottle of wine, and a corkscrew. She said the wine was from her boyfriend's vineyard and they were getting married next year. The wine was excellent. We tried to pay but she refused, saying it was her gift to two tired pilgrims. I think she had the impression we had brought a lot of business her way too, and that may have factored into the equation.

Jack and George, Margie from New York and Martha from North Carolina all managed to get a room at our hotel last night. They checked in when we did and it did rather appear that we had led them there.

 We all had supper together along with a father son from Australia. The dad is doing the camino for the 5th time, and his son for the 2nd. Ever since Pamplona I've been searching for another bath bomb of effervescent minerals without successs. Martha showed me a bottle of Epsom salts she'd just bought at the farmacia which  she was planning to soak her whole body in. I went there and even knowing the name of the stuff the pharmacist didn't know what  I wanted so I went back  with her bottle of the stuff and got some. Then Margie went and got some too. At dinner it came out everyone had a serious heat rash, cause Margie  was afraid these epsom salts would make that worse. So I told them about the cortisone cream. My rash is totally under control.

Lynn didn't sleep well at all last night. We had done a lot of laundry which was strung all around the room and left the window open to help it dry. Some locals were being very rowdy outside late into the night. The earplugs weren't helping and finally Lynn woke up Russ and asked him to close the window. That helped with that, but then you could hear other pilgrims from 5am on getting up to get an early start.

Another beautiful day dawned.  As breakfast wasn't until 7:30, we got an extra 15 minutes of sleep. The whole gang was there for breakfast and Russ mentioned we were doing a blog. George said 'I hope you haven't told them all this is easy. This is really hard.' I assured him I haven't said it was easy.

Najera is built right up against red sandstone cliffs.  Somewhere in the past, people had carved out caves in the rock. This is very similar to what you see in Turkey.

The path to the trail was not that easy to find, and after we had found it and followed it for a few blocks, we found outselves passing a few steps away from our hotel.  Oh well, it's all about walking.

The Way today was supposed to be easy but it was a steep climb out of Najera, surprise.  Russell commented that it was surprising that the local 8 to 12 year olds weren't chipping at the rock lining the path, something he would have done.from

We saw something that looked like it had been a Roman column. It was the rollo or picata de Azofra, from which the heads of those that were executed were hung.

We met up with a pair from Colorado on the way to Azofra, and walked along with the wife for awhile. He had blisters and was slower at any rate. They were planning to walk to Santiago in 53 days (we are doing it in 35). She was doing the camino to re-establish communication with her husband now that the last child had left home after 30 years of marriage. She said she likes Gregorian chants and I asked if she had visited the Church at Eunate  (the one you had to do a detour to go to). She said they   hadn't gone into any churches on the Camino. They aren't Catholic, don't understand Spanish, and can't take mass. I know I shouldn't judge people and we all have our own reasons for doing the Camino, but I couldn't help thinking they were missing a really significant aspect of the Way. The husband caught up in Azofra, where we had a cafe con leche break and Russ and I finally indulged in a chocolate churrio. Those are addictive too.  We had a lovely half hour chat with them, hope to meet them again.

Further along we met up with the Jesuit priest and his companion.  The priest had his boots and socks off and was reading his Bible. Lynn wondered which was the stronger motivator for the pause. We mentioned we had seen him limping yesterday and he said his blisters were getting better. Lynn noted that we had not even brought a bible on the Camino.

It was a lovely walk today, only 21km over relatively flat ground.  The farmers were busy bailing hay, or pruning their grapes.  There is a section of the trail which has an extensive array of above ground concrete aqueducts.  It is impossible to know how old they are but in many cases they are still carrying water to cicterns or fields.

At the top of one steep hill we came upon two unemployed students bearing cold drinks, bread, jams, fruit and trinkets, in return for which they didn't charge, accepting only donations. One said the unemployment rate for under 30's is 70%. He said they had made all the jams etc. This wasn't a strong selling point for Lynn but we sampled their wares and left a contribution to their cause well in excess of what we had taken. The jams were very delicious and no ill effects have followed (yet).

The Hospederia Cisterciense we are staying in in Santo Domingo de la Calzada is run by nuns (with very poor English skills). We went to get some lovely Rioja red wine for Siesta and Russ insisted on smuggling it in in his backpack and plans on carrying out the empty bottle tomorrow. Somehow I don't think the nuns could really care less! I'm sure they've seen it all operating this hotel.

I'm just disappointed the hotel today doesn't have a bathtub so I'll have to wait to try my new Epsom salts.

All in all we feel good, the body is toughening up. Lynn is really looking foward to the next day off, which is in Burgos after three more days of walking. This will be a total of ten straight days of walking. We've been told there are three phases to the Camino. The first is the difficult physical phase, where your body adjusts to all the walking. The second is the difficult spiritual phase, the mesa, which is somewhat boring and challenges your spirit to keep going. The third phase is the reward, where you are physically and spiritually strong, and walk the final stretch to Santiago.

Summary - an easy day for a change.

