Day 2 - Photos

Swiss-style houses

San Tiago in a garden - makes a change from gnomes

Bridge over Rio Ulzama

Convent garden

Day 2 - Zubiri to Trinidad - 18km

Like most pilgrims I set off on my own in the morning. I found I really wanted to walk alone, follow my own rhythm, absorb all of this very new experience and enjoy my surroundings. Walking with someone would have distracted me from all this. Inevitably during the day you meet up with others, stop to say hello, have a brief chat, a break or a meal together, that is also part of the pleasure.

It was pretty cold and misty, with occasional rain showers and sometimes muddy and slippery underfoot, but nothing like the previous day. The ups and downs were not so steep and the path wound in and out of several villages by the river. I stopped for breakfast in Larrasoaña where I met several familiar faces from the previous night, including Mick and Yvonne. There was only one café in the village and I found it expensive, probably because he had no competition.

The scenery was very attractive, with hills and little villages, and you could hear cow bells tinkling and birds singing their hearts out. The houses were not at all what I had expected in Spain, looking very Swiss. With that and the cow bells I felt I could almost have been walking in Switzerland.

My poncho really was an excellent choice for this trip. It covered me and my ruck sack down to below my knees so only the bottoms of my trousers and my feet got a little damp. As the day wore on the weather improved and it became a little warmer, although out of the sun it was still pretty cold.

They say you should start your Camino gently and slowly build up the daily mileage, so since I was feeling tired I decided not to go all the way to Pamplona but stop before. I chose Trinidad de Arre, a former convent by the river and next to a lovely medieval stone bridge. It was closed when I arrived at about 1pm, and while I sat outside waiting on a bench quite a few familiar faces passed by on their way to Pamplona.

When the hospitaleiro arrived about an hour later quite a few pilgrims were waiting to book in. We were led to the dorm by a helper who took us through the very old church and down towards the crypt. I began to wonder where on earth I was going to be sleeping! Evidently this was just a tour of the church, though, and eventually he led us through a garden and to the dorm.

I was feeling pretty stiff, so after a shower I did some stretching exercises, walked in to town for a coffee then relaxed in the sun in the convent garden and wrote up my notes. Most of my fellow pilgrims were German, and I went out later to dinner with them, where they most politely spoke English at the table so as to include me in the conversation. The meal we had was the set pilgrim menu, which is very good value. You get a choice of first course, main course, sweet, bread and wine all for a set price, usually about 8 euros.

It was at this albergue that I first saw a French couple whom I later met almost on a daily basis for several weeks. They didn´t speak English and I only know a few words of French so communication was difficult, but we were all amused at the number of times we picked the same albergue to stay in. They were early risers and fast walkers so I never saw them during the day, but most evenings when I booked in there they were quietly sitting on their bunks sorting their things out.

It was also at this albergue that I first felt discomfort in my legs during the night. I found that every time I turned over in my sleeping bag I woke up because my hips and legs were very stiff and painful. As soon as I got up in the morning it wore off and I never felt anything during the day, luckily, but every night it was the same right up to when I reached Santiago. I was already beginning to see other pilgrims struggling with painful muscles and blisters, some very severe, and I was so grateful not to be affected like that. I never had any blisters to trouble me and up to near the very end no leg trouble either.

Day 1 - Photos

Ready for off in the rain

Roncesvalles Monastery

Only 790km to go!

Mick and Yvonne

Convivial dinner

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.

Getting there

Home at last! Now I can start posting properly...

I arrived at Madrid airport May 12th after an uneventful but tiring nine-hour flight. There I had to change terminals, going to terminal four to get the bus into Madrid to the coach station at Av de Americas. At the coach station I bought my ticket for Pamplona and waited a couple of hours until it was time to go. No language problems so far, my Portuguese/Spanish mixture seems to be understood, thank goodness. The journey to Pamplona took over 5 hours, not much fun when I was already tired, but I amused myself looking at the countryside and towns we passed through.

First impressions of Spain - very environmentally friendly. Many of the hills had clusters of wind turbines on them, and we passed one large field that was entirely given over to massive solar panels. Even small villages had recycling bins. A bit of a contrast to where I live. I was also struck by the lack of people in even largish towns. This was the middle to late afternoon, and there was not a soul in sight, no children, dogs, people running errands or in their gardens, literally no-one. All the shops and businesses were closed and houses had closed shutters. It was like a sci-fi film where something mysterious has happened and all the people have disappeared. I know the Spanish have siesta time and shops close, but I really didn´t expect the places to look so totally deserted.

