30 April 2008

As has been the last few days, we started out with a cool wind and a clear blue sky. Today we were a bit later than usual because we stopped for breakfast at the local bar which was serving desayono from 7:00. Danielle woke me up again an hour early than we had planned. I´m going to have to teach her to tell the time! We finally hit the road at 7:30 at the end of a long trail of pilgrims. The road was good and dry until we encountered a section that construction trucks were using. Just before we got there a huge tanker watered down the path reducing it to a sticky muddy mess. Thankfully, we soon got past that section and it was dry again. The surface of the Camino was made up of rocks of various sizes. One had to watch the ground carefully to be sure you did not step on a loose rock and take a tumble.


The Camino, now in the Rioja provence of Spain meanders through fields of hay and vineyards as far as the eye can see. The rolling hills and valleys make for a spectacular sight. For most of the day, we could see a range of snow-capped mountains in the distance. They are probably part of the Pyrenees. We went through Cirueña, a small town where we stopped for a cappucino and a zumo de naranjha for Danielle.



It is interesting how these towns appear in the distance, dominated by the church in the centre, and then get bigger as we approach. Sometimes they disappear completely in the valley and you wonder where they went! We did not make it all the way to Grañon as we had planned but stopped at noon at a fair sized town called Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The albergue here is quite nice, and we were worried that, had we gone on to Grañon, the limited number of spaces in the small town would all be gone. So here we are in Santo D de la C. The plan (such as it is) is to leave early and go on to Belorado 23kms from here tomorrow. Perhaps today is not the day to teach Danielle to tell the time as we will have to be up early.

29 April 2008

We had a great dinner last night and, when we got out of the restaurant, it was freezing cold. The church across the street from our Hostal was opened so we walked in for a visit. It was quite dark until a Pilgrim lady inserted a Euro to turn on the lights. The whole place was covered in gold leaf, from floor to ceiling. It was more than the eyes could take. Bernie took pictures of yet another church to show you on our return. We turned in early after buying a couple of pastries for the next morning´s walk.

I woke up in the night and Bernie was awake thinking about the Camino. He announced he was ready to pull the plug and that we could go to Paris and spend a few days there. He said it was far more difficult than he ever expected (his allergies are quite bad). I can´t believe it but I replied that we could continue, at least for a little while longer. He turned around and we both went back to sleep. I woke up at 6 am, woke him up and proceeded to get ready. I was all dressed and almost all packed, ready to go when he finally got up and did the same. We had a great day on this leg of the trek, even if the sun came up at 9 am., and it was a cloudless day, there was always a cool breeze and the road was never that difficult or dangerous.

Part way through the morning, we stopped to talk with a couple we had met on the road many times and it turns out they are from Orleans, a 5 minute drive from our place. We did a some of the road with them then continued on our way. We later met many people we had talked to before and we all ended up at the same Albergue. The route was fairly non descript walking through a lot vineyards (this being wine country). We walked about 21 kms today to a town called Azofra passing Najera and another village which name escapes me at this time. The Albergue here is fantastic. They have 60 double rooms only, each of which has two beds, 2 large cupboards and a nice big window. The walks are pressed wood but each floor has toilets and showers. We have joined up with 6 other people we have been meeting for the last many days (including the Orleans´couple) and went to dinner. A good time was had by all. A funny thing happened at the restaurant. The lady serving us seem to take an immediate liking to me (maybe I look like her mother or something). I noticed it right away and so did Bernie. When we were leaving, she came to see me, gave me a nice bag of almonds which she said were a local sweet, and gave both of us a great big hug and wished us a Buen Camino. The almonds are great, covered with butter and honey. She told us she wanted us to have them for the road tomorrow. We are now off to bed. Tomorrow´s destination will probably be Graño, about 22 kms away.

P.S. at the end of the walk today, my feet were a bit sore and I mentioned to Bernie that if he offered to quit right now, I am not sure I would talk him in to going on.

