Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Day 13 Belorado to Ages (March 31)

We got up early and started at 0720 our earliest start yet. Too bad we had to walk 2 hours to find an open bar for our first cup of coffee. One other comment about the albergue last night. By the time the hospitalero got up and had the coffee going, more than half the pilgrims were gone. The place we stopped at on the way had okay coffee and the bocadillo de chorizo was probably the worst we had yet. The sky was full of clouds in every direction. We really pushed walking today. We had to decide for a short day or a long day. Stop and call it a day at Villa Franca de Oca or commit to San Juan de Ortega. We decided to push on since we were feeling pretty good. We stopped for a bite at San Juan de Ortega and decided to the extra 3.5 km to Ages based primarily on the fact that the albergue at San Juan de Ortega did not have hot showers. We ran into the Austrian sisters when we stopped and they asked if they could join us as we walked to Ages. Cullen had mochilla (blood sausages) to eat. I played it safe with a tortilla con chorizo. The girls said they saw Dieter at Santo Domingo de Calzado a couple of days ago. He´s not far behind us. I think we´re going to dally a couple of days so our arrival in Santiago is on a Saturday, so we may meet up with him there. The last miles from Belorado to Ortega were through forest. Mostly on a very wide path which was probably used for logging. Lots of big ruts. Thank goodness no rain even though the clouds have been with us all day. When we arrived in Ages it seemed to be a ghost town. Not even a barking dog to welcome us! We saw the sign for the El Pejar albergue (private) and decided to stay. The albergue was run by a nice couple and we opted to have dinner there since we didn´t see any other options in Ages. We had nice hot showers, the albergue is bright and clean. Wooden lockers. A couple of internet machines and a dining room used as a game room, or for writing when not being used to dine. We combined our laundry with the sisters and had use of the washer and dryer for 6 euros. IT started to pour rain around 6 pm and it was running down the streets passed the albergue. Dinner was good. For starters, arroz con pollo, then tortilla with salad and peppers and ice cream for dessert. We were joined at our table by a maybe 35 year old Spaniard doing part of the Camino by bicycle. His name was Juan Ramon and he and Cullen had a very interesting discussion about a variety of subjects. I´m so glad Cullen was able to use his Spanish for something besides finding beds and ordering food!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Day 12 Grañon to Belorado (March 30)

When we woke up the wind was still howling! Alberto and David (hospitaleros) had breakfast ready for us (bread, coffee, juice). Alberto took Cullen and I into the church before we left. Another beautiful church. Mass last night was in the chapel so it was nice of him to show us the church. When we left the albergue the wind was blowing as hard (or harder) as it was the afternoon we arrived in Roncevalles! The first 4 miles it was blowing right at us. I can´t even tell you what the scenery was like on this leg of the journey since my head was down against the wind the whole way. And, all I heard all day was the wind blowing. We walked only 10 miles today, but it felt like 20. We finally arrived in Belorado and went directly to the bar. We got on the internet, sent some emails posted a day or two to our blog, then decided where to stay the night. There were 3 albergues. The parochial, the Cuatro Cantones and another that was new and no info in any of our references. So we stayed in Cuatro Cantones. I think there were 18 or 20 beds in the room. A women´s toilet, a men´s toilet and 2 showers with cold water only. We passed on the chicken dinner offered by the hospitalero. Instead we went to the grocery store and Cullen bought the fixings for a tortilla with 6 eggs, 2 potatoes, onion, chorizo. We ate the whole thing plus a half loaf of bread and a bottle of wine to wash it all down with! Although the bathroom and showers were clean, the kitchen was not so much. Also only cold water to hand wash our clothes tonight. After dinner we walked over to the Church and went inside. An older woman started talking to me in Spanish and I communicated (in Spanish) that I was a pilgrim from the U.S. Cullen came over to join the conversation and she told him she was 90 years old. She said the procession they have in Belorado is quite grand and it was a shame we wouldn´t be there for it. I´ve met more pilgrims each day who have started in Logroño. We went to bed around 9.

