• Starting Point: Pamplona
• Ending Point: Zariquegui
• Daily distance: 6.96 miles (11.2 km)
• Total distance: 49.3 miles (79.3 km)

After a good night of sleep, I wake up feeling refreshed and in good spirits. Laura and I have decided to take it easy today. 

First, we visited the Cathedral in Pamplona for Mass. There were only a handful of parishioners for the morning service, giving it an intimate feel. One thing that I love about the Catholic faith is its consistent Mass throughout the world.  Laura could follow along with what was going on even though it was all in Spanish. And although I’m unfamiliar with the details and steps of the liturgy, I enjoyed the serenity and offered my prayers.

After Mass, we went to the mobile phone store to get a Spanish SIM card to be able to place phone calls with the country. After yesterday’s difficulty in securing a room, we have decided to call ahead to ensure a room is available. Today we also made sure we had plenty of food and water to last to our day’s final  destination. 

Pamplona was a lovely city. It had a modern feel, but lots of history. I would really like to come back sometime and explore more. As we hiked out of the city, there was a stark contrast to previous terrain. Gone were the shade trees, greenery and rivers. The land was brown, rocky and fallow. Silhouettes of giant windmills stood out in the distance. The sun baked our skin. There was a slight elevation climb. 

Our destination, Zariquegui, is a tiny country hamlet with only 2 albergues. The room in our albergue contained 5 bunk beds. We get settled into our bunks and head downstairs for dinner. Two other pilgrims join our table, a woman from San Francisco and a woman from Denmark. The lady from Denmark tells us about the dairy and pig farm she and her husband run. We also catch up with Sandra from Tampa, who we first met our second night in St Jean Pied de Port and have crisscrossed paths with all along the trail. There is a feeling of kinship and community building on the trail. A shared joy is felt when you see a familiar face. Trail stories are shared…where you stayed, how hard a certain section was, changes in plans, injuries, how mutual friends are doing, etc…

After dinner, we turn in for the night. 

Note: I have been having internet connectivity issues so this post may  appear out of order. 

• Starting Point: Zariquegui
• Ending Point: Puente La Reina
• Daily distance: 9.57 miles (15.4 km)
• Total distance: 58.87 miles (94.7 km)

The day began with an ascent to the windmills and to Alto de Perdón, a pilgrim statue erected by the energy company. There is an inscription that reads: “Donde se cruza el Camino del viento con el de las estrellas” (“Where the way of the wind meets the way of the stars”).

The descent down was quite rocky, but led to a beautiful statue of Mary. 

The path then became to meander through corn fields. We took a one mile detour to visit the mysterious Ermita de Santa Maria de Eunate. It is a 13th century octagonal shaped church with 33 arches surrounding it. The mystery is its origins…nobody quite knows who built it. Some say it was built by the Templars. Others believe the 33 arches represent Muslim prayer beads and suggest worshippers circled the church meditating three times (99 doors) before entering the 100th door of the church. Inside the church sits a statue of Mary. 

More cornfields followed. As we were walking along, I noticed what must have been thousands and thousands of snails on the foliage along the roadside. 

I don’t know whether our bodies are adjusting or the trail was kinder to us today, but today’s hike felt easier.  We have one more day of lower mileage (around 11 miles) and then we start really ramping it up (15 and then 18 miles!).  
We finally arrived at our destination for the night. And what a treat…we splurged on a private room at the hostel for an extra $5 each (a lot on a pilgrim’s budget). Usually a bed costs $9-13 per night. No climbing to a top bunk or being hunchbacked on the bottom bunk. It was heaven! 

After getting our room, we had dinner at a local restaurant. If the albergue doesn’t serve dinner, most restaurants offer a pilgrims menu. I selected mixed paella (rice with pork, mussels and shrimp), roasted rabbit with aeoli and fries. They serve fries with everything here, at least on the pilgrims menu. Dessert  and water or wine is included all for $10 total. Breakfast and lunch average $5 each. Then you have snacks, cafe con leche and laundry. Overall, I’m finding that it was reasonable to budget $40 per day for this adventure. 