28 April 2008

The hotel was very nice. I was awake early this morning and when Bernie started stirring, I took my watch and told him it was 5 am which was the time we wanted to get up. Well, in my usual manner, I rushed up, washed my face while Bernie reluctantly dragged himself out of bed. His first reaction when I told him the time was disappointment as he had just made himself really comfortable in order to go back to sleep. Nevertheless, he got up and went to shave. When I checked my watch again it was just after 4am. Now, I had to tell Bernie I had made a mistake but I was killing myself laughing. He was sort of upset and said he would never ask me the time again. We went back to bed, me almost all dressed and waited for 6am now that we were almost ready to go.
We left soon after 6, still dark at that time here. The temperature was perfect and remained that way most of the day. It was cloudy but still really very nice for walking. Our goal was Navarette, a town about 21 kms away and past a major town called Logroño. Walking through Logroño, we were able to buy some fruit and nuts. We also stopped for a pastry accompanied by a coffee and hot chocolate. Exiting the town, we walked along a paved path for miles and miles where the people get to do their daily walk through a very organized recreational area. The park is beautiful and equipped with barbecues, children´s play areas and nature sites. Along the river, losts of men were fishing. We expected to be in Navarette by 2pm but the roads for once were decent and we arrived shortly after l pm. We checked in a little hostal right across from the Albergue. Bernie seems to have had enough of refugios for now. We were not in very long when the skies opened and it rained heavily for about 30 minutes. We felt sorry for the Piligrinos still on the road somewhere. It is now quite cold but sunny. We will probably have a bite to eat and go to bed early.
P.S. My (Danielle) feet are killing me even after being here for hours now. Hope I am not damaging myself for life on this HOLIDAY. Bernie is still taking lots of pictures and wishing he could download some for the blog. Hasta mañana!

27 April 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM.

We actually slept quite well last night and were up early, around 5 am. We managed to pack in the dark without making too much noise and to leave the place by 6. It was still dark but nice and cool and the road was well marked. We were on our own for a good hour before the stronger walkers caught up with us and passed us. By then, I had two very painful blisters and, we had to stop in the next town and I pierced through them and Bernie patched me up quite well. We left with me limping a bit but it all passed when Bernie realized he had left his camera on the bench where many people had arrived and put down their stuff in front of his. We turned ourselves around and rushed back. No one had even noticed it. It was about 7 o´clock by then and both of us were so hot, we had to peel of everything that could be taken off. It´s not too promising is it? Well, surprise of surprises, it turned out quite well, there was a breeze a lot of the time, we encounted some shady spots and made it into Viana by noon. There was a Fiesta on the main drag, starting in front of the church. The band was lively and we sat outside to eat our tortilla de patata, Bernie had his cafe con leche and I had water. After that, to reward ourselves, we had a nice fresh pastry. Just as we got up to leave, the band in front of the church was coming down towards us, so we were leading in the front. Bernie took his walking pole and started pretenting to be guy in front of the band that sets the marching pace. A few people outside in front of their place were laughing their heads off. We have now checked into a nice hotel as Bernie has had enough of the refugios for now. We have done our laundry already, had our bath and we will be going out in search of food before everything closes. It is Sunday, the shops don´t reopen until tomorrow. We have not planned our next stop. That´s next on the agenda. Stay tuned.

26 April 2008

Today was a terrible day for both of us. We left Estella early and it was nice and cool. By the time we got to Villamajor de monjardin, it had gotten quite hot and there was no shade anywhere for over 15 kms. Not one tree could be seen and we were being baked alive. For those of you who know me well, you know how I love the heat. I was no longer a very pleasant companion! It took us 7 hours to do this one. Our hands are quite tanned but in the weirdest way. Because the straps of our walking poles cover part of the top of our hands, only half our hands are tanned. Looks like we haven´t washed for many days. When we finally got to the refugio in Los Arcos, it was packed to the gunnels with smelly stinky people. We were in a room with 2 bunk beds with only enough space between for a person to pass. (Some refugios have triple bunks). The town was a real disaster, so not in keeping with what we had seen so far. It reminded us of a one horse Mexican town, with its sleezy bars and dirty sidewalks. We have never mentioned that in Spain, everything closes at 2 p.m. and reopens at 6 p.m. but the eating establishments don´t reopen until 8 or 9 p. m. so, if you are hungry and want to go to bed early, you are out of luck. There was one place in Los Arcos which served dinner at 7, so all of the pilgrims gathered there around 5, had a few drinks at their bar and waited.... The lack of competition did not do anything for the food. We had all showered before leaving the refugio so, as soon as we got back, we went to bed. It was 8:30. Tomorrow, our plan is to get up even earlier then today and to to Vianna, about 18kms away.