Diastance today - 21km
Distance total - 220.5 km

Day 9 - Lagrono to Najera

It was a long way out of Logrono through the city.  Not that interesting but well marked.

As we headed into the country, the walk skirted the Parque de la Grajero.  The park contains a large artificial lake, with the river full of four person meal size cat fish.  There were also ducks and geese, a very pleasant walk.

The walk then joined a paved linear park, much like the bike paths in Ottawa.  Full of joggers, people heading to work, perigrinos and people out for a vigorous morning walk.  We  made the aquaintance of an older gentleman along the way who was walking at our pace and we followed him to the end of the formal city path.  He had no English skills at all but   he insisted we follow him and not the Way. He kept on explaining  in Spanish why we should go his way even though we caught only one word out of twenty. It was an act of faith to follow him but he did leave us on the Camino in the end and we avoided getting soaked by some lawn sprinklers.

The walk today was long but mercifully gentle, a climb of 300 meters, but spread out over 20km with no points of really steep climb.

We continued to walk through woods, olive groves and vineyards.  An interesting point to mention was that in some fields they plant a rose at the end of the row.  It seems that whatever fungus affects grapes hits the roses first, so that way they know when to spray, rather than spraying every week.

At the end of the park a young peregrina that we had seen over the last few days was about to fly by when Lynn entered into a conversation with her. This was fortunate because it turned out today was her last day on the camino. She is returning to finish up university and then heading to Cameroon to work with an NGO. She will be working with pygmy woman, trying to better their lives, especially trying to prevent them from getting pregnant at 12 years old. She doesn't seem to have rose colored glasses about the work, and at least it involves preserving their culture. We mentioned her fast pace we had noticed on previous days and she said she enjoyed being totally exhausted. After that she said she was going to wait for her friends to catch up and we didn't see again.

Going up a slight hill we then passed a young lady that had passed us early in the day leaving Logrono. She was from Pamplona and is walking to Santiago, for her first time, alone. We basically walked together to Navarette but communication was very difficult.

The walk into Navarette was probably notable for one reason.  We passed a company the turned tree refuse into wood shreds.  They blew up against the company fence and people had picked the longer pieces and threaded them through the fence in the form of a cross. There was a km or more of crosses.

We passed the ruins of a perigrino hospital from the 13th century near Navarette.

We then entered Navarette and stopped at a cafe for a cafe con leche, with the girl from Pamplona.  The cafe con leche has rather become a favourite.  Before leaving, the girl asked if we would like to visit the 16th century Church of The Assumption, and we followed her there.  Everyone of these churches is stunning inside and the same thought must run through the mind of everyone, what happens to them when there is no one to take care of them. Part of that church is attributed to Rembrant, and it is so beautiful it brings tears to your eyes.

From Navarrete, a steady but not steep climb to Ventosa.  The towns along the Camino all have the same trait, you see them from kilometres away, but they never come closer.  Lunch at Ventosa. Today we performed an experiment and took our boots and socks off at lunch. I think it was very helpful.

A km or so more and we reached the Alto de Son Anton.  The view of the valley was magnificent, including our destination that seemed so far away.

We met Genovia from Genova Italy who walked with us most of the way to Najera.  She said she missed her children and dog, but was  planning to go all the way to Santiago.

Further along we met a limping walker from Cyprus.  He had shin splints on one foot and with 5km to go, was in distress.  We wished we could offer a tensor bandage but it was in our luggage.  We could only offer advice and words of encouragement.

Najera and our hotel. While we were checking in, Jack showed up in the lobby.  He and George checked one albergue, which was full, looked at a second, and decided on trying a hotel.  A few of our compatriots seem to be finding the albergues less than suitable.

Summary - a long walk but easier than yesterday and we were less weary on arrival.  We figure our feet are getting the message that this is not a one or two day walk, but a continuum.  We are getting fitter. We continue to be amazed by the local people and their concern for the perigrinos.  We also are meeting more and more perigrinos limping along due to some injury, and perigrinos opting to take a taxi to their next destination.

Distance today : 31km
Distance total : 199.5km

Day 8 - Los Arcos to Logrono

Day 8 and this was a long one, 28km.  Up and on the road at 7:45.  It is hard to believe that some perigrinos, such as George and Jack had started at 5:00!

We left the city through a portal that said 'you are what I once was, and will be what I am now'. Leaving we crossed a bridge over the Odron River, where yesterday Jack said he saw eight snakes in the water. No snakes were to be seen, only flotillas of obviously carniverous ducks!

The first thing we usually do leaving town is climb a hill.  Not today, it started out as a very pleasant walk.  It was overcast and cool again.  Shortly after starting we passed a perigrina with three loaves of bread stuck in her pack.  She said it was for the small animals who had to be fed.  We passed the animals, three young girls, just ahead.

We passed through olive groves and past vineyards.  A very nice walk, designed to fool you into what was to come. By 9:30 the sun was out and it was hot.

