Day 0 – Austin to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port
Before we even left Austin, I was approached by a woman in the airport asking if I was walking the Camino. She asked her question based on how I was dressed. She introduced herself as Vicki and told me her and her husband Ned were meeting up with their daughter, who lives in France, and the three of them would be walking the Camino together. They were also starting from St. Jean-Pied-de-Port but chose to fly through Paris. We parted with the standard greeting of “Buen Camino”.
The flight to Dallas was uneventful. The flight to Madrid was forever long. Our flight arrived at 10:30 AM on Sunday morning. We made our way to the Puerta Atocha station to catch our 2:30 PM train to Pamplona. We had time to catch lunch and pay our sixty cents a couple of times to use the bathroom. We both would’ve liked to stay awake for the train ride but were too exhausted. The few times I could keep my eyes open, I was amazed at the number of gardens that I saw. Lots of people living off the earth. There were also a few houses with solar panels…very cool. From the train station in Pamplona, we planned to walk to our hotel. Since I didn’t think we’d have access to GPS, I went the ol’ fashioned way and printed out a map. That worked well for three quarters of the trip and then we got lost. We stopped a couple of times to ask and the last time, the bartender just sort of chuckled and said you are “aqui”. If we had only looked up, we would’ve seen the hotel across the street. We felt a little dumb but it made us laugh. We had a quick dinner and then went to bed.
In the morning we walked around Pamplona a bit before our taxi driver picked us up for our hour and half trip to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port. We shared the cab ride with father-daughter duo David and Karen from the DC area. Karen had spent a year in Seville about five years ago so her Spanish was good. Heather and Karen practiced their Spanish with Ivan (taxi driver) and he practiced his English with us. We arrived in St. Jean-Pied-de-Port around 2:00 PM and Karen and David had to get going because they had to get to Orisson by 6:30. As we said our good-bye and thank you to Ivan, we turn around and who do we see but Vicki, Ned and their daughter Lani. Funny how things work out.
We spent our afternoon exploring the town, figuring out where we were going to stay for the night, avoiding the Rugby team who seemed to be every place we went. They had just won some big game and were in a very celebratory mood (i.e. drunk and loud). Once again, we ran into Vicki, Ned and Lani. The town isn’t that big so it’s not that surprising.
We ended the night with some wine, cheese and crackers that we brought back to the refugio to share. The group around the table included Heather and I, brand new college graduate Johnny from Virgina Tech, Margaret and Joe from Australia, Jay from South Korea, a Danish couple who joined later so we didn’t get their names and a man from Japan, whose name we also didn’t get.
For our first day, we chose the same path as Karen and David and only plan on walking the 5 miles to Orisson. It’s our first day and we don’t want to overdue it. As I sit here in the kitchen writing this, the refugio is quiet and everyone is in bed. (It’s not even 10:00.)
Tomorrow is Day 1. Buen camino!
Lessons Learned:
1. When in the airport, make sure you tie your shoes tightly and not for easy on/easy off or you’ll have blisters before you start.
2. As I look around at all of the people, I realize we are the same. I recently read that if more people traveled, there’d be a lot less hatred in the world. I couldn’t agree more.
3. Always have earplugs when sleeping in a room full of people. There are lots of people who snore and even some who talk in their sleep.
Day 1 – St. Jean-Pied-de-Port to Orisson
Today we hiked to Orisson. It was only 5 miles but it was the right decision for us. It was all up hill and the steepest part was the first 5 miles. And we survived! There are all sorts of people on the Camino. All colors. All ages. All sizes. All fitness levels. And the view along the way was amazing. Everything was so green and so beautiful. And then we had the afternoon to just hang out, enjoy the view and drink our beverage of choice. It’s a bit chilly so mine is hot tea. Heather’s is wine.
Today’s friends include Samantha from Alabama, sisters Jordana and Dahlia from New York, Ziev and Shanni from Israel, a group of Irish women (Eunice, Genny, Bina, LUCY) and Julie from Michigan who lives in France during the summer. (When I’m older, I want to be like Julie…what an amazing woman. She bought a house on a whim while visiting France and she travels the world. She was doing the walk between Orisson and Roncesvalle several times to train for the Peaks of the Balkans. Very inspiring!)
We ended the day with a family style dinner where everyone stood up and introduced themselves. It’s fascinating how this pilgrimmage draws people from all over!
Tomorrow we’re on to Roncesvalles.
Buen Camino!
Day 2 – Orisson to Roncesvalle
Most people do what we did in Day 1 and Day 2 in the first day. Since those two days are the physically most challenging and we knew we also have some remnant jet lag, we opted to split it into two days. It allowed us to take it a little slower and enjoy the views.
The day started out with a light rain and it continued all day. We had our backpack covers, ponchos and gloves so we were prepared. It was cool but as long as we kept moving, we were fine. The rain and fog did hinder some of the views but it was still an amazing walk. It was fun to see the sheep, horses and goats just wandering the countryside. There were a few colts who were incredibly adorable and we had to stop to watch them.
In Roncesvalle, we’re staying in an old monastery. They’ve redone it so everything is very modern. In just two days, I’ve learned to appreciate a hot shower. I wish it would just keep running without having to push the damn button. I suppose I’ll get used to that by the end of the trip.
It’s all (or mostly) downhill from here (literally).
Buen Camino!
Lessons Learned:
1. Before heading out for the next place, always double check in the bathroom and under the beds for any belongings. I’m now down from 3 to 2 pair of underwear. Ugh!
2. Heather and I both brought flip flops with the thong. In hindsight, flip flops without the thong would’ve been better. On days like today, when you’re done with your walk, but it’s cold and rainy, it’s nice to get out of the hiking shoes and just bum around in socks and flip flops. Very difficult to do when there’s a toe post in the way.
The morning was a beautiful morning with lots of sun. It was followed by a few bouts of rain. And the day ended with sun. We spent most of the day walking through forests with the occasional crossover of a major road. You spend the day passing the same people since we all take breaks at different times.
Our night ended with a dinner with a couple from Denmark, a couple from Scotland, a couple from the UK, a lady from San Francisco and a gentleman from Germany. It was the most food we’ve been served from the “pilgrim menu” and it was a meal full of laughs.
Buen Camino!
Lessons Learned:
1. Having two trekking poles is invaluable. I can’t imagine doing this trip without them. They’ve been so helpful in going up and downhill.
2. For dessert, if offered apple or lemon mousse, always choose lemon mousse. (This was a breakdown in communication between our Spanish server and the English speakers at the table.. Most of us thought it was apple mousse or lemon mousse. We were very disappointed when we were brought a plate with an apple on it.)
3. It never hurts to ask. For example, asking for a second bottle of wine at dinner when they normally only serve one. Yay Sherry!
Life's Adventures.... 
Love all your beautiful pics and your recap of each day’s journey. I don’t know how you’re going to manage with only 2 pair of underwear, though!
This is great work. So glad you are doing this. It brings back so many memories.