Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
Stay tuned to this page for my adventures September 10- October 24. Buen Camino.
Why would anyone in their right mind hike nearly 800 km along a trail in northern Spain? That is a very good question, and one I don’t have an answer for yet. I am embarking on this journey to enjoy a long reflective walk, to savour Spanish culture and cuisine, and to meet many of the people. Thousands of people make this trip every year.
Day One
They say “The Camino will provide.” Today I was blessed with that providence several times. First, three fellow hikers appeared as I was arranging for transportation to St. Jean Pied de Port from Bairritz. We shared a cab, arriving at the Camino Pilgrim office at midday. Many rooms were already booked up in St. Jean, but we secured accommodation here. I was also able to book the last room at the only hostel (aubergue) in Orisson, which is my destination for my first day of hiking tomorrow. We spent the afternoon exploring local sites including the citadel and a local church. St Jean is a bustling little town that, like many along Camino, exists largely to serve visiting pilgrims. Hikers are friendly and share their tips on booking hostels, best places to stop ad their tips on foot care.
Day 2 sept 13
I enjoyed beautiful weather for the first leg of the journey to Orrison. It is a steep climb, a gain of 800 meters in elevation over less than 8 km. It is believed to be the toughest leg of the journey. I hiked with Kevin, a young architect from Ireland who planned to hike the full 25 km that day Roncesvalles. I opted for Orrison, which is the last stop before Roncesvalles. This is a heart pounder of a hike which required many breaks at the top of steep inclines. We were rewarded with breathtaking views of sweeping vistas of the Pyrenees and pastoral scenes. Orrison is nestled in the Pyrenees mountains and consists of an albergue (hostel only open to registered pilgrims) who are completing legs of the Camino trail. The night was clear revealing a full moon. The atmosphere at Orrison was festive as hikers marked the first leg of a journey with beer and wine on the patio followed by a Special Pilgrim dinner. This journey will take most of us at least 33 days.
Another view of Orrison
Enroute to Roncesvalles
We continue to climb through the Pyrenees from Orrison before descending to Roncesvalles. This is a 17 km hike. We are rewarded with beautiful views.
Sept 15 we arrive in Zubiri where we soak our feet in the creek. I also enjoy the best Sangria ever.
On Sept. 16 we hike to Pamplona, the home of the Running of the Bulls. This is where crazy people try to outrun bulls that are let loose in the streets. Sadly, we are too late to watch the spectacle which happens in July. We make do by exploring the city, and having wine, sangria, beer and pinchos on the patio. In the evening we attend a Pilgrim’s Mass at the local cathedral where we receive a blessing, hopefully for safe travels and fewer blisters. Much of the service is in Spanish.
On Sept 17 the Camino takes us from Pamplona to Los Arcos.
Frederica and Eva and I left Viana before dawn enroute to Logrono where we stop for breakfast. This usually includes tortilla (a potato and egg pie), cafe con leche and freshly squeezed orange juice.
Oct. 7 León to San Martin del Camino. (I have had some trouble uploading to WordPress blog. It is not clear whether it is weak wifi along the Camino or operator errors. Sorry for the interruptions, for those of you who are trying to follow my progress. I have been uploading to Facebook when WordPress has failed. )// Today (Oct 7) my Camino hiking friend Kate Elliott and I hiked 30 km from our hotel in León to San Martin El Camino. It was the most boring, soul-sucking landscape so far. Imagine hiking along a major highway complete with constant traffic noise and wafts of diesel. Industrial buildings and scrubby terrain was our view along a dusty, rocky trail. Just to keep us on high alert, we had to cross that highway several times as the Camino wound its way forward. On the plus side, we did bust the 480 km mark. This means we have fewer than 300 km left to get to Santiago, a feat we expect to complete in 13 days. We are betting on better landscapes ahead. Our long hiking day put us in the afternoon heat longer than we like. Not sure if it’s sunstroke or what, but when we get into that second hour of hot hiking it seems that the village we are aiming for is on wheels and keeps moving just ahead of us, like a mirage. We finally arrived at Albergue Veira, a hostel where we share a room with 8 people in bunk beds. Yep, just like girl guide camp although the snoring may be louder! We are back to basic 8 Euro a night accommodation after springing for a real hotel with our own beds and bathroom for our rest day in León.
Hills and Dales 