At Torres del Rio we saw the Iglesia del Santo Sepulchre.  Linked with the Knights Templar, it bears a striking resemblance to the church at Eunate we visited a few days ago.

Surprise, very steep hills ahead.  We then climbed to the Ermitage de la Virgen del Poyo.  Outside on the Way two clergy were performing a mass with a broken chalise causing them no end of grief. Two peregrinas we recognized were intimately involved. Later we asked them about it and the priests had just asked if they wanted to have mass.

Up, down, up, down, all the time we could see today's destination, Logrono, in the distance, not really getting closer.

Shortly after the mass we caught up to John and Margaret from Tasmania. We walked the rest of the way to Logrono with them, which made the distance pass very quickly. I told Margaret why I was walking the Camino.

Finally the steep hills and valleys came to an end as we reached Viana.  Here we found the 13th century Iglesia de Santa Maria, the burial place of Cesar Borgia, who was killed nearby on the morning of March 12, 1507. We went inside the magnificient church. It had one of the most beautiful chapels we've seen so far.

We met up with George, Jack, and Martha in the square in Viana and the fellow whose backpack Russ had found days ago took a group photo of the lot of us, with everyone's camera. We stopped for coffee con leche at a restaurant and when we went to order a gentleman of about 80 was sitting at the counter reading a pornographic magazine. More contrasts on the Way. The peregrino we met from Italy, also called George, joined us with his hazlenuts to share.

From here it was pleasant walk with wonderful companions to get to Logrono. This was John and Margaret's last day on the Camino and we wished them a pleasant journey home and they wished us a buen camino. Margaret told me she had said a prayer for Kristine in the church in Viana which gave me renewed hope.

Another high point entering Logrono was encountering a friendly face on the side of the trail as we left Navarre and entered Rioja province.  She was a very old woman and has been greating perigrinos for years.  She smiled, stamped the passport, and bid us Buen Camino.  A few cents were put into her basket for good luck.

We reached Logrono with very tired feet. This is a very vibrant and beautiful town but our feet are just too tired for sightseeing and tomorrow's walk is 31km. Lord we will need your strength to fulfill our intentions tomorrow!

Summary - a good long walk today.  Spirits are high but there is sadness as John and Margret leave the trail to go on to other adventures, and George from Italy goes home as well.  Friends so easily made and lost on the Camino.

Distance today - 28km
Distance total - 168.5km

Day 7 - Estella to Los Acros

We got a bit of sight seeing in while in Estella.  Our hotel was near the Plaza san Martin with it's many shops and restaurants.  However, being late Saturday, many of the shops were closed.  What wasn't, were several of the pastry shops, which were scouted out as a source of dessert after supper.  The hotel clerk told us  the mass times and we went to the Iglesia San Miguel right beside our hotel for 1730 mass - up a million steps only to find mass was at 1900. We wandered all about this magnificent church which had a very moldy smell, and then checked out the equally magnificient church of St Jean the Baptist in the main city square. They keep the lights very dim in the churches when it isn't mass, but they are always open.

Had the peregrino special for supper which included a fried egg. That seemed kind of weird but it was delicious.

This morning was again cool and overcast.  We seem to be having great luck with the weather so far-touch wood.

The path out of Estella was well marked, once we figured out exactly where the path was.  We thought it was going to be obvious getting back to the Way. A number of perigrinos did a lot of hand waving before we all decided on the correct course.  The obvious becomes so much less so after a break that includes a good night's sleep.

The path out of Estella was a climb, of course.  It seems you enter all towns either up or down a steep hill and leave similarly.

First stop, the famous Feunte de Vino provided by Bodegas Irache at the Monasterio de Irache.  It was a bit early, 8:30, for a pick me up, but everyone gathered around the spigot for a sample of vino tinto and a photograph. We met up with Margaret and John at the spigot who are the masters of doing things with style - they had plastic wine glasses. Most pilgrims used their scallop shells to sample the wine. Of course, there was a spigot of water as well, beside the spigot of wine.

The path wound through a forest of holm oaks.  The trees had small acorns but the leaves looked nothing like we think of as oak.

We carried on, and upwards, towards Villamayor de Monjardin.  This village lies at 650 metres and was a climb to get to.  Up on the hill, way up, was the ruins of St. Stephen's Castle and fortress, Castillo de San Esteban.  This was Pamplona's chief defense against Muslim attacks. The thing with buildings on hills is that they are with you for so long, you see them far off in the distance and yet an hour later, they are still far off in the distance.  The other thing is you look up at the ruins and think, we aren't going to have to climb up there, are we?  Thankfully, this time, we didn't have to.

The path carried on through very nice rolling hills, covered with recently harvested grain fields, olive groves, vineyards and asparagus fields.  It was so important to stop occassionaly and look back to where you had come from, the view was always breath taking.

The walk was long, not hard, but long.  It looks like our feet are catching on that this not a one or two day hike, but a long series of everyday hikes, and so both of us had tired feet by the time we reached Los Acros.  This turned out to be a very common complaint among all the fellow peregrinos.

