Saturday, March 27, 2010
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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