Day 6 ~ Pamplona to Obanos

(Tuesday, May 7th)

The next morning we got off to a late start because Rosa had our laundry hanging in her locked conservatory. When she comes in, wearing a new house coat from yesterday, she is smiling from ear to ear and tells us that Olaf has gotten up very early to leave. She knew, as we did, that he was most likely too embarrassed to face us after his behavior the night before. We are certain that everyone in the pensione could hear him as the walls are very thin. Before we leave we ask her to take pictures with us & she is bashful but obliging.

We start off looking for a post box to drop our cards in and find one on the way. As we are walking along we feel as if our packs are heavier, and our bodies & feet more sore than before our rest day. This makes no sense at all, especially since I've mailed half my pack contents away.

As we head out of town, I am very eager for a cafe con leche. In an unbelievable twist of fate, I find a place where I can get a cup to go. It may be the only one in the Basque Country. We have searched many times before with no luck.

Jenny & I have decided to have shirts printed for our Camino walk. Mine will read, "Will walk for cafe con leche" and hers, "Will walk for paella" these are good examples of the silly thoughts that sometimes come to mind while walking for hours everyday.

Within a few kilometers it begins to sprinkle so we must stop to put our rain gear on. As we are doing so a group of Spanish school children pass by with their teacher leading and it's obvious that they are fascinated by us.

As we walk down and out of Pamplona, we cross the University Campus, which is just beautiful. We both decide that studying in Pamplona would be very nice. Cafe con leche each morning & Paella each night, molten hot chocolate on occasion.

My little toe on my right foot seems to have decided to join the Basques. I am not sure why, all of a sudden, it cannot live in peace & harmony with the rest of my body, but it's clearly angry & wants immediate independence. It's amazing how much pain can radiate from such a small part of your body. It makes each and every step that I take absolute torture for the entire day. Multiple stops to check things and to change bandages and socks are no help. Throughout the day it just continues to get worse for no apparent reason.

Shortly after leaving the city we come upon a group of 28 Irish people doing a guided tour. Their bags are shuttled from one hotel to the next for them while they amble about on the Camino for two weeks. They are quite a lot of fun & very curious about us. One of the ladies insists upon giving us sweets. They ask several questions about why we are out here, and even ask to carry our packs for a bit. We politely decline, but immediately fall in love with one couple named John & Edna. They are just the sweetest couple and John sings some Irish songs to help us get up a hill & to keep us entertained for a bit.

It's not long before we run into our long lost friend Lynette. We are so happy to see her again & spend the next hour catching each other up on current events.

There are also two older men from the Netherlands who we play leap frog with all day. They are kind and smiling each time we see them even though we can't really communicate other than with gestures. They ask if we will take photos of them and they do for us as well. Then we ask for photos with them and they get a big kick out of it!

The vistas on this part of the Camino are breathtaking, and it helps to distract us from the climb and me from the angry little Basque toe. As we crest Alto del Perdon, and see the sculpture of pilgrims trekking in a line we all have tears & goose bumps.
We stay on for a bit talking with other pilgrims and taking photos.

After a bit we begin the steep treacherous descent on loose rocks that roll beneath our feet. Jenny & I decide to take it slowly but Lynnette takes off like a rocket saying she'll see us at the bottom.

As we make our way down we discuss how surprised and relieved we are not to have run into Olaf today. We decide that he must be far ahead after his early start & that it would certainly be awkward if we would have had to walk along with him today.

At the bottom of the hill we pass an albergue with a bar and see Lynette & several others sitting in the sun. We stop for a juice & Lynette tries to talk us into booking the last private room available for 50 euro....my Basque toe hurts so badly that I was considering it, then Olaf walked up very timidly to say hello to Jenny. As much as we would like to be done for the day, we don't want to spend that amount of money so soon after our pensione in Pamplona & now that we know Olaf is here there is no way. We have our juice & say our goodbyes, then start off on very sore feet. The nearest town, Obanos, is another 5K/3miles. We have heard rumors that the albergue there is also full. If that's the case then we will have another 2 miles to walk beyond that. We have already walked for 7 hours today and we are both struggling at this point.

Jenny has such a good sense of humor. Somehow we manage to laugh our way through the 3 miles and with loads of luck on our side, we get two beds for the night for 7 euros each. We arrive in Obanos at 4pm. By pilgrim standards, that's very late and really pushing it. We are exhausted but elated to have beds.