Today was another day of meeting new friends, and reconnecting with old.

Lynn spent almost half an hour chatting with another pilgrim from Ireland.  He had done the Camino last year and was hiking with his wife, who wanted to complete those sections she hadn't done before. He fell ten days ago and cracked a bone in his shoulder. At one point Lynn said 'there is no evidence that St. James was ever in  Spain' at which point he said 'have you no faith?' Later he laughed and said he had some doubts too. He wanted to know where we are going in Ireland in May and figured we must be going  to his city which has two St. Patrick cathedrals. He said we would love Iona.

Then we ran into the other Irish pilgrim, sitting in the square in Los Arcos, who had left at 5:30 this morning.

And happily we passed George and Jack, who we had met in St Jean, sitting in a park just before Los Acros. We later had supper with them. George's wife is now safely back in Atlanta.

Lynn had a good cry today on the camino for the Aussie teacher that lost his son. When we first heard his story a few days ago she was thinking it was divine intervention we had met him to support us in our struggle. But on further reflection perhaps we met  more for us to support him in his grief and struggle to come to terms with happened. We know enough of  this disease to understand how he must wonder if somehow it was his fault, if there wasn't something he could have done to prevent such a tragic and senseless loss of life. I'm starting to  believe that this isn't something you can ever let go of.

Summary - the mileage is adding up and its getting harder.  The body is starting to cease up from all the exercise.  Seista time feels so good. Tomorrow is 28km and the day after is 31. More time is being spent in quiet reflection. This is definitely a walk on holy ground.

Distance today - 22km
Distance total - 140.5km

Day 6 - Puenta la Reina to Estella

Up and at it 6:40, breakfast at 7:10 and ready to dash off.  That is until Russell couldn't find the camera, which was exactly where it should have been.  So, on the trail at 8:15.

Before we leave Puente la Reina, we should say that the restaurant in our hotel is the first place we have ever seen an all-you-want, serve yourself, red and white wine dispenser.  Just place your glass under the spigot with the colour you want.

We had supper last night with the Aussie brothers we met the second day in St Jean Pied de Port. One is a high school teacher and the other a professor at the university in Melburne. It turns out the teacher is the one that wanted to do the Camino. His brother is accompanying him for two weeks, he will then do most of the mesa on his own (this is the stretch with the highest pilgrim drop out rate-that may be hard for him), and then his wife will join him for the last two weeks.

The teacher is doing the Camino for almost exactly the same reason as Lynn. Isn't that a remarkable coincidence we met such a kindred spirit at the start of our journey. He is also booked with the same travel company as we are and we are going to be in mostly the same hotels on the same days. I take that as divine intervention!

We had a very long, and I think mutually supportive conversation after dinner last night. His brother says it is very difficult for him to understand because he has never had to deal with that problem. However, we really understood what each has gone through. Unfortunately, he has actually lost his son. Lynn spent a lot of time thinking about the conversation today. A lot was there to learn from.

The path out of Puerta la Reina was easy to follow, and we crossed the river arga for the last time today via the first of many medieval bridges we will cross today. It didn't take long to reach the first steep hill of the day to climb.  Behind us we could make out a line of wind turbines and the wrought iron pilgrim statues in the distance.

This is certainly wine country and judging by the houses, they are doing very well.  The vineyards look very straight and orderly from a distance and when you get close, you can see the enormous bunches or red and green grapes, that still need a bit of time before harvesting.

The other thing we have noticed are the fig trees, olive trees, pomegranite and what we think are mango trees.  It is obvious the climate is much kinder in the winter than in Ottawa.

The other thing are the incredible number of blackberry bushes along the path.  Perigrinos are nibbling on them as they walk by and yet it looks like one could make hundreds of jars of jam from the pickings in just one km.

A curious thing we have noticed for the past few days, is that along the path, the wild dill weed is absolutely covered with white snails.  The plants are 5 or 6 feet high, and the snails are along the stems, almost to the top, not in ones or twoes, but in dozens.  And this doesn't seem to be isolated.  It is almost as if they are saying, if you want supper, have me and my friends with a bit of this dill.

 We continued to run into perigrinos we had met on previous days and make friends with new ones.  You would chat for a bit and then steam ahead.  The feeling of being a family is amazing.  Today we met a very interesting pair,  an Israeli girl walking with a  christian Lebanese guy that she had met along the Camino.  Now there is a contrast. We told her about our trip to Israel in 2012 and she wanted to know the name of the kibbutz we stayed at. Can anyone help? Was the city it was near Tiberius? She had served her time in the IDF.

We met a fellow from Ireland who shared pistachios with us. We called to Sarah from Spain who had missed a turn and was wandering off the Way. She was very grateful. She has a sister living in Canada. Russell found a backpack on the trail someone had dropped and carried it asking everyone we passed if it was theirs. We did find the owner who was very grateful.

Churches, churches everywhere, and nothing less than hundreds of years old. Medieval bridges, hundreds of years old and still looking like they were just built.