After dinner, we did laundry and went to Mass. The Catherderal was beautiful. We were again called forward for a pilgrim’s blessing. Hey, I’ll take all the blessings I can get!

Again, I’m finding the internet speed super slow. I have more pics to load once I get better connectivity. 

• Beginning Point: Zubri
• Ending Point: Pamplona
• Daily distance: 13.1 miles (21.1 km)
• Total distance: 42.3 miles (68.1 km)

The feeling of claustrophobia did not abate overnight. I awoke in a tiny room crammed with 3 bunk beds and 5 women all trying to move around and get ready to hike. I scrapped up my knee trying to climb down from my top bunk, which further fouled my mood. As soon as Laura and I stepped out onto the trail, a huge wave of relief ran over me. Being out in the open air with all that space felt amazing. 

I talked to Laura about how I was feeling and that I needed a few hours to walk by myself, just a little bit behind or in front of her so we could still look out for each other. She was very understanding. We walked at a distance for about an hour. Soon after, another pilgrim named Renee joined us. We first met Renee our second night in St Jean Pied de Port and have been passing each other off and on while hiking. As Laura and Renee chatted, I walked ahead and had a couple of more hours to myself. Other pilgrims passed by, but I kept the greetings short and they moved on quickly. It was just what I needed!

It was a beautiful sunny day. We mainly walked through small forest paths that ran between small country hamlets. However, there were still many ascents and descents. My body is definitely becoming stronger. On our first hike, I had to stop every few feet to catch my breath on a steep ascent. Now, I’m zipping right up them. But the descents are a different story. My knees ache with each step down. And other parts are starting to hurt…my shoulder blade, my left big toe, the spot just under my big toe, my heels. The soles of my feet feel bruised. 

We stopped at one small town for a coffee and omelette. While enjoying our quick meal, a cat jumped up on the table. I was holding my omelette up to bite (the Spanish omelettes are dense and handheld) and the cat took a swipe at my omelette! Chickens also milled about under the tables as we ate. 

We walked under a bridge and a man was playing a harmonica for us pilgrims. Anytime I hear a harmonica, I think of my dad who passed on in 2011. The harmonica was one of  his favorite instruments and he could play fairly well. I sat and listened to the man play and reminisced about my dad. I said a little prayer to him, told him how much I miss and love him. 

The day wore on. Perhaps it was the accumulation of the past few days, but we were exhausted, hurting and my bag felt like a brick. We also had no luck locating some supplies in the small towns, so we were very low on water and had only had the omelette for fuel.

Thus far on our journey, we had made reservations at the hostels. The main reason being that the first few days have limited accommodations and the towns are further apart. We wanted to be sure we had a bed when we arrived. Knowing Pamplona was a large city and that towns would become closer together on the trail, and wishing to be flexible in our plans, we decided to not make reservations after Zubiri. We would just stop when we were tired and find a place at that time. 

What we didn’t account for was the size of Pamplona. It seemed never ending. First, we entered the suburbs and searched out some water. But finding the water pulled us off the marked trail and we had to navigate our way back, which took some effort and time our exhausted bodies could ill afford. We finally entered the historic district where the running of the bulls takes place. I felt like I had been stampeded by a herd of bulls by this point. We had been walking for 7 hours. 