Day 11 Azofro to Grañon (March 28)

Another beautiful morning. We stopped at the restaurant Seville, had coffee, and bought a couple of bocadillos for the road. There were a lot of bicyclists there. They seemed to be in a biking club all wearing the same logo on their shirts. They loaded all their gear into a van before leaving. What a noisy bunch. Once we started walking, a couple of other cyclists passed us carrying the own gear. One fellow was towing a little ¨tiny¨ trailer. It was not a bad walk to Grañon. We planned a stop here because one of the forum members is supposed to be the hospitallero at the albergue in Granon. The walk was very noisy - construction and highway noise. I wish we could get to walk on something soft instead of pavement and rocks. We walked to Circuena and made a stopfor coffe and tortilla. Our second stop was in Santo Domingo de Claderas to check out the ¨Chicken church. Then continued. We stopped just outside of the city, just before the bridge and ate our lunch. There were many stork nests in the area. They were build on top of poles that seemed to have been placed there for just that purpose. I don´t know if we were tired or what, but the walk from Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Grañon was difficult for us. When we arrived at the albergue, Alberto welcomed us. it was his last day David would be replacing him. We stayed in the attic of the St John the Baptist church. It was probably the most rustic place we´ve slept in. Just mats on the floor. There were about 20 of us in the room. There were a few people we had met previously. Many German and Spanish pilgrims, one young man from South Africa and a young lady from Switzerland. We showered and did our laundry. I don´t understand why the washing machines here take soooooo long! I really miss real towels. We went to mass at 1900 in the chapel. Though the mass was in Spanish, the priest offered the pilgrims a special blessing in English and Spanish. It was very moving. After mass, the hospitalleros cooked supper tonight. Pretty good pasta - Alberto is Italian! delicious bread, asparagus, tomato salad. Our first pilgrim meal. One of the German pilgrims spoke to us about the German route. I have to investigate that more. One of the younger Germans played a few tunes on the piano. He was quite good. When we went to bed the wind was howling.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Day 10 Naverette to Azofra (March 28)

We were the only ones in the Albergue in Naverette last night. We had a good sleep and woke to more beautiful blue skies. There was no offering of food or drink when we got up so we just left and walked about an hour to Ventosa and stopped at the first bar. More great coffee and a chocolate croissant - yum. They also had wifi so we took advantage and sent a couple of emails with the iTouch. Not much to see on the way out of town. A snow covered mountain was on our left in the distance most of the way. Got to Najera and saw a big stork´s nest. Stopped on the Plaza de Espana for a caña, coffee and egg salad sandwich. The plaza was quite lively since it was Palm Sunday. Just 4 more miles to Azofra! Passed 2 wineries - here´s a shout out to our friends at The Wine House in Fairfax! When we arrived in Azofra we were hoping to stay at a private Albergue but only the municipal was opened. The sleeping arrangement is great because there are only 2 beds to a room. The are men/women toilets, but there are 4 shower stalls - coed. The hospitallera here is a young American woman originally from Columbia, MD. There are computers, but no wifi. Today I spoke to my mom and brother so all is good. It was a pretty easy walk. We had dinner in the restaurant Seville and were joined by a Spanish couple about our age. Though I did not contribute much to the conversation, I was able to follow along pretty well. I had a great meal of 2 fried eggs, chorizo, jamon, fries, bread and wine. Cullen had veal cutlet and fries. Both of us had flan for dessert. Went back to the albergue after supper and met a 79 year old Spaniard walking the Camino. Had a good night´s sleep.

Day 9 Logroño to Naverette (March 27)

Had a good sleep last night in the pension. Took advantage of another shower with real shampoo provided by the proprietor. Definitely have to do a pension once a week to rejuvenate! Living out of a backpack is hard. There was a bar open right outside our pension so we stopped in for a coffee (the best yet)and a most delicious pastry. We had an hour until the library opened so we had a second cup. We caught up on our postings-emails then headed out and had a very lovely walk around the lake. Another beautiful day. We passed the fence of crosses mentioned in the guide book. Pilgrims are very inventive. There was a cross made out of a water bottle. We decided to stay at the El Cantaro Albergue when we arrived in Naverette because it was smaller than the first albergue you run into when you arrive in town. The owner was very welcoming and did the wash for 3 euros. I´m getting used to paying someone to do my wash! The building had lovely tile work throughout it was very clean, wooden lockers, separate women/men showers and toilets. Luxury! There were 6 bunks in the room. It was 10 euros per person for the night. We went for a walk around the town before dinner and checked out the church. I´m amazed at the enormity of the churches. Stopped at the ¨Deportivo¨ bar/cafe and ran into some pilgrims we had met previously. Had a decent meal for 12 euros; Chick peas and spinach, stuffed peppers and arroz con leche. Cullen had garlic soup (again), ribs and fries, and yogurt.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Day 8 Los Arcos to Logroño (March 26)