For the most part, today's walk was along trails, rather than roads, and crossing over and under the highway rather than crossing the rio agra .  Looking down it was always amazing to see stone paths that pilrims have walked for a thousand years, built by who knows who, and walked on by millions.  Quite amazing.

The high point of today had to be the hermitage of San Miguel.  The structure is set in an olive orchard and one can't help but think of the garden of Gethsemane.  Inside, the stone benches along the walls and on the alter in the middle are covered in prayers left there by other perigrinos.

Another hill, what else can you expect, and you slog into Estella. In a parka on the edge of town, John and Margret, from Australia, are having an elaborate picnic lunch with table cloth and all the trimmings.  It made me feel so inadequate. Their Camino ends in a few days at Logrono.  Further along, the Lebanese lad was picking blackberries and offered some to us. He had just completed medical school in Lebanon, and is off to Boston in the US for his residency.  We had a long conversation on the situation in the middle east. He said he had to stop and wait for his Israeli friend to catch up but we are sure we will meet again on the road to Santiago.

The hotel we stayed in today is the only four star hotel we will stay in along the Camino.  Can you guess which window we perigrinos are behind (hint, look for laundry)?

Summary - I think we may be getting into the swing of things.  Our feet aren't too sore after our trek today and we even went out sightseeing around town after we gor here. It is still strange that the difficult days are completed faster than expected, and the "flat" days take more time.  But all in all, we feel very good today.

Distance today - 22 km
Distance total - 118.5 km

Day 5 - Pamplona to Puente la Reine

A moderate walk of 24km that should only take you 6:30, or so says the guide book.

It was a pleasant start to the day's walk with cloudy skies and a cool 18C.

Our exit from Pamplona went well, with only a few misdirections.  These were quickly corrected by the hand waving locals who knew what we were up to and were keen to see us get to Santiago.  What we did find out yesterday, courtesy of the baristas in a coffee shop in Pamplona, is that in Basque country, thanking the locals with eskerrik asko instead of gracias makes you an instant relative, and gets you a big smile.  They are very proud of their heritage.

By the way, that same coffee shop had an FMLN radio station poster, which got us talking to the Baristas in the first place.

The walk out of Pamplona was very pleasant, passing through another university and then into the country.  The terrain is very rolling and the fields speak of a vibrant farming economy.  Neat fields of corn, beans, and potatoes and asparagus.

The path began to rise as we approached Cizur Menor.  Rise and fall, as mentioned previously is a bit of a misnomer.  Any time you climb 100 metres and then go down 100 is considered flat.

The first site along the route was the portico of the church in Zariquiegul.

We continued our steep climb up to the Alto del Perdon, known for it's wrought iron representions of medieval pilgrims, some on foot, on horse, on camel, etc.  At 790 metres, it provides a magnificant view of the surrounding contryside.  What does stand out are all the wind turbines on this, and nearby hills.  It reminds one that we are stewards of the planet and what better way to protect the environment than with wind power.

At the summit were people meditating, soaking in the view, and taking  lots of pictures. Another saviour selling coffee, snacks, water and drinks.  They are such a welcome sight on the side of the road and they seem to appreciate the financial situation of most perigrinos, selling their products at a reasonable price. There is nothing wrong with the local water but a cold bottle of water is just so much nicer.

We were very blessed today that the hardest part of the walk was completed under cloudy skies and it was relatively cool. When we hit the summit the sun broke through and it got very hot very fast.

Now we began a very steep decent on loose rock, which just kills the knees, passing through Uterga, with a statue of the Virgin Mary in a lovely little treed park.  This provided a nice break for some perigrinos.

We marched on.  We added a 2.8km detour to our walk to visit a 12th century Romanesque church in Eunate.  The church has an octagonal form which is supposed to be modelled on the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.  It has a beautiful porch with twin columns surrounding it.  The exact reason for, and builders of the church are unknown.  The present caretakers have quiet Gregorian chants playing in the background in the church, which thankfully was open.  Something the perigrinos seem to appreciate, and the click click tourists don't.  This certainly turned out to be one of the jewels of camino so far and well worth the additional mileage.  Here we met Ronda from New Zealand whose team had just been in Toronto winning gold in field hockey. She  was unsure of the way back to the Camino and wanted to come with us.  So off the three of us went, the blind leading the blind.

Then on to Obanos, where we saw our first vineyards of Spain.  The grapes were small but there are very, very many. The detour entailed a very steep ascent into Obanos and we stopped at a bar and bought a very large, very cold bottle of water which Lynn downed very quickly.

Finally we dragged our bodies into Puente la Reine.  Our hotel was almost the first thing we saw as we entered the town, thank God.

The reality of the camino is settling in.  When the weather is cool and overcast, the walking is a piece of cake.  When the weather is hot, it wears you down very quickly. Walking up any kind of hills is fine, but walking down steep hills is very hard.

We continue to see grave markers along the side of the trail from time to time, marking the end of some perigrino's journey.