Our hiking companion for the day, Renee, was still with us. She had a reservation and we decided to walk with her to the hostel  to see if they had any free beds. Walking was excruciating by now. I was nearly in tears. Mentally, I was done too. I was short tempered and cranky. I had zero patience. I couldn’t think straight. I nearly walked out in traffic twice. Lack of sleep, lack of food, brutalizing my body had caught up with me. Not to mention the hovering anxiety of not knowing where I was going to sleep. We finally got to Renee’s hostel and they were full. We had to find somewhere else. The clerk recommended Hemmingway Hostel. It was half a mile away and when I heard that I really wanted to cry. All I wanted was to take my backpack off and sit down. But we pushed through. Laura was so stoic. I believe she was in mom mode and holding it together for me. We made it to the hostel, checked in and were guided to our bunk. I was so excited to sit down. I threw off my backpack, went to sit down on the mattress and was nearly knocked out. A loud crack filled the room. I had misjudged the height of the bunk bed and clobbered my head on the top bunk. Laura gasped. It was more shock than pain. But it stunned me. At that point, I lost it. I cried and laughed all at the same time. The ridiculousness of it all…my exhaustion, our unpreparedness, the pain, my crappy mood and now a lump on the head.  I looked up at Laura at that moment and felt such love for her. There she was solid as a rock. She was rubbing my head and held me for a moment. I know she was exhausted and in pain too, but she was looking after me. What a lady!

We showered and pulled on some new clothes for dinner. We walked a couple of blocks down and stopped at the first restaurant we saw. We hit gold. Spanish tapas, wine and flan. We learned A LOT today. There were some really awful moments in there, but we ended it sweetly. 

• Starting Point: Roncesvalles
• Ending Point: Zubiri
• Daily distance: 13.9 miles (22.3 km)
• Total distance: 29.2 miles (47 km)

We woke up to rain. Luckily we are prepared and pull on our rain jackets and pants. The rain is a light drizzle and we navigate through it easily, though our shoes and pants legs are soon muddied. 

The terrain today is forest paths. We passed through one forest in which 9 women were accused of practicing witchcraft and burned at the stake during the Inquisition in the 16th century. 

We were feeling very good until we realized that what goes up, must come down!  And coming down is even more difficult on slippery, muddy rocks. Miles of cautiously navigating through the downhill terrain wore on our knees and calves. We were hobbling near the end. In one section, water was rushing over the pathway and a mountain biker skidded and crashed. (He was okay). 

But the thing about the Camino is that cheerleaders are always close. When the pain begins to make you wince, a friendly face you met earlier passes next to you and encourages  you with a shout of “Buen Camino” or empathizes with you about their pains or distracts you with a story from their life.  Today as I walked I had noticed how all of us pilgrims look a like, especially in our rain gear. From a first glance, you cannot make a snap judgement about someone’s profession or social status. The first question is not “What do you do?”. Instead, hikers ask where you started, when and how far you are going. I could be talking with the CEO of a multinational company or a homeless person and not know it. It is refreshing to shed those “normal” classifications we make. 

A hike we anticipated taking 6 hours ended up taking 8 hours. We were so happy to see our albergue. It was a newer one with a small number of beds. Many guests were pilgrims we already knew and it was nice to see them again. Dinner was amazing. The albergue owner’s wife made a kind of polenta cake, a delicious soup, salad and lemon flavored condensed milk dessert with green tomato jam on top. And of course, Spanish wine flowed from the flasks on the table. 

By dinner time, I was exhausted, cranky and much less patient with others. Being an introvert by nature, I cherish my alone time and find solitude necessary to recharge my batteries. Living in such close quarters and talking all day on the trail is starting to take its toll. I became quite irritated with some new pilgrims I met at dinner, who I didn’t feel where in the spirit of things. As I lay in bed that evening, I had a difficult time falling asleep. Tossing and turning, I realized that just as I need to listen to my physical body on the trail, I need to be attuned and listen to my spirit. If my knee is hurting, I slow down and take it easy. If my spirit is shouting for some alone time to recharge, then I need to listen and do so. I finally fall asleep as I decide to walk in solitude tomorrow. Or at least try to…I’m not quite sure if it’s possible on the Camino. 