The albergue is a beautiful old perfectly restored building with 35 stacked beds in one room. All the people staying are festive & friendly, there is a very good feeling of community here. We are too late for washing laundry or booking a pilgrim dinner, so we shower quickly & head to the supermacado to buy fruit, French rolls & ham. We then make 4 sandwiches each from our French rolls, eating one for dinner & packing the others for tomorrow.

There is a beautiful fourteen year old French girl, Marianna, in the bunk next to us with her grandmother. We have fun taking pictures with her, or trying to. She wants to photograph us but won't allow us to take one of her. This instigates a sort of photograph tag game for the last few minutes before bed. There are also 8 teenage German boys traveling together & staying in the albergue, so we all go to sleep fearing the possibilities.

Once the lights go out all is quiet & peaceful. It was a great night.

Day 5 ~ Pamplona Errands & Rest

(Monday, May 6th)

After a long night with no sleep, both Jenny & I decide that we will need an extra day to complete errands & get rest before setting off to climb Alto del Perdon, which means "The Hill of Forgiveness"

At this point we've learned that anything which merits enough attention to receive a special name deserves respect & preparation. Because of this, many have decided to stay over and spend more time in Pamplona. It is not possible to stay a second night in the albergue because they must make room for the new pilgrims arriving each day. We begin pairing up and searching for a nice, inexpensive pensione. By sharing we can split the 30-40 euro price and keep the cost much lower.

Allison (Ninja) from LA and a new friend, Belinda (Thumbelina) from Melbourne, Australia, decide to head out, as does Klaus (Rocket Man), so we say goodbyes and then set off for the pharmacia.

Strange new things are happening with my body. Under each of my arms I have developed a bright red circular rash the size of a softball. It hurts to the touch or anytime I move my arms in any fashion & stings when I sweat. The only time it doesn't hurt is when I am laying naked & flat of my back with my arms over my head...which is never.

I also have a recurring rash on my feet, ankles, & lower calves that seems to be climbing. While this one is nothing new for me, it has taken a much stronger hold than ever before. I know it will improve with time because it always does, but it looks awful & people get truly concerned when they see it. I have approximately 65+ people each day who want to lend me cream to help it. Because we are a group who cares for one another's ailments, this is a constant source of angst for many of my fellow pilgrims.

It turns out that the pharmacist we select is not only a very sweet woman & most helpful, but the wife of one of our fellow peregrino's. He has been on the Camino for two weeks and she misses him. Mostly because she is working full time and has two young daughters at home and he is normally with the children. She is a very pretty woman, but Jenny & I agree that she does look tired and he should get home.

She carefully inspects my rashes and retrieves three tubes of cream from the back room. She shares with me what to do with the rashes and then shows me ibuprofen gel and tells me to rub it on my feet & legs each night. This stuff is simply pure magic. She also hands me a small plastic box full of the second most amazing pilgrim product there is. It is called Compeed, and it's made by Johnson & Johnson. Thick gel bandages to place over your blisters. These things adhere to your skin tightly for days preventing any kind of infection & cushioning your sore blister to relieve pain. My question is why didn't I know they existed? Can it be that they are readily available in the US and I've just missed it? Further investigation on this is needed. Pilgrims at rest can often be seen making Compeed trades. It goes much like trading baseball cards but is based on size & shape. It sounds a bit like this, "I'll trade you one large heal oval, for two small toe tear drops"..."Hmmm, but I really need a medium side foot oval. Can you spare one of those?" This can go on for long periods of time.

This first time I saw this very serious negotiating process taking place between 4 adults, I began to laugh uncontrollably. It reminds me of the days when my kids had Pokemon cards. But I had no blisters then....it's much different now. Now I understand completely.

After the pharmacia, it's off to the outdoor store for new poles, and as a bonus, Jenny convinces me to buy a much smaller & lighter sleeping sack. This will enable me to send mine away with the rest of my excess supplies this afternoon, making loads of space in my pack. Considering that it's been too warm for me to even get inside my giant but lovely Kelty 0 degree goose down sleeping bag....it seems like the right thing to do. While in the store, aptly named Caminotecha, the clerk tells us that we can send things ahead to Santiago and a man there will hold it for up to 60 days for a small fee. This is great news considering that I just spent 113 Euro replacing things I already had, that and posting things back to the states is very expensive. She is kind enough to give me free walking tips for my new poles as well.