The cortisone cream is helping the existing rash on Lynn's feet. Unfortunately the rash is now spread to all points where the backpack and daypack come in contact with the body. Even Russell now has a heat rash  in similar locations. I think this heat rash will be our companion on the Camino. It doesn't hurt, just looks awful. In addition to the cortisone cream I'm going to try to find some shea butter and see if that helps.

Summary - a good walking day after our break in Pamplona.  Feet are sore at the end of the day, showing us that this will not be an easy journey.  The mind is definitely emptying, all you have to do is get up and walk, which leaves you free to look around and think about life.

Distance today - 27km
Distance total - 96.5km

Day 4 - Pamplona

Today we had a day off from the trail.  Instead of walking the Camino, we walked around Pamplona.

Last night we had a lovely meal at a restaurant along Estafeta, the main street of the running of the bulls.

The hotel, Hotel Eslava, is just off the Camino, and a bit of a challenge to find.  Lynn spotted the street sign completely by chance after we had gone past it when she turned around to look where we'd been while waiting at a street light. Lovely place with a closed in balcony overlooking the new city, with a university in the foreground and hills behind, which is a beautiful view.  Just below our balcony is a public courtyard with the walls of the old city between us and Rio Agra (the river we followed yesterday ).

After breakfast we went on a walk of the old city centre.  It is very obvious that the Europeans have a very different take on life.  At 0900, when we set out, the city was closed up tight with little movement, except perigrinos and other tourists.

We attended morning mass at the Cathedral of Santa Maria de Real, built during the 14th and 15th centuries, it's neoclassical facade hides a gothic interior.  It is almost impossible to describe the grandure inside.  The ceiling seems to reach for the sky.  The accoustics were incredible, and when the organist struck the first chord, it almost knocked you out of your pew. There were very few people at mass and we seemed to be the only pilgrims. The 5 priests conducting the service blessed the perigrino's and wished them well on the camino, which is really very special. There were however quite a few people touring the cathedral while we were there that didn't attend mass. A sign of the times?

We then returned to where we had entered the city the day before, exiting through the Portal de Francia, through which pilgrims from France have always been allowed entry to Pamplona for centuries.

Back to the Puenta de la Magdalena (the medieval bridge) entering Pamplona and the stone cross with the relief of St James, which stands sentinel greating pilgrims to the city.

After re-entering the city we went to the Archives, of Navarre, where a detailed model of Pamplona in 1212, 1512, and 2012 was on display.  The archives is built around an open courtyard with trees and paths.

A short walk got us to the Museum of Navarre, a world class museum showcasing art and artifacts from pre-roman times to the twentieth century. In particular they had a muslim ivory chest that was absolutely beautifully carved and many early mosiacs.

After siesta time, when we went out to explore some more in the afternoon, we encountered the Aussies we had met in St Jean.  They said that it took them 10 hours to cover the distance we had covered in 5:45  the first day.  We think the difference must have been that we had cool, foggy weather and they had sun and heat the next day.  A perigrino from Calgary they had walked with was stopping for a day or two as she had nasty blisters on both feet.

The afternoon was spent tracking down where Ernest Hemingway stayed while in Pamplona.  We found the hotel, very fancy, with a sign proclaiming he stayed in room 217. The room, no doubt, goes for a price.

We also found Paseo de Hemmingway, next to the Plaza del Toro, the street which was named for him.  There is a very imposing statue of Hemmingway in front of the bull fighting arena.

Off to supper, a paella, chock full of shrimp, clams and unidentifable items we didn't want to ask about.  An acquired taste but we can say we tried it.  This was followed by a much appreciated coffee frappicino.  The frappe was a great treat in the heat.  Oh yes, it was only 32 today.

And that was the day.  Off to the hotel for laundry duty.

Russ thought back to yesterday when we were unsure of the way.  All you had to do was look down at the hundreds of overlapping boot tracks.  You are not alone!

Summary - a welcome day off but we are anxious to get back to the camino tomorrow. The forecast is a mere 33. It is supposed to be a moderately difficult day, 22km.

Day 3 - Akerreta to Pamplona

The day dawned sunny and bright once again, with cool temperatures, great for walking.  The Hotel Akerreta where we stayed was a real gem, a heritage restored limestone and wooden beams building that had once had animals on the main floor and people above.  On our floor there was a curious concrete dome we couldn't figure out until we went to the floor below and found flagstones on the floor.  Flagstones were where they built a cooking fire and the dome was the chimney to catch the smoke.  Excellent accomodations, good food and great fellow perigrino company. Interestingly, there was no knob on the front door, you had to ring the inn keeper by intercom and wait for him to open the door for you.

Once again we were following Martin Sheen as the balcony scene in "The Way", where the owner was playing bullfighter, was filmed there.

Most of the walk today was in lovely forested areas, following the Rio Agra.  Plenty of trout in the water. The guide said the route was flat, which in this case meant you climbed a hill then descended the hill, repeatedly. Over the course of the walk, it evened out.