• Beginning Point: Orisson
• Ending Point: Roncesvalles
• Daily distance: 10.56 miles (17 km)
• Total distance: 15.3 miles (24.7 km)

Today was an amazing hike! The high point was 4688 feet (1429 meters). As we went over the pass, the wind really picked up. At one point, my hat flew off and my scarf blew over my face. We had a good laugh as I chased my hat down a small gully. It was quite cold as the wind blew; we pulled out our gloves and jackets. 

One of my favorite spots today (besides the end, ha ha) was the Vierge d’ Orisson, a beautiful statue of Mary overlooking the trail. 

I also enjoyed all the livestock. I probably took way too many pictures of sheep. 

The climb was quite steep in some areas, but we both held up very well. 

The descent weaved through a birch forest and opened out to a view of the monastery where we would be staying overnight. 

The final descent was quite strenuous. My legs were shaking from exertion by the end and I was quite happy to see the monastery. 

After we settled into our bunks, we headed over to Pilgrim’s Mass. The church centerpiece is Our Lady of Roncesvalles, a gleaming statue of Mary under a silver canopy. It was breathtaking and, honestly, stole the show. 

The priest called all the pilgrims forward for a special pilgrims blessing, which he repeated in about 6 different languages! It was a touching moment as Laura and I stood together as the blessing was spoken. She wrapped her arm around me and I felt very grateful to have such a sweet mother-in-law to share this experience with. 

After mass, we had dinner and then headed to bed. The monastery contains nearly 200 beds. It had quite a different atmosphere than the intimate albergues from the past nights. I don’t know whether it was the size and all the people or my exhaustion, but I felt a bit cranky as I settled in for the night….

• Starting Point: St Jean Pied de Port
• Ending Point: Orisson
• Daily distance : 4.78 miles (7.7 km)
• Total distance: 4.78 miles (7.7 km)

Note: The internet connection is very slow. Uploading pictures takes a long time and is sometimes not successful. So I’ll probably only post a few. It is a shame because the hike has been gorgeous. I will post more when I get better connectivity. 

The sound of angels awoke us this morning. Our albergue host played a  CD of angelic choir music to arouse us from our rest. We made our way down the stairs to a beautifully laid out breakfast. It was a serene and peaceful way to begin the day. 

I officially weighed my bag in the Pilgrims Office before heading out. It came in at 22.5 lbs with water!! That really surprised me as my scale back home had me around 19 lbs with water. I have a feeling I’ll be offloading some items in my backpack soon. 

As we headed out of town, we crossed paths with a military processional of some sort. The members of the processional were in traditional garb and sang songs. 

The hike was challenging, but not too hard. There were several quite steep sections and I had to stop frequently to catch my breath. I did notice my heel slipping some in my shoe which caused a hot spot. As soon as I felt it, I stopped and taped it up. It’s a good thing I did because it was red and it would have blistered. My hypothesis is that my shoes are looser here than in Florida due to the humidity. I trained months in these shoes and they fit me very well. Perhaps my feet swell more in heat and humidity. Or perhaps it’s just the incline. At any rate, I need to watch it closely and keep my heel taped. 

The views on the hike were gorgeous – green mountains, expansive skies, sheep and cattle. The temperature was perfect on the way up, cool with a slight breeze. 

When we arrived in Orrison we met a couple from Ormond Beach. We came all the way to France and met people 20 minutes from our home. What a small world! We had a bowl of soup on the terrace overlooking the Pyrenees and then made our way to our bunks. 

We are sleeping in a room with 5 bunk beds. We set up our bedding and then the rain started coming in and the temperature dropped. We layered on some clothes and went to the main room for coffee. We shared a table with a man from Germany with the most sparkling blue eyes. He is a roofer who works six months of the year in North Germany and travels the other six months. He usually visits warm places in Asia and likes quiet retreats. One year he spent weeks in a silent retreat at a temple and we talked some about meditation and our busy minds. 

Afterwards, I laid down for a nap and to write. The Orrison stop consists of just one building, so there is not a lot to do or see here. It is a highly suggested stop though as the next stop is another 10 miles in some tough terrain. And it’s good to take the first few days slow to allow the body to adjust. I am glad I heeded the advice as I can already feel the muscles in my legs getting tight. I popped a couple of Advil to hopefully head off the pain. 