After our goodbyes we started walking under blue skies. We stopped and bought some supplies for the day. Something we did not do the day before and we sorry we had not. We stopped in Sansol for a cafe and passed a couple of very attractive albergues. The walk wasn´t bad, but since we had not had a good night´s sleep we were going to stop in Viana for the night. We ran into a couple of young Spanish men whom we met on the first day out of Roncevalles and they were going to continue to Logrono. One said to me, ¨Palma, have a coffee, a bocadillo and a beer then continue to Logrono. It´s an easy walk, mostly downhill¨. Though we didn´t have the coffee or bocadillo, Cullen had a beer and we continued to Logrono. It was not a bad walk so we´re glad we went on. As soon as we arrived we headed to the tourist office and found a pension for the night. After 8 days of walking, we are ready for a bed and bath to ourselves. We hit ¨Tapas row¨ and enjoyed great food and wine. During the evening in Logrono we ran into the first of many (I hope) religious processions. It consisted of a large statue of the Black Virgin being carried by about 10 men and women. The virgin was carrying a set of rosary beads which swayed as they carried her. There was a good sized band of brash and drums. I can´t begin to describe the feeling of watching that event.

So far, no blisters-thanks to all who suggested coating your feet with vaseline everyday. The only complaint is the inside of my arch-instep feels sore. It only hurts when my boots are off. Bwahahahaha.

Day 7 Lorca to Los Arcos (March 25)

The folks at the albergue were kind enough to get up and make us cafe con leche and toast this morning. We left around 0830 and had intended to make it to Irache and get a hotel. But we were making good time with the Irish pilgrims and decided to forge ahead. It was great to see the wine spigot and fill our bottle a bit. No lines, no busloads. We did stop in the hotel and they gave us access to the coffee machine and the bathroom which was great. We arrived in Los Arcos around 1815 and made the mistake of stopping in the first Albergue we came to because we were tired. A young South African woman gave us good advice the next day to pass the first albergue by. She stayed at the last albergue and there were only two people staying there. There were lots of pilgrims in the albergue we stayed in, which was okay because we ran into many we had met before. It was a very noisy night - 2 snorers who could wake the dead. At breakfast Billy and Christine (Irish) were pushing to Navarette. They are on a tighter schedule than we are to we said farewell to them.

Day 6 Uterga to Lorca (March 24)

We had a pretty good sleep in Uterga though the beds were very noisy when anyone moved. We hit the road at 8. One of the pilgrims we met last night was Vicente, a young Spaniard who will be walking to Estrella today. Not us. We´re hoping to make it to Lorca. This was one of the most beautiful mornings. The sky, the scenery - unbelievable. We took the detour to Eunate. Unfortunately, the octagonal church didn´t open until 1030 and it was 0930 when we got there. They did have the sello outside on a table so we took advantage and stamped our credential. Made it to Puenta la Reina and saw the Brazilians. They were staying there for the night. The daughter was having knee trouble. We probably won´t see them again on the way. Saw our first stork and nest today! As we were taking in the view right outside of Puerta la Reina a couple passed us by, when we caught up with them as they were taking a break we started chatting and found out they were from Ireland. We walked with them the rest of the way to Lorca and had a grand time! We passed a lot of vineyards today, more than any other day so far. Lots of olive groves as well. We all got a bed in the albregue La Bodega del Camino. 8 euro per and dinner for another 10. No choices tonight, just pasta, pork, peppers, fries, vino, bread and ice cream. Once again when we went to the bedroom after dinner a young pilgrim already had lights out! This young one was from Hungary and had been in bed since about 4 in the afternoon. This is the third time this has happened to us - someone had lights out around 8 o´clock making it difficult to get to bed and ready for the next day.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

We are in Lorca (March 23)

We made it to Lorca today, a 16 plus mile walk from Uterga. We met a nice Irish couple, Billy and Christine, and it made the walk much easier. We did the detour to Eurente but got there to early to see the insides. We are now in a flutter on where to go tomorrow. We wanted to stop at Villamayor but the albergues there are closed until easter. Not sure we want to walk all the way to Los Altos.

