Dear Family and Friends
Trying to work with this blog in Spain has been challenging. The blog comes out in english, but all the instructions are in spanish and the instructions are in different places.
Last night we stayed in Zubiri, and stayed in a small private Auberge with 8 people to a room. The walk to Zibiri was not as bad as the day before, but the path descending to the town was steep and like a river bed. We were tired, but not exhausted. Today, we walked to Pamplona. The walk itself was beautiful and not so difficult, but the Auberge we stayed in did not provide any breakfast. There were many towns listed on the map, so we expected we could get food along the way. However, after 15km we were able to find food.
We had tortilla espanole and a coke! and it tasted fantastic! Eggs , potatoes, peppers, spinach and prawns! The walk today was also very hot- quite a change from the walk from St.Jean Pied de Port through the mountains.
The last 5 km to Pamplona was a breeze. It was amazing to walk into town, remembering our visit several years ago when Jim and I along with the MacDonalds stayed in Burgete. Today we felt like real pilgrims coming up to the walled town.
I have been travelling with 3 other Americans. Two young women Jenny and Marcie from Bellingham washington who have just graduated from Western University in Spanish (very helpful), and a woman Katie, from Boston in her late 50´s. I call her the Sagittarian MBA artist. We all get on very well and are having a good time together and meeting many others along the way. We are staying in a big albergue tonight. My first time not in a private one. It is very big, but very well organized and although all in a big room together, they have divisions in the wall for every 6 bunks. It is very active and lively with languages being spoken from all over the world - walkers and cyclists. It feels like university all over again.
Tomorrow is going to be a bit brutal. We have a big peak to climb and a very dramatic descent, although not as bad as the first day - 24km to Puente de la Reine. Our bodies are hurting quite a bit - lots of aches and pains. Surprisingly my hips are not the problem, and my knees only complain on the steep descents. But my back is feeling lots of stress. I´'m sorry to inform Brian that his socks guaranteed not to blister are not quite what they claim to be, since I discovered a blister on my big toe tonight. I bought an extra pair of socks so I will try that along with some medical attention to my feet.
Signing off for tonight. Heather
So that´s all for now folks. I figure I´m still in the breaking in stage. I met a fellow coming out of Roncevalles, older than myself and a very seasoned Camino walker - he has walked it 4 times and once from Athens. It took him 4 months! He told me that within a week my body would adjust and not feel the pain, so I would like to think he knows what he speaks about. By the way, he is doing it again ' this time after a hip replacement :)
I have also learned to feel the rebound of the earth - which has helped amazingly well and seems to limit the
pain in the joints.
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