We stop off for post cards & stamps and then check into our pensione. It's not the nicest spot but will do. We set about with hand washing in a tiny sink & get everything hung up and then head out for the post office. I am able to send two very large boxes weighing 3 kilos each to Santiago. It feels so nice to let it all go!

We decide to be relaxed the rest of the day, sitting in the square and writing our post cards while we sip wine and eat Paella in the sun. After an hour the sky suddenly changes & a storm moves in with heavy rain. We are so sad because all of our clean clothing will now be soaked.

On the way back in the rain, we duck in shops along the way to stay dry and to gather the food we need. At one point the rain is too heavy so we sit in a coffee bar and drink molten chocolate. We are in agreement that this is the most decadent hot chocolate we've ever had. The demi spoon literally stands straight up in the thick pudding like drink.

When we finally make it back to the Pensione, we find that Rosa, the owner, has gathered our laundry & hung each piece ever so carefully inside her conservatory. We are so relieved & touched that we have tears when she tells us. This tiny woman, who wears a house coat at all times and pats us on the back of our hands to show her affection, is our absolute hero.

The pensione is now bustling with pilgrims & I head into our room to get off my feet & write in my journal. After about ten minutes, Jenny appears with a new face. His name is Olaf, he is from Germany & he is a beautiful martial arts trainer/physical therapist who is beginning his walk tomorrow from Pamplona. He asks if he can buy us a bottle of wine and hear of our experiences so far. (I know this sounds very strange but these things happen all the time on the Camino) I am in bed already but I can tell Jenny is interested so I agree to sip a little wine, as long as I don't have to leave the comfort of my bed. Olaf speaks no English & I can now speak 5 words in German...I figure this means the won't be much required on my part.

It all starts off well, they are chatting and I am in my bed writing in my journal & making the walking plan for the following day. As the night carries on, Olaf is not showing any signs of leaving & is only getting more animated in his conversation. Then, for some reason, he decides he needs to include me and we stumble through an additional 30 minutes of broken conversation with Jenny translating. When Jenny & I had both had more than enough and were only wanting to sleep, Olaf grabbed one of Jenny's trekking poles and began to fling it around martial arts style to show his skills. At this point we literally scolded him like a child and sent him to his bed.

Day 4 ~ Zubiri to Pamplona

(Sunday, May 5th)

Staying in the pensione was very nice, I enjoyed the privacy, even though it was still a shared bathroom. I started the day off very well prepared by purchasing fruit & pastry the day before. As soon as I had eaten & organized my things, I set off for Pamplona with my gigantic pack on my back.

I am excited, as I know that Pamplona has a large post office, a pharmacia, and an outdoor store, which should cover all of my immediate needs.

This will be the second day that I will walk on my own, talking with people along the way in passing but not staying with any one person or group all day. I think I much prefer this method now that I am more comfortable on the Camino.

After an hour or so walking, I met a delightful Australian lady named Rebecca. She is a nurse and has been for many years, but like others on the Camino is finding herself unfulfilled as of late. She is contemplating a significant career change and has chosen to walk the Camino and give it some deep thought.

As we were cresting a large hill I caught a glimpse of Hot Chocolate Bart ahead of us, but with his long legs he is out of sight in no time. We walked through many beautiful small villages on a very demanding path (the guide once again misleading me). We even came upon the small country pensione in Akerreta, where several scenes were shot for "The Way"

Next I met Inga & her husband from Constantz, Germany. They began their Camino just outside of their front door 5 years ago & complete a predetermined section each year. This year they will carry on to Burgos, which should be no problem because they move very quickly. I am just astounded to learn that they are both 80 years old.

As I was walking along listening to stories of their grandchild, I heard my name. It was sweet Jenny whom I hadn't seen since Huntto. We both had tears in our eyes upon seeing each other again. The Camino is funny that way, you can make such strong bonds with some people rather quickly & then when you part ways you are always aware that you may never see them again.

We walked along filling each other in on what we knew of other people, their conditions & approximate locations. She was walking with Allison, a TV producer from LA. The three of us hit it off quite well and started a very good pace while Allison filled me in on her life & her reason for walking the Camino.