25 April 2008

We had a great sleep at the Monastario and have decided that after 8 days of walking, we deserve a day off. The doctor we met last night at dinner took some time off this morning and drove us around Estella. He is an expert in Romanesque archeology so he was able to explain in minute details every single fresco in the carvings of the churches. He only speaks Spanish so both of us were kept on our toes trying to understand as much as possible. It was extremely nice of him. We then just walked about (for a change of pace) Estella all day, treated ourselves to an ice cream cone and sat in a sidewalk cafe sipping a capucino and a coca cola and eating a tortilla de patata. (Nina, only the Nuns made one almost as good as yours). The Sisters had invited us to go have lunch at the Monastario at 2pm but we declined. It is an incredibly steep climb to the top of the hill to get there and we did not want to do it again later that day. Remember, they wanted us for breakfast at 9:30 am. We told the little Sor Esperanza that we wanted to leave at 7 the next day and she said she would leave the Chapel and come to unlock the numerous locks in order to let us out. She was there promptly at 7, with a great big bagged breakfast for us. We hated to leave, everyone there had been so nice to us. Our next stop will be Los Arcos, about 18 kms away. These roads are so bad, that with our backpack, we manage about 3 kms an hour including stops.

24 April 2008

We set from Cirauqui early this morning. It is a cool morning, no clouds in sight. The walking seem pleasant enough but still difficult because nothing is flat, all the path is rocky. A large part of the walk is along an ancient Roman road, one that has been described in a 12th Century text. Parts are quite good but others have been washed away and the stones stolen by villagers a long time ago when the Camino was not so popular. On the good parts, one can see the hollowed out steps on the flat stones made by the millions of pilgrims preceeding us. The good weather has dried up the earth and it is now possible to walk without sinking in though it is quite uneven and difficult in places. We managed to cover the 15kms to Estella in about 8 hours including stops. At one point, we stopped at a monument erected in memory of a Canadian pilgrim (woman) who had died tragically along that area of the Camino. By now, I think I might join her, I am so sore and hot. Bernie still is smiling and taking pictures. (he doesn´t dare complain because I will suggest to cab it to the next town). When we got to Estella, we walked past the refugios where most people stop and went searching for the Monastary of St.Benito (St. Benedict). Bernie read about it and we know they take in Pilgrims. After walking a few extra kms, we stopped in a bar and asked if they could call the Monastary to reserve for us. (Bernie had read that one must call in advance) With our limited Spanish, it was quite a feat. We finally found our way there which was much further than we thought, right on top of a hill on the north side of town. After asking many people, an elderly man tried to direct us with no success so he decided to walk us to the base of the hill. When we finally found the place, it was defended by many layers of gates so it was a real challenge to get ourselves in. Once inside the gate, we rang the door and it took forever for someone to appear behind a grill like in a cloister. It turns out that, in that huge convent, there are only 10 nuns (Nina,they are your size). The place is absolutely spotless and shiny. We are shown to two separate rooms because there are no double ones. We are right across from each other, we both have full bathrooms with towels, soap, shampoo and even bubblebath. Such luxury. We now have to attend Vespers at 7 p.m. It was quite interesting and the nuns sang Gregorian chants just like angels. I was walking on my socked feet since our shoes are quite muddy. The little nun that was dealing with us since our arrival did not like it. She kept telling me that their tiled floors were way too cold. When I came out of Bernie´s room, there were beautiful leather slippers in my room. Unfortunately, they were so small I had to stuff my feet into them like in an 18hour girdle. As if my feet are not sore enough. It was very sweet of her.
The dinner was fairly basic. We were joined for dinner by a medical doctor, also an expert of Romanesque archeology. Again, our limited Spanish made it hard to converse freely but we did manage to communicate. We were each in our rooms by 9h30. No radio, t.v. or books to read. We were not expected back down until 9 a.m. so it was a great chance to catch up on our sleep.