I arrived in Pamplona about eight in the evening, knowing I would have to spend the night there as the only daily bus I needed to catch to my starting point in Roncesvalles left at six in the evening. I hadn´t made a reservation anywhere as I had decided to see what was available when I arrived. This was most uncharacteristic of me as I am one of those people who organises and plans things down to the smallest detail. However, for my Camino I had decided to leave things to fate, whatever happened was fine by me. I wanted to be open to experiences and opportunities which wouldn´t arise in a meticulously planned trip. Strangely enough, this philosophy worked so well it became almost spooky, as I have commented before. Whatever I needed just appeared by coincidence.

I found the tourist information office in the bus station, but it was closed. Just as I was wondering who to ask for directions to the nearest albergue, a woman came out of the closed office. Somewhat grudgingly she gave me a map, having circled where I was and where I needed to go. Two German pilgrims who came up just then, wanting B+B information, were given short shrift!

I found the Jesus and Maria albergue without too much trouble, booked in, went out for a snack and then had an early night as I was very tired. This was my first albergue experience. Luckily it wasn´t too crowded or noisy, and I never heard any snorers as I fell asleep straight away. It was strange waking up in the morning, in a sleeping bag, in a room full of strangers, though. It took a few days for me to get used to this.

I spent that day sightseeing in Pamplona, a very nice and interesting city. I had a coffee in the bar Hemingway frequented, and walked the route the bulls take when they run through the streets. I was a bit hampered by having to carry The Beast around with me all day, but I managed to see most of what I wanted and to buy the few bits and pieces I needed. I went to the bus station early for my bus to Roncesvalles, which was just as well as later more and more pilgrims appeared and I think there wasn´t enough room for all of them.

The trip to Roncesvalles took just over an hour. All the way up I was staring out the window at the hills, thinking "I´ve got to come down that lot", and hoping I´d be able to manage it. At the monastery we all booked in, but instead of being in the enormous converted barn I was in a small dorm with about twenty bunks. You had to book a meal at one of the two restaurents before the pilgrim mass, then have your dinner after. The 12th century church was lovely and I enjoyed the service. It was awesome to think of the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who had passed that way down through the centuries, and to know you were a part of it. One of the priests gave a special pilgrim blessing in each language of the nationalities present, even in Korean and Japanese, which I thought was a lovely touch.

After an uncomfortable and rather lonely dinner - I was sitting at a table with two chaps who didn´t speak English and only concentrated on their food - I went back to the dorm for a shower and an early night.

Unwinding nicely

I am unwinding nicely and relaxing in the depths of the English countryside. The weather has been glorious and sunny and I go for gentle strolls with my daughter in law and grandson. It is idyllic, a perfect post-Camino re-entry into the real world.

I haven't been able to download my photos yet, as soon as I do so I shall start my Camino posts. I'm back in Brazil next Thursday, so if I haven't started before I shall certainly start posting then. I'm explaining this as I know how frustrating it is to follow someone's blog before their Camino and then they just disappear. I shan't do so, at any rate.

Santiago

Well, I´ve finally made it! Arrived yesterday, very hot and tired. It has been the most incredible experience, enriched by the many people I met along the way. I walked 790km in 35 days, and still don´t believe it. There are many mixed feelings at the end, relief, tiredness, a sense of achievement and feeling a bit lost.

I had nothing stolen, no bedbugs and no blisters, no real problems (although The Beast continued to trouble me until the end), just the occasional minor irritant. The only thing I lost was a deodorant, due to my own forgetfulness. I feel I´ve been very lucky because many pilgrims had serious foot and leg problems (due to lack of preparation and training?), and even boots stolen. Right up until three days before the end I was fine, but then I developed tendonitis in my left leg, and was really struggling the last few kilometres. That will teach me not to take my lack of problems for granted, I was being too smug!

Well, I have my compostela, I´ve been to the pilgrim mass and embraced St James. Tomorrow I´m off to Finisterre for the day by bus, then overnight to Madrid and flying to London to visit my son, daughter-in-law and grandson. When the dust has settled I´ll start my day-by-day account (with photos) as hopefully I feel it might be useful to a future pilgrim.

I´ve learnt quite a few lessons on the Camino. I´ll have to digest it all before making any comments, but one thing I´ve learnt is that if I hesitate or dither about going into a bar in a tiny village when I´m thirsty, I may well go thirsty for quite a few kilometres more. If you want or need something, go for it!

One thing which has been really strange, almost spooky, is that every time I needed something it turned up. When I was running out of soap I was offered a bar by another pilgrim who had had to buy a pack of three. When my credencial was nearly full I was offered a photocopied page out of the blue. When I really felt I couldn´t go another step in the hot sun there would be a stone under a tree for me to sit on. Those are just a very examples of things that were happening almost on a daily basis. Just like getting virtually the last bottom bunk nearly every day. I only slept in a top bunk three times during the whole Camino.

So, these were just a few comments and feelings, I´ll start posting properly soon, I promise!