After a bit we stopped at a small outdoor cafe and saw just about everyone we knew in one place. We had a grand time eating frittata & drinking cafe con leche while we made introductions, filled old friends in, and compared feet.

At the cafe was Hot Chocolate Bart, Rebecca from Sydney, Canadian Bill, Kathy & Wayne from Canada, and another Canadian that we all call Nick because he looks just like Nicholas Cage. All the women who see him for the first time do a double take...after that we just stare.

Jenny, Allison & I make a plan to stop just short of Pamplona so that we can get a good nights rest at a small peaceful albergue & then head into the city early the next morning. However, when we get to the planned stopping point, we are still feeling great so we decide to head on in. This would mean that we arrive in Pamplona at about 4pm...much later than you ever want to be if you don't have a reserved bed. We considered this but knowing the size of the city assume that something will be available.

As we arrive in the city, we have all met. up again and have a bit of a dancing celebration in a park that marks the edge of town. Klaus, from Germany, talks Jenny, Allison & I into trying the German confraternity allbergue first. We find no availability there but head into the center of town to find beds at the massive (114 beds) municipal. It is nice & new, only 7 euro and we are so tired that we'll sleep anywhere. We are all placed in a cubical of 8 beds together. It's now a glorified slumber party!

After finding our spots & showering, Klaus invites us out for a "cultural tour" of the city & the opportunity to follow him like sheep without having to navigate ourselves & to find food is enough to get us up again. After roaming around for hours on very tired feet, we revolt against our leader who shows no interest in food. We stop in the main square for a pilgrims menu & I (being the one who claims the least knowledge of Spanish) am quickly able to pick out the food that I want (I learned a long time ago to learn, at a minimum, the food that I want to try while in another country) and place my order. The other "experts" at the table continue to fret for the longest time before finally placing their order. While waiting we discuss what we are having & I am the only one who's food comes as exactly what is expected...they are astonished & quickly assure me that they will no longer be using their wickedly sharp Spanish skills to help me out!

Sleeping in the allbergue with 114 people and all the sounds that echo throughout the beautiful domed building proves impossible for all of us besides Klaus...who snores like a freight train all night and then wakes up wonderfully rested to 113 angry bedmates.

Day 3 ~ Roncesvalles to Zubiri

(Saturday, May 4th)

The minute my feet hit the floor, I was headed to look for my trekking poles, which sadly were nowhere to be found.

While searching I ran into "Hot Chocolate Bart" which much to his dismay, is his Camino name now. He was 30 minutes early for breakfast and trying to decide if he should wait or get the early start he wanted. After we discussed the usual important topics of how our feet felt, how many blisters we had, how far we planned to walk today, any important stops along the way & where we would stop for the night, we parted ways & I began my walk alone.
Being in Spain & having a few days under my belt now, I feel much more confident with finding my way and getting assistance when I am unsure. My tiny little bit of Spanish (thank you Login) gets me much further than my complete lack of French could.
I decided on the spot to ship my pack one more day since it is steep descent and I have no trekking poles. My hope is that I can make the 22km trek to Zubiri as quickly as possible and take care of washing my laundry, finding some grocery & pharmacy items, posting things home, locating new poles before all the businesses close for the day and then catching up on my writing.

I've also decided that I must separate from everyone else today and have some time to focus upon my own thoughts. Walking along and talking with someone can really help the time & distance pass quickly but I find that an entire day can pass without a single meaningful thought, especially when there seems to be only superficial conversation. Walking with someone else is definitely a distraction, in the days ahead I'm sure it will be a needed distraction at times but I feel like I need some space today.

What I have learned by watching others is that it is nice to walk along with people until the point when it's no longer enjoyable and then a slight pace adjustment faster or slower can easily take care of any potential problems or annoyances in a polite manner. Sometimes as you're walking and chatting with a group the conversation will suddenly take a turn and you can just duck out. At this point in the season there are quite a few people on the Camino but not so many that it feels crowded, which allows for an easy "get-away" if needed. I think this was perfect timing.