Funny how common place things cause little moments of joy when you have gone without.  There was almost a cheer when we rounded a corner and there was a public toilet.  Spain, at least rural, doesn't have the Tim's you can dash in for a pit stop. After that, however, a careful look at the guide proved that public WC's , rare though they might be, were indeed indicated.

The one thing we noticed was that many houses are surrounded by a fence, with locked gates.  Row houses have their doors tightly closed and shutters down.  We even saw a house with a steel door, wth a very obvious viewing slit.  No unannounced visits there.  As mentioned above, even the front door of the hotel in Akerreta had no handle on the outside, admittance by permission only. This may be a carry over from the Spanish civil war that wnded in 1976.

It was a lovely day for a walk, and an easy walk. One thing about the camino so far has certainly been that as hiking goes, this is a beautiful hike. The Hawaiian fellow we keep crossing paths with told us he is doing the camino because it is a beautiful hike with unparalleled support services for hikers (ie., a series of conveniently located alberques all along the route with inexpensive peregrino meals).

Both of us are glad it is a short distance today and looking forward to the day off we have in Pamplona tomorrow.  Our feet are not quite used to walking these long distances on a daily basis yet. On the walk through Pamplona to our hotel this morning Lynn bought a mineral effervescent bath bomb and planned a long soak when we reached the hotel. Later when the shops re-opened she went to a pharmacia and pointed at the horrible heat rash on her feet and the pharmacist offered some cortison cream. Let's hope that works. We did some sightseeing in Pamplona today - which is a university town filled with young people and plan to do some city walks tomorrow.

Distance to date: 70.5 km
Today: 15.5 km

Summary - The walk is going very well, the countryside is beautiful, people friendly, food good and fellow walkers fantastic.  The mind is starting to empty of all those trivial goings on that clutter our lives.

Day 2 - Roncesvalles to Akretta

Day 2 dawned bright, sunny, but cool (12 C). It would have been nice to get another early start because it was going up to 80 degrees F today, but the economic advantage of partaking of the included breakfast that started at 8am won the day. Breakfast was superb, with a lovely omelet, ham, cheese, buns, spreads, cereal and yogurt, as well as the usual bread and coffee.  Breakfast was consumed and lunch scoffed.  After deliberation it was decided to go with long pants and a warmer top.

Today was supposed to be longer, 28 km, but easier.

We started off at 8:30 and the going at first was easy due to cool weather.  We walked through a forest with some wonderful views that would open up of the mountains and valleys we were passing through.

The scenery was spectacular, made all the more enjoyable by the clear skies and sunshine. Markings continued to be good but there two places where it wasn't that clear. We had started to develop a theory that the orientation of the shells displayed direction as well as assurance you were on the path, but one counter example disproved that.

Very soon we abandoned the long pants and shirts. It was hot.

For lunch today we stopped in the forest and had some Icelandic dried fish and butter and bread heels from breakfast. Delicious!

Just about the time spirits and bodies were flagging, suddenly appears a truck on the side of the road with cold drinks and snacks.  Did that poweraid ever feel great and rejuvinate the spirit.

We met up with the American pair, George and Jack, we had met in St Jean Pied de Port, on the bridge in Zubiri where Martin Sheen's backpack fell off of into the river in the movie "The Way". It seems that by us getting away 10 minutes earlier yesterday and being fairly fast enabled us to miss the rain all the way to Roncesvalle. They apparently got soaked walking through the rain all the way from Orisson.

A lot of pilgrims stopped for the day at Zubiri or went on to Larrosoana (including Jack and George). Our hotel is booked at Akeretta, further on.  A few people were soaking their feet in the river, something we didn't do but in retrospect, should have.

Today met John and Margaret from Tasmania who were interesting to talk to and are staying at our hotel tonight.

After Zubiri the path was in the hot sun and we travelled through an Industrial district (a cement plant) that allowed the camino to cut through. We were both getting very tired feet, and very hot at this point. From the trailer selling drinks to Larrosoana (about 8 km) Lynn drank about 1.5 litres of water. We took a detour into Larrisoana of about 1.6km to go to the tienda because there was nothing in Akeretta except the hotel. You have no idea how physically, mentally, and spiritually exhausting that detour was! However we did run into virtually all of our new camino companions there, including Jack, George, and George's wife and wished them all a good evening.

Today was beginning to be a more spiritual day. Between figuring out backpack placement, new country and figuring out the pace, the mind is still very busy. But there were spots on the path that seemed to glow (the sun shining through mist?) and appeared holy. The trail through the forest shimmers, and the forest floor is covered with leaves and the trees and rocks are covered with moss. It's surreal and divine. We are surrounded by God's beauty, in the forests, the villages, the sweeping views, and the people.

Forgot to mention, last night at dinner we sat with a chap from Vancouver.  When we mentioned we were having our luggage moved around, he commented that "well, you are almost pilgrims"!

Also, the first hymn at the mass was sung to the alternate tune to "Red River Valley".  I fully expected John Wayne to descend and bless the pilgrims.