Day 5 Pamlplona to Uterga (March 23)

When we got just out of Pamplona by the university we must have missed the Camino arrow, so we were standing there looking like we were lost I suppose because an elderly gentleman approached us and in Spanish told us where the path was and walked with us until he had to turn off. He was our Camino angel that day. The trail out of Pamplona was HOT and rocky. Aside from a little rain when we left Roncevalles, we have been very blessed with good weather. But..there was not a bit of shade and really no where to sit and rest. We paused for a drink and all we could hear were the bees buzzing and birds singing.

We stopped in Cizur Minor for lunch and had a most delicious ensalada mixta sandwiched between 2 Spanish tortillas. Next stage of the walk was a long, slow incline. Then a long slow decline. The trail on the decline was covered with small rocks making it very difficult on the feet and knees. The last mile or so into Uterga was flat and wide but the surface was hard. This day was not an easy day. When we arrived a few pilgrims we had met previously were there; the young British woman, the Brazilian father/daughter, and an Asian girl. After showering, washing clothes and stretching we went downstairs to get a drink and write in the journal. Lo and behold in comes Dieter! We all agreed it was a hard walk today. The albergue (Camino del Perdon) was great. Its the first place we stayed in with its own cafe. There are a couple of computers on the 2nd floor in a living room area.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Day 4 Zubiri to Pamplona (Marc 22)

Tonight we are in Pamplona in the Albergue Camino de Perdon. Very nice private albergue run by German women and suggested to us by Dieter the first time we met him in Valcarlos.

Our walk from Zubiri to Pamplona was a killer walk. It was very noisy = between highway traffic and factories. some of the footpaths made for very nice walking but we walked into the Albergue along with Becky the British woman, Zach the young Canadian and Ethan the teenager from Vermont. We were greeted with a hot cup of tea and biscuits which really hit the spot. One of the hospitalleros told the five of us to combine all our laundry and she took care of it for 3 euros. We ate at a recommended cafeteria called the Cafeteria Palace, run by a former peregrino. We were treated like kings!! Lots of wine, good three course meal and an after dinner shot of a local liquor. Palma had her first sol y sombra. A delicious drink equal parts anis liquor and brandy. It was quite a generous pouring. Back to the Alberque for 10:00 lights. Had a good night sleep and lights on at 0600.

This morning we went to the post office and got rid of 4 kilos. We then went to the public library and did a bit of posting. Then back to the albergue, got our packs and started walking. At the Altos de el pedron we were stopped by a photographer doing a shoot for a motorcycle magazine he asked if we would pose for a picture. So if any one out there can get a copy of La Moto mid April edition, we may be in it!! The walk up the Perdon and down to Uterga was tough. I thought I may have developed a blister but my feet are clear, as are Palmas. We are using a ton of Vaseline.

Days 1 thru 3 SJPP to Roncevalles to Zubiri (March 19 - 20)

We left for SJPP on train from Bordeaux at 0727, I forgot to validate the ticket and got a lecture from the conductor.  We arrived in Bayonne at 0930 and we had a couple hours to kill so we walked around a bit.  It would have been nice if I had made time for us to visit Biaritz and see if I remembered anything from when my parents used to take me as a child.  As the time approached to catch the bus there were two other pelegrinos waiting, a Korean (I think) and an Italian, Mateo. We had a bit of guessing which bus would be taking us as none were marked.  But finally we noticed a small sign on a little bus that it was going to SJPP.  Apparently, the Korean pilgrim had a different ticket so he had to wait for another bus.

When we got to SJPP we walked up a big hill from the train station to the pilgrim office and checked in.  We were advised the Napoleon route was too dangerous and we should go the Valcarlos route.  We also received scallop shells for our packs. Check in at Le Chamin de E'toile was 4 pm so we sought a place to purchase our pilgrim staffs and a restaurant for lunch.  We found one with a nice outdoor patio and had a nice Basque lunch of sausage, pepper stew and French fries with a jug of wine.  When it was time to check in we walked to the albergue.  It was in a very old building that could handle 14 pilgrims. Apparently it had recently changed ownership.  The new owner was a Parisian fellow named Eric, who was super nice and very enthusiastic about the Camino.  He was not officially open and was in the middle of getting things ready for the upcoming pilgrim season.  We were given a room with three full sized bunk beds, so Palma and I zipped our sleeping bags together and took a lower bunk. We took our showers, washed some clothes and went out for dinner.  While looking for a place to eat we walked into a demonstration against the recent ETA assassination of a French policeman.  