The first thing I realized about walking alone is that I notice much more of my surroundings. As I entered the tiny riverside hamlet of Burgette, I was just awestruck. It was absolutely picturesque and at 8am it seemed that I had the whole place to myself. This, a favorite trout fishing spot for Hemingway when Pamplona's excitement became a bit too overwhelming for him, is one of the most enjoyable places on the Camino so far. I found myself wanting to linger when I knew I really needed to move.
After Burgette I saw several people who had set out early since I was traveling light & moving as quickly as possible. I happened upon Canadian Bill stopping for a coffee, and Rene' and I continued to leap frog each other throughout the day. I also saw two ladies from Vancouver Island that I had met briefly in passing the day before, as well as the two gents from Atlanta. They had decided to split for the day so they could walk at their own pace.

We walked mostly through farmland which was a hilly, muddy, descent. I never realized that you could go uphill so much during a "steep descent" as the guide refers to it. The downhill portions were pretty brutal, very steep with no switchbacks. Once again very happy that i decided to ship my pack ahead.

The farms did offer a few lovely moments. First, I had a young, playful, border collie accompany me through two green fields, and then as I was walking through a village, I saw hundreds of sheep racing down the street toward me. There was a small rock wall which I was able to climb onto with a few other pilgrims so we weren't in the way, thank goodness. This provided the perfect vantage point to watch the dog who was herding them work. It was so impressive to see one small dog completely in control of so many larger animals.

I made very good time getting into Zubiri but managed to be covered in mud from head to toe. As soon as I entered the small town I saw a private pensione with laundry facilities & wifi so I stopped and booked myself in. Then I set about with all of my errands & chores. Sadly, I was soon to learn that there is no post office, so all my efforts hurrying there have been for not.

I did my laundry, had a hot shower, walked a block to buy a ham & cheese bocodillo, 2 apples, 2 oranges, 2 Kinder Bueno, a nice pastry for breakfast & a fanta, which I couldn't wait to devour.

I was so exhausted that I just laid in my bed and ate, saving half for my lunch on the road the following day. As I lay there I did my nightly planning & studying of the next days route & sent my kiddos messages. It felt very good to be clean and lying still.

The following day I would be making my way to Pamplona and that was exciting, the city holds so much beauty and history.
Having said that, the most important things at present that the city holds are a post office & an outdoor shop. I will finally be able to get my pack sorted & replace my trekking poles. After today's hike & looking ahead at the ones remaining, I've decided that I must buy another pair.

During the planning of this trip, I had visions of myself seeing sights and eating wonderful meals. At this point it's really still all about day to day survival. After walking 5-7 hours, finding a place to sleep, having a shower, washing laundry & finding food there is nothing left but to sleep. Having a room to myself, with a bed to myself, for tonight is truly the most glamorous & luxurious thing I can imagine.

Day 2 ~ Huntto to Roncesvalles

(Friday, May 3rd)