Summary - a long, hot day, tired after yesterday but the feet are good in the sense that no one has any bisters or other serious foot problems.  Today was supposed to easier than yesterday but seemed harder because of the heat. Lynn has a heat rash, a common hiking problem when camping, and one without any apparent remedy. Aside from a very nasty looking rash it doesn't hurt or have any other side effects so we won't worry about it. Looking forward to a day off in Pamplona.

Day 1 - St Jean de Port to Roncesvalles

The day began rather too early, at 4:30, the iPod thinking it was still on Tel Aviv time from our trip in 2012.  An hour later we were up, packed, and off for breakfast.  With our typical breakfast done; bread, coffee, croissants, we were on the way at 6:20.  It was a cool, 18 C, foggy, dark start to the day.  We had had a look at the portion to Orisson the previous day as we had meet some folks from Atlanta who had a car.  We estimated the walk would take 10 to 12 hours and involve climbing what looked about 5,000 metres along a paved goat track.

Off we headed.  It was a lovely start, dark and cool.  As we walked, we met up with other pilgrims, singley or in groups.  We would tend to slow down and walk along for one, or several minutes, exchanging conversation before either you or them would move ahead.  Today we met people from Hawaii, Italy and Germany.

Before we knew it, we had passed through Huntto and reached Orisson.  This was something we had expected to take 3 or 4 hours, but took under 2.  This proved to be the hardest part of the walk.  The fog made the landscape very strange.  You could well imagine Watson telling Holmes about the strange sounds on the moor, as out of the gloom would emerge a flock of white sheep or cows.  Later on we passed through a herd of horses that seemed nonplussed by our presence.

The portion from Huntto to Orisson proved the steepest, with the rate of rise then dropping off until we reached the summit.  We had climbed 1,230 metres in 18.5 km!

From there it was literally all down hill, 580 metres in fact.  And we went down a lot faster than we had ascended.  This was hard on the knees, and with the fog and light drizzle, the going was interesting.

The way down passed through some beautiful wooded areas, very green and lush.  I should say that the slugs in this area would eat the slugs we have in Ottawa, being almost 4 inches long and the thickness of your finger.

We arrived at Roncesvalles in a little under six hours, a far cry from what we expected.

We checked into our lodgings and ate our previously purchased sandwich with local wine.  That made the day much better.

The afternoon was occupied with washing clothes, making ourselves human again,  getting a tour of the local museum and church of St. James, enjoying the peregrino special for supper, and going to the pilgrim mass at the church of St. Mary.

Summary - the day was foggy and drizzly so the scenery viewing was limited, improving near the end.  The trail is very well marked and you would really have to go out of your way to get lost.  The day was a careful and difficult slog, leaving no time to think on the purpose of your journey or other spiritual matters, the next days should be physically easier and allow time to reflect on the deeper purpose of the journey. Once again we have a lovely room with a view of the camino.

D Day-1

This is the day before we start the camino. We have our pilgrim passport, our shells tied on our backpacks, and are ready to go. You know what you have read about the alberques - well forget that. We have a charming room in the hotel Ramuntcho which is nestled at the 'foot of the pass' to Roncevalles in St Jean Pied de Port. It is right on the camino in the walled heritage district just up from L'Eglise. Our balcony has a lovely view of the Pyrenees and the cobblestone Rue de la Citadelle below. Last night we sat on our balcony marvelling at the view, enjoying a glass of bordeaux wine from the St Emillion appelation and contemplating the journey ahead. This is the festival week in St Jean Pied de Port so the city is bustling with Basque revellers bedecked in red and white in addition to the multitudinous peregrino's. There are marching bands and celebrations of all sorts. Very exciting.

We had a lovely holiday in Iceland with our son Kristjan at the start of our journey. Iceland is a fascinating country of mountains and valleys and sheep.  Most of the country is covered in lava. Some of the lava is black and barren and you feel like you've landed on the moon. Some is covered in moss. The mountains are covered in gravel. There are geothermal areas with boiling mud pots. There are lush valleys of hay with farms located at the bottom of waterfalls. The water here must be the best you can get in the world.

We hiked 24 km, climbing 1,100 metres, between two glaciers in the volcanic region of the 2010 eruption around a crater it created which is still warm and steaming. We were drinking the water straight from the waterfalls and streams, which was cold, pure and delicious.

We spent two weeks driving around the circle road, visiting museums, waterfalls, hiking, and generally sightseeing. We hiked on a glacier, took a boatride in a glacial lagoon, soaked in the blue lagoon and myvant baths, and cruised out to an island in the atlantic to watch the puffins.

It was a great holiday. Then we waved goodbye to Kristjan and went to Paris for 5 days. We flew out of Iceland at 1am and arrived in Paris at 6am. We successfully found our way on the RER and metro to our hotel in Montparnasse, then went and picked up our Paris Pass. Then we spent our days going to museums, special events in Paris, and went to Versailles. It was wonderful and a quick calculation showed we spent the value of the pass, not to mention the time saved not queuing up for everything.

So that puts us here.