23 April 2008

Today our destination is Punta la Reina and beyond. It turns out that the walk from Eunate takes us back to Obanos where we join the Camino and then onward to Punta la Reina. Punta la Reina gets its name from the bridge which was payed for by Isabella II (I think) to replace a worn out existing one. Architecturally, it is a beautiful bridge with 5 medeival arches spanning the Arre river. The hill to get here was the steepest yet and it is hot. Again, the villages are very old, extremely well kept and so may churches. The history here is everywhere. Now that I am dying and totally worn out, we are facing an even steeper climb than earlier. I want to die and Bernie wishes I would. I am in a bad mood ready to kill anyone who dares speak to me. Bernie is still in a good mood, still taking pictures every two minutes, I want to scream. We finally decided to stop when we got to Cirauqui. We have been on the road now for 7 hours though we have only covered just over 17kms. This village is all hills. The albergue is really very nice, right in front of a beautiful old church. We were the first there and we treated ourselves to one of the two double rooms available. The view from ours was the best in the place and absolutely spectacular. Unfortunately, Bernie cannot upload pictures due to lack of time. You can all view our album when we download all the pictures. Dinner was served in this place in the ancient medeival cellar. We sat with 4 Norwegian men. We had a good time and the food was very good, plentiful and the wine also.

22 April 2008

It`s not raining so we are off to an early start to climb the Alto de Perdon. It is a 700m climb to the top where there are scores of giant windmills against the horizon. The climb starts out well enough but soon gets steep and in several sections quite muddy, the kind of sticky, slippery mud that sucks your foot in and doesn`t let go. Danielle was ready to quit many times, but there was no way to turn back, so we had to press on to the top for the next five hours. At the top of the hill was the famous tableau of the pilgrims´ silhouette made of metal. Once there, we were now faced with a very difficult descent. The water had washed away a lot of the soil so we were clambering down a steep decline made of rocks. It was extremely hard on our old joints (keep in mind that mud is slippery and our shoes are covered with it) and Bernie is still suffering from a twisted knee. Once on the flat, we crossed many picturesque villages each one dating back to the 16th Century or older. By now, I (Danielle) am dead on my feet, everything hurts except my eyelids but no blisters. Just before getting to Obanos, there is a detour leading to Eunate. No one takes it but us. After an hour of walking through open fields, in the blazing noon sun, we arrived at Santa Maria de Eunate. What a place! Eunate is a mysterious octogonal structure built in the middle of nowhere. The architecture is sturdy and shows signs of Moorish influence. No one knows it´s origins but it is recorded in 12th Century documents in which they talk about returning to the old rules. Some think it is a burial place of one of the Knights Templar. Recently, (meaning in the last few centuries) it has been acquired by the Catholic Church and renamed Santa Maria de Eunate. As luck would have it, we were able to sleep there in an upstairs room of the caretaker´s house and with even more luck, the guy was French so I had no difficulty communicating with him. We were joined later on by two German ladies and the four of us slept there, had a great meal prepared by Jean, the caretaker and at 9p.m. he took us into the chapel for a very special candle-lit ceremony. All four guest read, me in French, Bernie in English and the two ladies in German. Jean sang at the beginning and at the end and the accoustics were incredible. We walked out of the chapel and all went to bed feeling privileged to have been there that evening. The next morning, we woke up to a table all set up for breakfast. Jean was busy opening the chapel. We ate all together and set out for another gruelling day of walking in the hot sun.