Next morning we got up about 0700 and had breakfast, the day was beautiful, the church bells were ringing and so we started our Camino. The walking was not too difficult. At one point we passed a small dog that charged at us but a smack with the pilgrim staff stopped him.  About 1030 we crossed into Spain.  As we approached Valcarlos we had our steepest incline, it knocked the wind out of us but it was not so bad.  Since the albergue did not open until noon we went to a bar and Palma got a coffee and I got a beer.  When we went back to the albergue no one was there so we went up to the town hall which was also locked up.  We had to go through our stack of notes about the Camino and found a phone number to call.  We finally got help and we got into the albergue.  We were really surprised at how modern and clean it was. They had two rooms with a total of 24 beds, 2 bathrooms with four showers and 4 toilets.  Also had a nice kitchen.  Cost was ten euros and included breakfast which really was access to coffee.  We had checked out the couple of eating establishments and fish did not seem to be an option and since it was a Friday we decided to go to the local market and buy some tuna fish and bread for dinner. As I was walking to the store I ran into an elderly peregrino who was looking for the albergue.  I told him he could follow me, but I was getting food for the day.  This pilgrim was a 75 year old German named Dieter on his pilgrimage.  His kids had chipped in their time to care for his wife and insisted he do the Camino.  So we shared our food and wine with dieter, learned a lot about each other.  Very nice man.  

This morning we got up at 7, had our coffee and left for Roncevalles by 0830.  Today the walk was hell.  Valcarlos to Roncevalles is only 11.9 kms but it was very steep inclines.  It seemed all we did was walk up, up and up. When we got to the top we were hit by gale force winds. We were dead by the time we got to Roncevalles 5 hours later. We had lunch and then checked into the peregino office. We got our beds, a double size bunk which allowed us to hook our sleeping bags together. We took our showers and then went to the pilgrim mass which was very moving. The two priests singing was outstanding as was the pilgrim´s blessing. After mass we went to dinner and ate with some other pergrinos. One was an Anglican priest and his wife, Dieter, and a German cyclist named Tim. We had a nice meal of vegy soup, trout and wine.

Next morning they got us up and 6 am and we were walking to Zubiri by 0715. It was lightly raining so our Altus ponchos worked great. We stopped at the first town (fill in name later) and had a cafe con leche and un bocadillo of ham and cheese. Later as we were walking Palma lost her glasses so we spent about 20 minutes looking for them on the trail. Luckily we found them with the help of St Anthony. We were feeling good and had a good pace. The weather seemed to clear up and the walk was good. A bit later we were feeling really good. We sat down on a bench by the trail that over looked the valley and the major highway and had a drink of water. We then got up and charged up the hill. 1/2 mile we got to a crossroad and no Camino sign. We had gone the wrong way. So we went down the mountain back to where we sat on the bench and saw the right trail marker. This little mistake really was terrible because as we started down the proper trail a herd of Spanards came upon us. It was the dreaded 100 Spaniards walking the Camino using busses to move them around. After they passed us we had about 10 kms to get to Zubiri. This was not a bad walk, but the last few kilometers seemed be downhill in a dry riverbed with rocks and ruts. Hard on the feet and knees. We came down the mountain into Zubiri and decided to stay at the priviate algbergue. We stayed at the private albergue and shortly after we arrived several familiar pilgrims arrived as well. There were about 10 of us who ate dinner together at the bar down the street. Got back to our room around 9 o´clock and all the lights were out! A couple of pilgrims decided to his the sack and left us in the dark. Tomorrow we head to Pamplona which should be about 12 miles - a ¨cake walk¨ according to the young Canadian pilgrim.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