Much of the dinner conversation last night was focused upon the strenuous terrain lying just ahead of us with unknown conditions. Because we would be the first group to head through the pass since the opening, we decided to have our large packs transported to the next location and carry only day packs. This may have been one of the greatest decision of my life yet. The terrain for the first 20km was literally straight up (with only one small portion offering a switchback) and the remaining 5km was straight back down the other side. The terrain was also muddy and slippery, or covered with snow, or so thick with wet fallen leaves that it felt as if you were walking across deep wet sponges. The fog was so thick that all of the beautiful vistas, which normally reward such effort, could not be seen. Along the path there are many historical things to see, including many markers for pilgrims who have died in this area, but none were seen on this day. There were people who were completely spent to the point of tears who had just stopped and removed their shoes to relieve some pain.
We started off at 8am and by 9 it had begun to rain freezing cold drops. That only continued for about 30 minutes, but long enough to get everyone nice and wet. Then upon cresting the top and starting down the other side, a freezing wind began to blow. It was a difficult trek for those of us without large packs, I can only imagine what it must've been like with.
As I was climbing along, I ran into a Parisian gent named Ambroise from the communal dinner the night before. We had been sitting a few seats away and short of the introductions, never really had a chance to speak. Today was apparently the day. As I passed by (He was carrying his pack) he asked about my living in Hawaii and this started a conversation that lasted 12.5 miles. I learned about his first sad & brief marriage when he was very young, followed by his current very successful one. He was very excited on this day because his wife had just agreed to have a third child, which he has been wanting for quite sometime. (They are in their mid 40's so his wife had concerns and rightfully so!) I took the opportunity of pointing out that it may be poor timing on his part to be walking the Camino for the next 3 weeks.
Ambroise has lived in many places as a finance specialist and has acquired many languages along the way.
I also learned that he is walking about 30-35km per day in an attempt to finish in May so he can spend his additional month off work with his family. And all of this with a presumed broken foot. He is scheduled for an X-ray when he arrives in Pamplona. Such an interesting man, the time flew by as he was telling me his story. When we arrived in Roncesvalles he stopped briefly for a hot chocolate and then carried on.
When we came into the Coffee bar, sitting by the fire together to warm & chat were Rene' and Canadian Bill. Rene' had shipped his pack as well in hopes that his feet might appreciate the offering and begin to heal.
Sadly, I've had no sign of my Italian friends who must have pressed on for Larasoana. This means they are likely a full day ahead of me now and I will most likely not see them again until Santiago.
Dinner was booked at the bar for a few hours later. There were a few courses which don't merit mention, but we did have salted trout, which was very nice. I had read that trout wrapped in procuitto was a specialty in this area & have been looking forward to it.
The company at my table was about as uninspired as the meal sadly. Everyone was so exhausted after the days climb that they just wanted food and a bed. I did meet a few new faces at the table. A very young Swedish couple who were in need of cigarettes, two men from Atlanta, Georgia, one woman from New Zealand (who didn't transport her bag and found it very hard to say anything in a positive manner after her long day).
There really wasn't much discussion at all, everyone ate their meal & went to bed.
As I was lying in bed ready to drift off, I realized that I had left my trekking poles in the coffee bar earlier in the afternoon. Closed at this point, there was nothing I could do but hope for the best as tomorrow's journey is almost entirely steep, slippery, descent.

Day 1 ~ St. Jean Pied-de-Port to Huntto

(Thursday May 2nd)

After tossing and turning all night filled with anxiety, 5am came as quite a shock. However, things were running very smoothly until I left the hotel headed for the Bayonne train station. It is a lovely ten minute stroll, unless you make a right turn instead of a left at a critical moment. In this instance you literally get to enjoy the entire city by foot. When I realized that I needed assistance, I asked a woman passing by if I was near the station. She took a quick look at her watch and said, "Peregrino, No?" When I answered she told me with absolute authority to put my pack in her car. We hopped in and she raced the eight blocks back to the train station which I had apparently passed, and dropped me off to my waiting train with a very warm, "Buen Camino!" I tried to give her some euro but she wouldn't accept it. She just said, "My name is Kristine and I will be praying for you."
When I hopped out of the car a group of Italian pilgrims were also going into the station. They overheard my conversation with Kristine and waited for me to join them and board the train. All seniors who had met in an online forum before departing Italy, when they learned I was traveling alone, they immediately took me in as one of their own. Fascinated by the size of my backpack (as most everyone has been so far) they enjoyed guessing items that I may or may not have had. When it was discovered that I had packed extra ziplock baggies to protect things from the rain, they shared that they had not thought to bring any. When I gave them each one to keep their pilgrim passports in, they wanted to give me a gift in return. I thanked them and refused as politely as possible but they insisted, and then once the exchange had been made, all sat grinning from ear to ear eagerly waiting to see where I could make room for my new bright red Alfa Romeo hat.
At St.Jean Pied-de-Port, as soon as we stepped from the train I heard my name. It was Bill from Canada who had made it into town the night before, but came to use wifi at the small cafe nearby and saw us unloading from the train. Seeing him felt like bumping into an old friend. I introduced him to my new Italian friends and we all walked together to the pilgrim office to register and receive our first sello (stamp in the passport) to mark the official start of our pilgrimage.
We continued to walk together through the cobbled streets, stopping to meet the other pilgrims we saw along the way.
I met Bart from Amsterdam, a very tall young man with brown curly hair, who has a big beautiful smile and a very warm, comfortable manner. Talking to him was like drinking hot chocolate. He was also very intrigued by my pack, which gave the Italians an opportunity to boast that they had added to it. (I might have mentioned that I had a daughter his age in Missouri...starting to feel some matchmaking coming on!) He had decided to stay the night in St. Jean and begin his walk early the next morning. I wished him well and we carried on out of the city.
One of my Italian friends, Louisa from Milan, and I began walking along together and talking while the others stopped in stores along the way. She was the first to ask me why I was doing the pilgrimage. This, I soon learn, is what everyone discusses after first meeting on the Camino.
I shared that there wasn't one significant overarching reason that I was aware of at this point, but rather many things and a few people who will be on my mind while I am walking. She told me not to worry, that the reason would most likely become more clear in the days ahead. At the time I thought this was a very odd thing to say.
Louisa then shared with me that her husband had passed away four years ago, only two months after being diagnosed with cancer. This will be a long walking mediation for her, as well as, her first journey alone.
Before we knew it we had walked out of town and up to the start of Route de Napolean. This pass through the Pyrenees had been closed until this morning because of heavy snowfall. The other option for this section follows along a road the entire way, rather than going through the woodlands, so many of us had our hearts set on this. It is quite a long, arduous trek for the first day on the Camino, so many (including myself) plan to stop over at an allbergue as close to the middle point as possible. My Italian friends, however, planned to go directly to Roncesvalles so we parted ways at my stopping point with "Arrivederci"