After my nap, I showered and got ready for dinner. I sat next to a family of three hiking together. The mom is British, the father Scottish and they live in Germany. The daughter grew up in Germany but now lives in Switzerland. We talked about the different regions in Germany and their thoughts on the current refugee crisis. 

Dinner was roasted chicken, pea and potato medley, bread, wine and Basque cake for dessert. Basque cake is a speciality of the region and tasty, though I’m unsure how to describe it other than it has a soft texture and almond flavoring. Next, we went around the table to introduce ourselves. Again, many folks from all over the world – USA, Britian, Germany, Canada, Australia, Korea, Signapore, Switzerland, Holland, Italy, Brazil. 

Earlier in the day, I sort of clammed up around my Korean bunk mates. Most of my 10 bunk mates tonight are from Korea. I’m not quite sure why I didn’t open up to the group …though if I’m honest it was because I’m not as familiar with their culture. They seemed shy, so I was shy. As one Korean woman’s turn came around, she ended her introduction by saying,  “Please talk to me”. It nearly broke my heart. I realized that we had both been scared to talk to each other and that I mistook the group’s shyness as guardness and so had put up my own defenses. As we settled in for bed after dinner, I struck up a conversation with the woman next to me. We talked about our training for the hike and discussed the terrain in Korea and Florida. Then, I told her about my CPAP machine and how I wear a mask at night to breath. From under her pillow, she pulled out her own mask. She needs to wear one for her allergies. We shared a laugh. When it comes down to it, we are all so much more alike than different. 

We are taking today to recover from jet leg before starting out on our hike tomorrow. This free day also gives us the opportunity to explore the charming starting point of the Camino Frances route, St Jean Pied de Port. 

We began by having breakfast at a small cafe. There we met two ladies from Ireland and a gentleman from Holland. The gentleman is completing the Camino to fulfill a promise he made to himself when undergoing treatment from leukemia. He swore that if he survived cancer that he would walk from his home all the way to Santiago. He conquered the cancer seven years ago and he is fulfilling his vow over several years. Last year he walked through France and this year he will walk through Spain. 

Laura and I then walked through town, taking in the many lovely views of the river, mountains, the citadel, charming storefronts, ancient walls and unique doors. 

We took a path from the citadel down to the river and encountered some very steep stairs. It gave us a little taste of the climb we will be undertaking tomorrow. Our knees were aching from the descent. 

We stopped by the town church to light a candle for our pilgrimage. A beautiful statute of Mary overlooked the candles lit by pilgrims from all around the world. 

For lunch, Laura and I indulged in crepes – one savory and another sweet. The savory crepe was filled with rice and covered in curry chicken and raisins. The sweet crepe was chocolate and raspberry. Decadent hot chocolate completed the meal. 

After lunch we checked into our new albergue (the one that was canceled the night before) and washed some laundry. 

In the evening, we joined with the other 18 pilgrims in our albergue for dinner. Many countries were represented – France, USA, Canada, Mexico, Germany and Korea. Introductions were made, wine drank and new friends made. Dinner included soup, salad, potato tortilla, tiramisu and tea. Our host grew up in Basque (the region of France and Spain we are in) and he speaks four languages (Basque, Spanish, French and English). We kept him busy translating between all of us. I was especially touched by the Korean family – a father and his young daughter (11) and son (13). He told us that his work keeps him so busy that he felt he was missing his kids grow up. So he took a 6 month leave of absence to travel with his children. They are hiking the Camino together and then visiting England and Italy. 

I think I am beginning to see the enchantment of the Camino. I thought it would be mostly about the hike. And I’m sure there will be an incredible sense of accomplishment when we meet our physical goals.  But right now I’m fascinated with the people. What an incredibly diverse and interesting group of fellow adventurers.