First few days

I am having a bit of trouble sleeping so I thought I would catch up on the blog. We left the US on 15 March. We caught the train from Penn Station to Newark Airport. When we got to the airport we learned our plane was about 1 hour and 15 minutes late in departure. That worried us a bit since it now would get us in about an hour before the train we wanted to take would leave for Bordeaux. I thought going through immegration, getting our bags, going through customs and purchasing our tickets may be a bridge to far. In fact once we got to Paris we sailed through it all until we got to the train station then panic set in. First we tried to purchase our tickets from the kiosk, but our credit cards would not work. Then we went to the ticket counter and found it crowded with people and only two clerks working the lines. But luck was with us and we got our tickets and were on the train with minutes to spare. The train ride was uneventful, except we got our first sticker shock when we bought two coffees and a roll for 6.6 € When we got to Bordeaux we walked to the Ibis hotel but decided not to stay there as it cost 86 € a night. We found another hotel closer to the train station called the Etap hotel, which cost us 64€ a night and included breakfast. The hotel rooms were clean but tiny. After we settled in we walked into the old town about a 20-30 minute walk. We walked up a beautfull river park that we learned was fairly new Apparently a few years ago the city knocked down a lot of old abandoned building to build the park. When we got downtown we went to the tourist office and made reservations for a wine tour the nect day. We then walked back to the hotel and stopped a place near the train station for dinner. We had a wonderful salad but the worst piece of meat I had ever eaten, tough as shoe leather and no taste. Ugh! The nexted day after breakfast we walked back into town went tot he tourist office and got directions to Decat, a sports store on the Rue de Catherine, which is said to be the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe. After stopping at Decats and purchasing sunglasses we went exploring. We had just finsihed walking around this old church, Saint Andre, when we were stopped by two television reportes asking us our opinion of Bordeaux. Funny we will never see it!! For lunch we purchased a baguette of ham, egg, and cheese for just 4 €. Nice cheap lunch. We then stopped for a beer, since it was of course St Patricks day. Another sticker shock event. A wine glass of bear for 6€.

Sjpp got on train from Bordeaux at 0727, I forgot to validate the ticket and got a lecture from the conductor.  We arrived in Bayonne at 0030 and we had a couple hours to kill so we walked around a bit.  It would have been nice if I had made time for us to visit Biaritz and see if I remembered anything from when my parents used to take me as a child.  As the time approached to catch the bus there two other pelegrinos waiting, a Korean (I think) and an Italian, Mateo. We had a bit of guessing which bus would be taking us as none were marked.  But finally we noticed a small sign on a little bus that it was going to sjpp.  Apparently the Korean pilgrim had different ticket so he had to wait for another bus. When we got to sjpp we walked up a big hill from the train station to the pilgrim office and checked in.  We were advised the Nspoleon route was to dangerous and we should go the valcarlos route.  We also received scallop shells for our packs Check in at Le Chamin de e'toile was 4 pm so we sought a place to purchase our pilgrim staffs and a restaurant for lunch.  We found one with a nice outdoor patio and had a nice Basque lunch of sausage, pepper stew and French fries with a craft of wine.  When it was time to check in we walked to the albergue.  It was in a very old building that could handle 14 pilgrims. Apparently it had been recently changed ownership.  The new owner was a Parisian fellow named Eric, who was super nice and very enthusidtic about the camino .  He was not officially own and was in the middle of getting things Ready fpr the upcoming pilgim season.  We were given a room with three full sized bunk beds, so Palma and zipped our sleeping bags together and took a lower bunk thinking this may the last time we sleep together for bit. We topk our showers, washed some clothes and went out for diiner.  While looking for a place to eat we walked into a donstration against the recent ETA assasination of a french policeman.  Next morning we got up about seven had breakfast and started our camino. The day was beautiful and the walking was not too hard. At one point we passed a small dog that charged at us but a smack with the pilgrim staff stopped him.  About 1030 we crossed into Spain.  As we approached Valcarlos we had our steepest incline, it knocked the wind out of us bur it was not so bad.  Since the albergue did not open until noon we went to a bar and Palma got a coffee and I got a beer.  When we went back to the albergue no one was there so we went up to the town hall which was also locked up.  We had to go through our stack of notes about the camino and found a phone number to call.  We got help and got I to tjealbergue.  We were really surprised at how modern and clean it was. Theyjad two rooms with 24 beds,2 bathrooms with for showers and 4 toilets.  Also had a nicekitchen.  Cost was ten euros and included breakfast which reallywas access to coffee.  We had checked out the couple eating establishments and fish did not seem to be an option and since it was a Friday we decided to go to the local market and buy some tuna fish and bread for dinner. As I was walking to the store I ran into an elderly pelegrinos who was looking for the albergue.  I told him he could follow me, nut I was getting food for the day.  This pilgrim was a 75 year old German named Dieter on his pilgrimage.  His kids had chipped in to watch over his wife and insisted he do the camino.  So we shared our food and wine with dieter, learned a lot about easchother.  Very nice man.  This morning we got up at 7 had our coffee and left for Roncevalles by 0830.  Today the walk was hell.  Valcarlos to roncevalles is only 11.9 kms but it was 90 up steep inclines.  We were dead bythe time we got here 5 hours later.

