Day 4 - Pamplona to Puenta La Reina

Made it to 5am this morning!  I booked a room for tonight yesterday as well.

Last night after posting I wandered around town and ran into a few people I knew.  The tall South Korean guy who walks fast and keeps passing me, the retired guy from Florida and Edward the young French kid from Angers.  Edward was also looking for food and we went to a place and had a few small plates and a beer.

I was not going to start the day without cafe con leche so I went in search of some at 6:20. I wandered around a bit and found a place on the Camino route that opened at 6:30.  Croissant and cafe con lache.  Now I was ready to pack and go.

I was on the Camino at 7:30 and only walked in the dark for a few minutes.  Getting out of Pamplona took a while and it was soon light.  I was saw Aussie girl from Brisbane and we walked for a while.  We were in the same room in Zubiri and now I learned her name is Renee.  We crossed paths several time and chatted quite a bit.

Today featured a big climb to one on the iconic Camino locations.  Every Camino media features this place.  I was expecting a harder climb but either I am healing from the first day or it was a lot easier day.  At the top I took the requisite photos and video.  The two 160 degree views were pretty good.

Renee passed me here and lightly danced down the steep descent at twice my speed while I dug my poles in on every step to stop getting sucked into the core of the earth.

At Uterga there was a bar and I got a cafe con leche, an egg and pepper sandwich and a tortilla for 7.50€.  Renee came in just behind me and we sat together.  A few minutes later Jose from Spain joined.  Jose and I walked on and off together, sometimes with Renee for the rest of the way.  Renee is pretty fast and I can't keep up that long with her.  I can hang with Jose a little longer but I faded just as we got to the final destination.

The Camino dynamic is interesting.  You meet people and you chat but then you just push on.  If you both walk the same pace conversation is longer but at some point one pushes on and one drops back.  Today I passed my favorite Texans, Mike and Christina.  Sat briefly with Mark from Ireland.  Said hello to tall, fast Korean guy, short fast Korean guy and chatted a few minutes with tall, older guy from Stuttgart.  Irish Kira from dinner in Roncesvalles said hi in passing in Uterga.

My hostal is on a narrow street lined with stone buildings.  My room is big enough for a double bed and a bathroom.  It's perfect.  Sitting, still all sweaty with a beer.  Mike and Christina just walked by and said hi. I will get a shower in a few minutes and have lunch here.  And now here is Dennis at my bar.  And now Kira walked by and stopped for a beer.

I showered and washed my clothes and then headed down stairs in the elevator - my body did not want to do stairs.  Dennis was still at the restaurant and talking to a retired Scottish named Kenny.  I joined the and ordered food.  Kenney did too and Dennis left.  Dennis knows everybody. 

After lunch I headed out to wander around the small town.  The street I was on was most of the town but it had a few spots were people gathered.  People were becoming familiar and there were many waves and nods.  The town had a cool stone bridge over the river.  At the center bar with lots of people I recognized from I thought I should get a beer.  The tall fast Korean guy, henceforth known as Su, waved me over and I joined the Korean table.  There were 8 Koreans, all strangers before Camino.  They were waiting for restaurants to open and I drank a few beers waiting with them.  Then I joined Mark, Eddie, a bunch of Austrians, a Canadian and a few Americans.

I stayed out late but left with the party in full swing.  Back at my hotel I ordered a pizza (12€).

Time for bed and hoping to sleep past 6.

Day 3 - Zubiri to Pamplona

The albergue in Zubiri was very different from the one the night before.  In Roncesvalles there was one massive stone building, remodeled on the inside to a 150 bed dorm.  There were bed cubicles for 4 in a long line down the hall.  It must have been terrible at the end near the bathrooms.  In Zubiri, there were 8 of us in a room big enough for 4 bunk beds and a 4 foot isle.  Two showers and two bathrooms (neither of which I am able to turn around in) in the hall and a couple of common rooms before the front door.  The operator takes off at 7pm and you get in with a door code.  The inmates run the asylum.

I am still not in this time zone.  I was trying not to go to sleep too early and was out by 10.  Unfortunately, at 3am I was wide awake.  I did fall asleep at 5 but woke to the 6am church bells.

Finally I heard others moving about and figured I could too even though no one in my room was awake.  Quietly as I could, I moved my stuff to the common area and packed up.  Those awake also seemed to be in the wrong time zone.