21 April 2008

We got an early start today and after breakfast in the well appointed kitchen we set out for Pamplona (where the bulls run!) There was a continuous drizzle at times heavier. However our clothes and the rain protectors on our packs kept us dry and the cool weather kept us comfortable. We walked the entire distance on a concrete strip running beside a raging river. It was most pleasant and a welcome change from struggling through the mud. We had to cross one of the four medieval bridges over the river and entered the walled city through the Portal de Francia. Judging from the layers of defence around the city it was very well protected during its heyday. After stopping for a bite to eat and getting our sello (stamp) on our credencial (proof of passage), we hit the road for Cizur Minor. We stopped again along the way to get another sello from the Universidad de Navarra, and proceeded with a Mexican lady we picked up along the way to Cizur Minor. We finally got there seven hours after leaving Huarte, and found the only refugio quite full. The lady running it insisted she had place for us, but it was too much like sardines. We opted to walk another couple of kilometres to Cizur Major and checked into a little hotel. We feel in the lap of luxury. In fact we feel that we don´t belong in a nice place like this with our grubby clothes and muddy shoes. It seems like we are the only guests here tonight. There is a large lounge here with great internet facilities, so we took the opportunity to fix yesterday´s hurried blog. As we look out the window here, we can see the string of windmills atop the Alto de Perdon . Tomorrow´s route takes us over the hill a height of 400m on to Obanos. We will keep you posted.

As a postscript, the restaurant was closed as it was Monday, so the owner of the hotel made us a spectacular dinner with two kinds of wine and we went to bed about 10pm to get some rest for the next day`s climb of the Alto.

20 April 2008

We got off to a late start as on the way we happened upon an internet place, so we stopped for an hour and updated the blog. It wasn´t until about 11:00 that we finally set off on the road, after trying the path for a short while, and finding ourselves in deep mud. Our goal for today was Trinidad de Arre, but somehow we went right past it, and found ourselves in Huarte, a few kilometres away from Pamplona. We found our way to the local municipal refugio, and were pleasantly surprised to find that the facilities were excellent, and that it was almost empty.

We had met a young couple from Wales on their dirt bikes early this morning and when we arrived in Huarte exhausted and hoping to find a refugio, we met Graham again. He was happy to see us, as no one else had shown up in a huge muncipal building sized to accomodate hundreds. The washing and toilet facilities were spotless and plentiful. We were given our private room containing 8 bunk beds so we spread ourselves out and washed our muddy clothes. The biggest luxury was having our own radiator on which we could dry all our stuff. In other places radiator real-estate was a scarce commodity normally shared by 16 people. The kitchen facilities were wonderful and we were able to cook dinner and share it with Graham and Katy. They supplied the dessert.

19 April 2008

Despite the difficulty of the walk the previous day we felt quite well this morning to continue on to Zubiri 22 km away. We opted to take the road for the most part as the trail was impassable in places due to the deep mud from the runoff. We don´t know as yet what the length of the road journey was, but according to someone who had a map, the distance was 42 kms. In any event it took us nine hours, most of it in the rain. About noon we walked through another of the many very pretty Basque villages, and bought a baguette some queso (cheese) and membrillo, and that evening while waiting for the restaurant to open had some great bocadillos. Thanks Nina. We have met really nice people along the way. We have done a lot of our walking with one particular woman from StHyacinthe. The people at our first refuge were extremely welcoming and the lady Huberta had been to India in her twenties and was so delighted to chat with Bernie. The food there was excellent. We eat very little during the day since it is raining so much. The scenery is always so beautiful and we very much appreciate it early on, not so much after nine hours. All the little villages date from the 16th century and some of the churches are breathtaking. We finally made it to Zubiri, exhausted and decided to stay at the very first hotel we encountered entering the town. It was a delight to soak in a warm bath but it took no pain away from our feet. So far no injuries anywhere. Tomorrow, if we can stand, we are off to Trinidad de Arre, a few kms outside of Pamplona.

18 April 2008

Today, we left for Roncesvalles early in the morning. It was a cloudy and rainy day, so we opted for the route via Valcarlos which goes around rather than directly over the mountain. The path went along the N135 highway for short distances, it went over hills, and into valleys, and all the time it rained. Mostly heavy rain, but sometimes a downpour. We even encountered a thunderstorm during which we were pelted with hail the size of large peas and winds enough to blow us off the trail.

The most difficult obstacle was the mud. At times we struggled through ankle deep mud for hundreds of feet. The only time the sun came out was when we were faced with a strech of uphill which served to wet us from the inside.

Finally when we had reached the limit of our endurance, we had to walk up a steep uphill for several hundred metres to the Col de Ibeñeta, the ancient pass through which the Roman armies led by Charlemagne passed. At the top we encountered a cold wind that froze our hands, so that operating a camera was painful. Our gloves were of no use, as they were wet.