Sjpp got on train from Bordeaux at 0727, I forgot to validate the ticket and got a lecture from the conductor.  We arrived in Bayonne at 0030 and we had a couple hours to kill so we walked around a bit.  It would have been nice if I had made time for us to visit Biaritz and see if I remembered anything from when my parents used to take me as a child.  As the time approached to catch the bus there two other pelegrinos waiting, a Korean (I think) and an Italian, Mateo. We had a bit of guessing which bus would be taking us as none were marked.  But finally we noticed a small sign on a little bus that it was going to sjpp.  Apparently the Korean pilgrim had different ticket so he had to wait for another bus. When we got to sjpp we walked up a big hill from the train station to the pilgrim office and checked in.  We were advised the Nspoleon route was to dangerous and we should go the valcarlos route.  We also received scallop shells for our packs Check in at Le Chamin de e'toile was 4 pm so we sought a place to purchase our pilgrim staffs and a restaurant for lunch.  We found one with a nice outdoor patio and had a nice Basque lunch of sausage, pepper stew and French fries with a craft of wine.  When it was time to check in we walked to the albergue.  It was in a very old building that could handle 14 pilgrims. Apparently it had been recently changed ownership.  The new owner was a Parisian fellow named Eric, who was super nice and very enthusidtic about the camino .  He was not officially own and was in the middle of getting things Ready fpr the upcoming pilgim season.  We were given a room with three full sized bunk beds, so Palma and zipped our sleeping bags together and took a lower bunk thinking this may the last time we sleep together for bit. We topk our showers, washed some clothes and went out for diiner.  While looking for a place to eat we walked into a donstration against the recent ETA assasination of a french policeman.  Next morning we got up about seven had breakfast and started our camino. The day was beautiful and the walking was not too hard. At one point we passed a small dog that charged at us but a smack with the pilgrim staff stopped him.  About 1030 we crossed into Spain.  As we approached Valcarlos we had our steepest incline, it knocked the wind out of us bur it was not so bad.  Since the albergue did not open until noon we went to a bar and Palma got a coffee and I got a beer.  When we went back to the albergue no one was there so we went up to the town hall which was also locked up.  We had to go through our stack of notes about the camino and found a phone number to call.  We got help and got I to tjealbergue.  We were really surprised at how modern and clean it was. Theyjad two rooms with 24 beds,2 bathrooms with for showers and 4 toilets.  Also had a nicekitchen.  Cost was ten euros and included breakfast which reallywas access to coffee.  We had checked out the couple eating establishments and fish did not seem to be an option and since it was a Friday we decided to go to the local market and buy some tuna fish and bread for dinner. As I was walking to the store I ran into an elderly pelegrinos who was looking for the albergue.  I told him he could follow me, nut I was getting food for the day.  This pilgrim was a 75 year old German named Dieter on his pilgrimage.  His kids had chipped in to watch over his wife and insisted he do the camino.  So we shared our food and wine with dieter, learned a lot about easchother.  Very nice man.  This morning we got up at 7 had our coffee and left for Roncevalles by 0830.  Today the walk was hell.  Valcarlos to roncevalles is only 11.9 kms but it was 90 up steep inclines.  We were dead bythe time we got here 5 hours later.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Quick Post

We have yet to find a good internet connection for our iTouch or a good internet cafe. So just a quick note. We walked from SJPP to Valcarlos yesterday. It was a good walk and put us in the mood. The albegue in Valcarlos was great, clean and all the comforts of home, almost. Today we walked to Roncevalles and thought we would die. Almost all up hill. We have been keeping good notes so as soon as we can we´ll post and upload pictures.

