Day 1 - Roncesvalles to Zubiri - 22km

The photo is of my right foot taking the very first step on the Camino. I thought it would be nice to record the moment!

It was a pretty bad night in the dorm at Roncesvalles, what with one thing and another. Although there was supposed to be a 10pm curfew, people kept sneaking back into the dorm until the early hours. Each one rustled around in his rucksack, then noisily unzipped and zipped his sleeping bag, and most of them were flashing torches around. Then there were the snorers... the one in the bunk underneath me was so loud and persistent he kept many of us awake. You could feel the tension in the air amongst the bunks. One chap in a top bunk kept shining his torch in what he thought was the snorer´s face, to wake him up - except it was my face he was shining it at despite the fact I sat up to show I was awake and not snoring. Eventually the snorer´s wife (they were a Brazilian couple I´d been chatting to) gave him several good prods with her walking stick and he shut up for a while. In the middle of all this there was a violent thunderstorm and strong winds. All in all a bad night followed by the noise and torches of the early risers at about 5:30am.

I had decided early on that I would always sleep in the clothes I would be walking in next day as this made things easier in a mixed dorm and in the morning I only had to pack my toiletries and sleeping bag. When I left the dorm ready to set off I found it was raining, so I had to unpack and christen my poncho. Chucking-out time was 8 o´clock, but when I left in the rain at 7:30 most people had already gone. The path was well signed and easy to follow, but very muddy and slippery. I hadn´t acquired a stick at this point and it was hard going in some places. Since the way was mostly downhill, sometimes very steep, what with the mud and rocks it was inevitable that some people fell. I managed to keep upright and while crossing a field where great clumps of muddy clay stuck to my trainers I found a piece of branch near a hedge which helped me along. Later I found that some sort of fungus on the branch had stained my palm a bright orange which wouldn´t wash off and lasted for days.

While struggling across the muddy fields I met Mick and Yvonne, an Australian couple and their English friend Robin. Mick and Yvonne and I decided enough was enough and that we´d go the rest of the way by road. Although this meant walking further at least it was safe underfoot.

At one point we stopped for something to eat, a tortilla boccadillo (French stick omelet sandwich) which was so large I only ate the omelet. It was a long, long walk with steep ups and downs, but I enjoyed chatting to Mick and Yvonne. They were good company, friendly and supportive. Eventually we reached the albergue in Zubiri, a converted schoolhouse. After signing in and claiming my bunk in the accepted manner by spreading my sleeping bag on it, I had a shower and generally pottered about.

The chap in the bunk under mine actually recognised my pilgrim forum member badge sewn on my rucksack and we chatted about that for a while. He was the only person I met on the whole Camino who had heard of the forum, a surprise as it has thousands of members and visitors. His name was Jan, English but fluent in several European languages due to family connections and upbringing.

Although it was sunny it was very cold and I got quite chilled going to see a medieval bridge to take some photos. Later I met Mick and Yvonne, Robin and Jan and a few others for a very convivial and lively dinner, a real contrast to the night before. I was so pleased to have met Mick and Yvonne. They turned up at just the right time, when I needed a bit of encouragement and support on my first day. I slept better that night in my top bunk although the champion snorer from the previous night was only one bunk away and letting it rip.