It was far and above the most difficult thing that we had ever done. We heard later that day that two couples had to be rescued from the Napoleon route (the one that goes over the mountain) due to high winds and a snow storm. It was downhill from there to the monastry at Roncesvalles. By then we had been walking over nine hours! The albergue was ok, we were so tired and covered in mud it didn´t matter much.

17 April 2008

We are finally in St. Jean Pied de Port after days (it seems) of travel. We spent all day Tuesday in transit arriving in Bayonne in the early afternoon on Wednesday. It is spring-time in Europe and Bayonne is particularly beautiful with everything in bloom and a lot of pollen in the air.... Good thing we brought our antihistamines!
Today we took a train to StJPdP, and met several hikers from Quebec, Czech Republic, Italy and Germany all very friendly and eager to start. Apparently a few started out today but had to return because of dense fog in the mountains. Hopefully we will be luckier tomorrow. We have contacted the Bourricot Express to have some odds and sods carried on to Roncesvalles in order to lighten our load tomorrow, and all is set for leaving first thing in the AM tomorrow.

St.JPdeP is a very picturesque city very similar to Quebec City. It is a walled city with a citadel (now used as a school) built in the 16th century. It is difficult to restrain the photographer because there are so many photogenic doors, arches and boutiques. Hopefully we will be able to email again in the next few days if we survive tomorrow's walk.

14 April 2008

Tomorrow is the day that we leave for France and the start of our long walk. If we are lucky, and all our body parts hold up, we hope to complete the 800kms to Santiago in Spain within the 50 days available. If not, we will have enjoyed the portion that we did complete. A friend who left a month ago to walk the camino, has just come back and has been able to share his experiences with us first-hand. Unfortunately, halfway through he got sick and had to return. He has not ruled out the possibility of returning to Spain to complete the walk.
We have prepared all our toiletries but will have to send them in our single piece of checked baggage because of the air travel restrictions on almost everything! Once there, we will add that stuff to our packs. For those that might be interested, the following link provides you with a flyover of the first day's walk from the Spanish border to Roncesvalles, a distance of 22kms.
http://jacobeo.navarra.es/
The final weight of our packs come in at a managable 15lbs for me and 12lbs for Danielle. By-the-way we did get that second waterbottle for Danielle, but will not be taking it as we will go with the internal bladder within our packs. This is for all of you girls - try to pack for 2 months with just one change of clothes, gives you a whole new perspective on fashion. This will be our last entry from Ottawa. The next time you hear from us we will be on our way.

8 April 2008

We are still involved in our final preparations, assembling last minute things, paying our bills in advance, making reservations at a hotel close to the Gare de Bayonne in Bayonne, checking on the schedule of the train to St. Jean Pied de Port. We plan to spend a night at Le Esprit du Chemain a small aulberge on the Rue de la Citadelle in StJPdP and on the following day we will head out to the mountain. We are not sure whether we will be taking the Napoléon route or the Valcarlos route which goes around rather than over the Pyrenees. It will all depend on the weather. We will also take one other precaution on that first 22km walk. We will arrange to reduce the weight of our backpacks by shipping some of our gear to Roncesvalles by car. Some suggest that that does not display the true spirit of the Camino, but we will live with it!

We still have to find someone to cut the grass while we are gone, and by-the-way we still don't have a second waterbottle for Danielle.

7 April 2008

We have a week to go, and are beginning to wonder if a trek of 800kms on the Camino de Santiago was the best idea for a holiday! Anyway too late to change our minds. We have bought our tickets, assembled our gear and have only the last minute arrangements to consider. Now is when the reality of this great idea hits you in the face like a wet rag.

The weather lately has improved quite a bit, so we have been able to get in a few long walks of 20kms or more. We haven't done a really long walk fully loaded, but our thinking is that once we get past the first day St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles a distance of 22kms, we will be able to set our own pace and hence get some on-the-job-training. We'll let you know how it goes.

Our things-to-do list still has several items on it. Among them ear-plugs (think - a room full of snoring pilgrims) and a second waterbottle for Danielle.