I was walking at 6:45 and it was dark and for the rocky downhill sections I was so glad I has my bike light.  I saw others with headlamps and mine was way better for this.

Walking in the dark is just a way to bank some miles.  Nobody talks much in the dark and it's best when you see no other lights.

The path was not hard today but I was aching for a coffee.  So many more towns today and so little coffee.  I didn't get any until the end of lunch.  I did not take the trekking poles off the pack all day.  There were some ups and some down but nothing like the previous days.  The last 6km was in suburbs but I didn't want to stop because  I could see it!  Pamplona!  Got in the gates at noon and wanted my hotel sooo bad.  That's when I realized my Orange SIM cut me to almost zero internet because even though I scanned my passport and sent it to them and then ignored later requests.

One thing I have found for my feet is that short 5 minute breaks where I sit down, take off my shoes and air the shoes and socks makes a huge difference. Dry socks are good.

My hotel is great and I like hotels.  I booked a single room for tomorrow, as well.  When you are hurting being in a constrained group setting does not help.  It was so nice to enjoy my shower (and be able to turn around in it).  I took as long as I wanted to wash my stuff and had tons of room to lay it out ... and so many towels.  Today I popped a handful of Advil when I got to my room.

Phenomenal meal at lunch. By  Was it just because it was the best so far?  Who cares.  Guy at the hotel said it was his family name and he might be related.  Walkinging past the bar area there is a fancy pants restaurant, I had on my fancyist walking pants.  I stood out as I asked for a table for one with the universal single finger.  I got the menu del dia (28€) and picked one word I knew and two I did not.  The gauspacho was amazing.  The meat which the waiter had indicated as thigh had two bones in each slice so the anatomy is a little off, but very good.  The desert which I thought was sorbet was in a champignon glass and a straw.  It was also good.  The wine which the menu indicated I get 1/2 a bottle but looks like I'm drinking a full bottle was local and excellent.  I just drank a bottle of wine.  Should finish with a cafe.  Great coffee, I'll have another!  Why not? Una mas.  This is a great place to write.  Looks like I'm at menu del dia, a liter of water, a bottle of wine and 3 cafe con leches.  Life is good!  Total: 32€.

I wandered around town for a while looking for my Camino friends but only found the Japanese guy from Hokkaido and his son.  The son might speak a little English but talking to them is hard and they scampered off.

I'm in the room now, but will go out shortly to get some light dinner.  I'll tie the mess up now.  I just fell asleep 3 three times - I need to move.

Day 2 - Roncesvalles to Zubiri

About 10 minutes after I finished yesterday's blog I was asleep.  Unfortunately, I was wide awake at 3:30.  My internal clock is not yet set.  After I gave up trying to get back to sleep I got up and went downstairs.  I charged my phone which was very low as there is one spot for each set of 4 bed to charge and it far from my bed.

I was in the upper bunk which is not a fun place for a very stiff and sore, old fat guy.  It took a few tries before I figured out how to get down.  You need to be on all fours facing away from the floor at the top of the ladder.  Facing forward gets your legs tied up in knots and probably ends with a crash to the floor.  Oh, great I'm in the top bunk again tonight.

I didn't want to disturb people so I did what I could to prep for the day without pulling all the crap out of my locker.  I knew they would start playing music at 6am and I eagerly waited for my signal.  As soon as it started I sorted and loaded my stuff and was on the trail at 6:30am.

It was dark, dark ,dark. A girl I passed tried to tell me you could see if you let your eyes adjust like she did yesterday.  I don't think she accounted for the tree covered path we were walking under.  You couldn't see stars or sky.  I liked my big bright light and left her behind.  It was dark.

It was an hour and 15 before it was light enough to see and as we walked through the first town I was sad to find nothing open.  I did pass a hotel Hemingway always stayed at when visiting this area.

The next town had a coffee machine which I used and two blocks later a bar was open.  It featured a lively bar tender who spoke many languages.  I got a pre-prepared plate of eggs, bacon and sausage that was microwaved, two small slices of pizza and two cafe con leches for 15E.  The plate was good but wasn't hot enough.

The route today was gradual downhill to start, rolling hills and it ended with 4km of quite steep, treacherous downhill.  The scenery was pleasant but not that special.  We parrelled the road I had taken in the taxi and crossed it several times.  It was a harder day than it should have been because of yesterday.

