Wednesday, 25 September 2013

The first few days...

I wrote this yesterday (Tuesday September 24), but didn't manage to upload it...



I now realise that my happily saying that we planned to walk approximately 20 kilometres a day for 40 days with five additional rest days was (almost certainly) totally unrealistic!  I hadn’t done anywhere near enough training – not improved by the fact that it was over 30°C yesterday!  I have decided that “Our Camino” is going to include public transport where needed.  (We have met a number of people, who for various reasons; are having their bags transported – so far we have carried our own bags!)

Instead of taking the “Napoleon Route” over the Pyrenees, which I am sure would have been spectacular; we took the lower route through Valcarlos.  We stopped Saturday night at the municipal albergue at Valcarlos, which we had to ourselves.  Having walked on the highway for some of Saturday, decided I didn’t want to repeat this – there is virtually no shoulder on the highway.  Rather scary!  So we took a 25€ taxi ride from Valcarlos to just past Ganecoleta, from where we walked to the Ibaneta Pass and on to Roncesvalles.  We decided to continue to Espinal, where we stopped the night.  Yesterday started ok – we had morning tea at Gerendiain and walked on and on and on.  I found the downhill rocky terrain into Zubiri very trying.  In spite of drinking about 3 litres of water and wearing a hat, I became quite dehydrated.  We had been passed by many pilgrims and I was worried that we might not find accommodation.  As we entered Zubiri, there was someone on the Puente de la Rabia offering accommodation at the nearby Amets Hotel, which I pleaded with Anna to accept.  Had a good night but decided to catch the bus to Pamploma.  We bought some Spanish Sim cards for our phones (it will be great to be able to communicate!) and are stopping the night at Jesus y Maria Alberque.  Having dealt with washing (thanks Anna!), we are about to look at the area around the alberque.

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