My allbergue is located in Huntto. The room I am assigned has six beds, two bunks & three singles and i am the first to arrive. I select one of the singles & begin to unpack my things and settle. After a short while my first roommate appears.
His name in Rene and he is from Sweden. He is obviously a professional by the way he is quickly getting organized. He shares that he began eight days ago in Lourdes and that he has horrible blisters already. I don't think I gave him quite the response he was expecting so he immediately took off his boots to show me. I have to admit that I've never seen anything like his feet. It's absolutely horrifying and I have no idea how he continues to walk. I make a mental note to pay very close attention to how my feet are feeling as I walk, and to keep extra socks & moleskin with me at all times!
Throughout the afternoon more pilgrims arrive. Three from Germany are assigned with us. Jenny, who is 28 and solo (more to follow) and a couple named Nanny and Hinka, all three from Frankfurt. They met up while walking and decided to stop over together.
The five of us spend the afternoon together eating German sausage & cheese, (that Hinka carries with him everywhere) and listening to Hinka's entertaining stories.
Dinner is communal and there are about 20 who attend. Rene, Jenny, Hinka, Nanny & I all sit together and, after just one afternoon, it feels like we've known each other forever.
Hinka is the life of the party, telling tales and jokes all night and singing for us all when dessert comes. Hinka and Nanny are newly weds, and dote upon each other constantly. His stories are all of the many romantic things he's done while wooing her all over the world. They are such a cute couple with an insatiable appetite for travel...they remind me of a very dear Cornish couple I know & love!
Jenny is sweet and beautiful, a well traveled preschool teacher who speaks five languages fluently and has recently ended a long term relationship which was not progressing. She is truly every mothers dream daughter-in-law.
With all the fun Hinka encourages, dinner goes later than expected but before heading off to bed we make plans to meet for a quick breakfast together, just before heading off the next morning.
It was a very good first day. I am feeling a bit more at ease being surrounded by such kind people, but am still very apprehensive about trekking through mountains with snow!

So close, and yet.....

It has taken quite a lot to get to Bayonne, France my brief resting spot for the night. I'm exhausted but I have to say that everything went pretty smoothly. The 24 hours of travel gave me plenty of time to think about why exactly I decided to do this...? I came to no real conclusion...

I was very excited to meet my first fellow "Peregrino" (pilgrim) today on the flight from Biarritz. "Bill from Canada" who looks to be fit as a fiddle and, much to my dismay, is carrying a pack that's half the size of mine for his 43 day trip. I think it's safe to say that I will be making donations and/or posting things home tomorrow. The good news is that I now have a friend on the trail...the bad news is that I will never keep up with him.

Arriving anywhere in Europe on May 1st is generally not a good idea I've learned. May Day is a much bigger deal here and everything is closed....the buses didn't even run today. I also struggled a bit to find food but ended up finding a great little sushi spot aptly called "Sushi Spot." Seemed a bit of an odd choice for my first night in France but it was very good.

I'm off to bed now...big day tomorrow! Fingers crossed that the anticipated storms will bypass here so we will be allowed to take Route de Napoleon through the Pyrenees.

Will see if I can share a photo of my too cute hotel room...it will be a while until I have this kind of lavish privacy again!