I am getting pretty good with the trekking poles. After all I watched one YouTube video.  I don't use them on the hard surfaces but they are a lifesaver going downhills.  I think on a flat I'm a little faster; uphill, too.  The last bit would have been impossible without them and I leaned on them a lot.

I finished quite early today just after 1.  I went to the bar and had lunch (a beer, ribs with fries and salad for 15E) and chatted with Linda from NY at the next table.  Then I got signed into an albergue, showered and set up my upper bunk.  I skipped laundry because I have a hotel in Pamplona tomorrow.  The last few hours I have wandered around talking with people.  In another hour or so I will get some dinner.  I'm going to try to stay up till 10 and hopefully I will not wake at 3.

Typing from the town square and this is the scene, people wandering through speaking many languages: 

Day 1 - St. Jean Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles

I started walking at 7:30am, walked about 25km, climbed a mountain and got to the alberge at 3pm.  Happy to be here but it was work.

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.

Day 00 - Madrid to St. Jean Pied-de-Port

Clearly I did not plan my title numbering system very well.

I am mad at Blogger for losing a bunch of work just now.  Where did my draft go?  We decided such crappy writing should be deleted.

This morning I was up well before my alarm and went out for a walk in the dark.  The airport hotel is in a little commercial/residential area and it had banks and coffee places.  I got money at the ATM and bonus for me, the Euro's value is slightly less than the Dollar.  I got a coffee and 2 fat churros for 3.60€.  I can't remember what the fat churros are called, it's not churros - I think I knew once.  With the current exchange things are inexpensive if you have Dollars.

It's 7:45am before it gets light enough to see.  I will probably be starting in the dark and at a time later than I'm used to most days from now on. 

I took a taxi to the airport at 9am for a fixed 20€ fee and arrived in just a few minutes.  Getting my SIM card took much less time than I allocated.  I went to an arrivals level shop in T4 called The Market and got 100GB of data on a prepaid Orange SIM for 25€.  The girls at the shop had a lot of experience and had the phone set up in no time.  I then had over 2 hours to kill before my noon flight ... the downside of everything going to plan.

MAD T4 is massive.  Very new and spacious but really, really big.  I was looking for a lounge and I was following signs but I ended up going down a level, going halfway around a square path and back up again.  I did this several times.  On the way to the gate I figured out why.  I was going down a level on the stairs or esclator that were always right beside the sign.  They use a down arrow for straight ahead.

The flight to Pamplona was barely 40 minutes in the air.  One nice thing about the older local planes with smaller than overhead storage is all the rollerbags got checked on the tarmac - we actually walked on the tarmac to get on and off the plane.  The plane loads/unloads so much  faster without rollerbags and I have lots of space for my backpack.  It would be nice if for all flights there was gate bag checking and gate bag pickup; who was the genius that thought it was effecient to move bags miles across the airport to/from the plane. Pamplona is a pretty small airport and it was a short walk from the plane to my waiting taxi driver with my name on a sign.  Pamplona looks like central valley California.

The ride to St. Jean Pied-de-Port crossed the Camino path many times and I got a glimpse of numerous pilgrims and ground I will soon know.  We covered 3 days of walking in an hour and 15 minutes.

There were many cyclists on the road and the drivers were very curtious.  Looks like some nice riding.  Maybe next year.

In SJPP I headed straight to the official pilgrim's office, only waited for a few people and had my pilgrim papers by 3pm.  I then went to the nearby pilgram supply store and got some trekking poles and a Swiss Army knife for 60€.  I wonder how I can get the knife home?

My hotel wasn't open until 4pm so I wandered around SJPP.  It is a really pretty town and there were a lot of tourists around.  Later when a parade went by my window I found out this was a festival for all the Basque provinces.  Each region was represented.  Later I could hear performances coming from a small stadium.

The weather was great, sunny and hot but not too hot. I went back to the pilgrim store and got some sunscreen.  Just like my experience 10 years ago, sunscreen is really expensive here.  15€ for a small tube.

I was starving and looking for a restaurant but many were closed.  Probably because of the festival.  I ended up at an open place which seemed to have lot of pilgrims and got seated next to a couple from Texas that I had seen earlier at the pilgrim's office.  We had a good chat.  They were Camino pros and had just gotten engaged this afternoon.  I expect I will run into them frequently over the next while.