I was asleep by 10 last night and wide awake at 2. At least I got my banking done. I finally fell asleep in what felt like minutes before the 6:30am alarm. I set it at 4 because I figured that if I did get back to sleep I would sleep too late. Good thing!
It was dark and foggy when I started. The climbing started immediately and was pretty steep. The average grade for the nearly 20km climb was probably around 8%. That is a hard ride and I'm not going to insult the cyclists pilgrims using ebikes.
As it got light and the fog burned off and we gained more altitude an amazing vista opened up. The higher we went the better it got.
At this stage the pilgrims were all keeping to themselves. Most people started in SJPP or Orisson. It felt like everybody was feeling things out.
I was dissapointed at the restaurant in the first town at 5km where I was counting on a coffee and corissant was closed. Just afterward the climbing got steeper and then turned into rocky dirt for a bit. I was feeling pretty tired and could tell I needed fuel. Just as I considered using my Goo packet the alberge at Orisson appeared. It was hiding around a bend so you only see it just before you get there. Mike and Christina who I met last night at dinner were just finishing up and gave me a nice greeting. I got a ham and cheese sandwich and a cafe con leche for 7E. Eating it on the big deck overlooking the valley recharged me. I was back on the road at 10am.
The next 10km or so people were just walking and sometimes took breaks where people started to chat. I was grinding it out and got passed by a guy I would later know as Dennis from Sweden. As he passed there was a lazy bend in the road and a short cut path. He took the road and I took the path. The road was way faster. We would later start a conversation with that and walked and chatted for several km.
Just when I needed it there was a food truck at the side of the road. Banana, water and coke and I sat with Mike and Christina on a log. From this point on people started chatting. At the summit casual conversations broke out spontaneusly. This was something that is still going on. Dinner conversation was quite lively. I guess now that we all have a common experience it suddenly gets easier.
The albergue here is quite nice, showers are hot. I'm on a top bunk which in my stiff condition is a challenge. The albergue building is mobile signal proof so I only have signal in some places. I need to head to bed as I hear they wake you up at 6am and want you out by 8am.
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