We are now in Zubiri and we are staying in a privite albegue which is quite nice with free internet. I am going to try and upload some pictures from our trip but I am having problems with the machine. Yesterday after we checked into the pilgrims office we got our beds, cleaned our clothes and went to the pigrims mass which was quite beutiful. We went to dinner at the Posada Sabina and had a nice pilgrims meal. Today we got up at 6 am and proceeded to get ready. We left around 0715 and we had a nice day today which started with rain and except for a short "detour" and some time lost due to Palma losing her glasses (which we found with the help of Saint Anthony) we feel good after walking about 16 miles. I have a pretty good journal on my itouch but I need an wifi hot spot to email it to myself so I can post. So far though this has been a great experience.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Interim post

Just a short post since we are dependent on free wifi. We arrived in St Jean Pied de Port yesterday. We were advised at the Pilgrims office to do not do the Napoleon route so we did the Valcarlos route. We are sitting in
a bar with our new friend Dieter drinking a couple beers. The albergue here is very clean and supper funtional. I do not think this is the norm. Our hike here was good. We feel good. the weather was great. I had to strip down to shorts and a t shirt. Only problem we had was a stupid dog that thought he could bully us. A good wap with my pilgrams staff taught him a lesson

Monday, March 15, 2010

Good Byes

On Saturday we went to the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute to view the exhibit Treasures Along the Route of Santiago de Compostela. I took a picture of St James.



Yesterday we went to the movies with our kids. Here we are in a group photo saying good bye to our son had to go to work.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Friday

We spent a couple days on Long Island visiting Palma's people. We stayed with her Aunt Lucy, a dynamite lady in her mid 80s who is sweet as can be. We visited with cousins, nephews and their children. Great fun! Today we took the train into the city and we are now at our daughter's place in Brooklyn. Funny thing is that Palma's dad grew up right around the corner from here. Weather is lousy and is expected to get worse tomorrow and Sunday. We went to what is becoming our favorite restaurant near our daughter's place. Acqua Santa in Williamsburg, a very good italian trattoria. Tomorrow we hope to go to the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute to view the exhibit Treasures Along the Route of Santiago de Compostela.
Ultreia!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

We've Gone



Leaving the house for the beginning of the adventure!!

¡Buen Camino a todos!

¡Ultreia!

Leaving Home

Stage I of our journey begins today; leaving Virginia. We visited with family, friends, and our favorite local bar/restaurant, The Wine House. Lots of emails have been sent and now onto our next stop - NY to visit with more family.

I'm starting to add things to my pack. Little things, "just in case" things. I know I need to stop. Instead of emotional eating I'm experiencing emotional packing.

Hasta pronto family, friends, home, cat, yard, tv, computer, books, Virginia.....

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Almost Ready

Boy the days are flying, but we are getting prepared. Got our taxes done and we are ready to drop them in the mail, and we got all the bills on automatic payment and finally got around to purchasing some travel medical insurance. All we have left to do is send our after the Camino clothes to my friend Iker in San Sebastian, clean the house, get the laptop set up for my mother-in-law so we can Skype with her and drive to NYC and visit with the kids.

The day before yesterday we looked at some lodging possibilities in SJPP. We emailed a few and ultimately took Eva's recommendation and booked where she stayed. We decided we will wing it when we get to Bordeaux. VinoTinto on the Santiago Forum stayed at a Ibis hotel near the train station, so we going to show up and see if they have a room for two nights. Middle of the week in March...shouldn't be a problem.

We got everything for our packs. Palma's pack is around 16 pounds and mine is under 25....just haven't weighed it with my 90 days worth of meds! We have had some decent days to walk and it is becoming easy to walk 8 miles. We have yet to do something longer. Hopefully, the practice we've done will be helpful. Today we walked from Rosslyn to the National Portrait Gallery and back. Beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky in the mid 50's but a bit windy.





Walking on the Fairfax Connector Trail yesterday












Today, walking by the Iwo Jima Memorial
















The Netherland Carillon a gift from the dutch that expresses the gratitude of the Dutch people for American aid received during and after World War II.











More scenes from our walk today

Thursday, March 4, 2010

A lazy day

We had a snowstorm a few weeks ago that caused a neighbors tree to fall across our street and into our property and take out the power. Eleven hours later, the power people came (during the storm) and cut up the tree and restored the power. Unfortunately, they left the tree debris and I had the whole top half of this big tree in my yard. Monday I figured I would cut it up and clean up the yard. Big mistake; I wrenched my back. So, since Monday our preparation training has been sparse. We did go for an 8-mile hike yesterday but without the packs. Today we just chilled.

Tomorrow we attack the training program with gusto!!