Apparently the hosting site has been down for several days which is OK because there’s a known bug using the iPhone to add info. On top of that, Albergue wifi stinks! Now I can move on.
First night in SJPP was both exciting as well as exhausting. It was truly planes, trains and automobiles. Coupled with a storm front which brought a cold wind and rain. Stepped off the train in Saint Jean Pied de Port (SJPP) into a drizzle which made the walk to the Albergue very wet.
One of the best experiences has been meeting all kinds of people. The night before I started my Camino, I met Leo who’s from Flower Mound, Brian from IA, Tim from TN and a young woman from England who now lives in Australia. We all planned to walk together the next day. Fun conversations had to end as we were heading out at 0630.
The day in SJPP started off beautifully, no rain and a bright sun. The Camino though has a way of surprising you.
As as we began up the first 1/4 of the climb, it became very steep with grade warnings for vehicles. After huffing and puffing, finally reached Hunto which offered a break.
At Hunto, the sky darkened and the cold wind began to pick up. 10 minutes is all we took as we began the incredibly steep climb to Orisson. I must confess, I was wondering if I’d make it.
Orisson was the last place to bail out and while I never really thought about that, it certainly did rattle around in my head. I did not want to walk the Valcarlos road route, I really wanted the Napoleon route through the pass.
The climb from Orisson was not as steep but it was long and it never stopped. When I thought I’d crested the last hill, you came around a bend and there was another. At some points, you could look up, far in the distance, other Pilgrims going over even more distant peaks.
I reached a point where I was truly hurting, I was tired, the air was thinner than I’d trained in and then, the rain started. While I was putting my rain pants on, it turned to sleet and a slashing wind came with it. While I saw no snow, others did.
As I and others kept chugging up the Pyrenees’s, it occurred to me that there will always be another hill. I quit looking up the hill and looked 4-5 feet in front of me, the top will be there when I get there.
The whole idea of there will always be another hill really resonated with me for many reasons.
After 7 hours of climbing, the descent began and those final 2 hours through virgin stands of trees that resembled Aspens was both humbling as well as beautiful. At one point the fog cloud was blowing through giving the forest an eerie presence.
I walked for a while through a forested area that was covered with wet and rotting leaves from last fall. Lebet, a young women from Montreal discussed how we ended up on the Camino and how it was a shame that others could not share the experience.
Our 15 minute conversation ended and she trekked on as I stopped to take a picture. This intimate but brief situation seems to be common on the Camino. I walked the remaining hour of my 9.5 hour day alone and in silence.
Never happier to see the Albergue de Roncesvalles. Everyone there is a volunteer, a Hospitalero. These people are committed to the cause of the Camino and help the Pilgrims in every way.
It was cold and windy as we went to La Posada for our Pilgrims dinner. Soup, pasta and the trout that Hemingway made famous. I didn’t linger, I was bushed. My Camino buddy Leo and a new friend Donna stayed a bit longer.
Our room had about 90 people in bunk beds of both sexes and of all ages have. Strangely, it was relatively quiet.
Morning arrived and the Hospitaeros came through with a song which basically said get up and get out.
Welcome to the Camino.