Day 8: Estella - Los Arcos

Here we go! I left Madrid with my little backpack one week ago today. I was just telling Ch, one of my roommates tonight, that I feel a little overwhelmed by my blog, not because it is hanging over my head to write, but because so very much happens in one day on the Camino and it is hard to remember everything and report back on it all! 

N was having another short day so we took a selfie and said see you later down the Camino. 

Highlights from today included pretty colors as the sun rose...

Hitting up the Irache wine fountain just after 8am...

The sign says you should drink if you want the strength to arrive to Santiago. ;)

And, of course, pretty parts of the Camino!

I had nice breaks and felt rested too. I arrived to Los Arcos just after 3 and wanted to stay since it was almost 7 k until the next village. However, I have gotten back on the main stages and I couldn't find a bed. There was one last place to try, but they were so disorganized they couldn't even tell me if they had space. While I waited and tried to think of a plan B (rest and then keep walking, take a taxi, find a bus...) some French pilgrims that I had kept seeing told me they had booked a room and had an extra space. I said I would take it! Camino magic! 

It turned out that their room for four was actually for 6 so we ended up adopting 2 more, including Ch. :)

Ch and I visited the church. Lovely, a must-see if you come here. 

The organ:

And our saint, Santiago:

The small plaza was crowded with pilgrims so we shared a table with a solo Belgian and laughed and communicated the best we could in French, Spanish and English. He insisted on picking up the check. 

Ch helped bandage his feet after dinner (she's a nurse) and we are all tucked in now. It's chilly; the winds really picked up tonight. Hasta mañana. :)

Kilometers walked: 23.86 (Fitbit), 21.40 (Buen Camino app). More in sync today!

Day 6: Uterga - Lorca

Today was a rough one. The Camino is not all skipping through vineyards and prancing in the sun. I thought that after a good night's sleep I would be ready for a more typical day, but the combination of ups, downs, sun, wind and rain wore me out. The last few kilometers to Lorca were brutal and I really wondered why I had decided to do this... 

I stopped in Puente la Reina (above) for a hot drink and an escape from the rain. As predicted, the rain stopped around 10. But, I think I had weather from all four seasons!

Puente la Reina is a gorgeous little town and it has more services than many of the small villages. I bought some kinesthetic tape at a pharmacy here and it made a huge difference in how my knee felt. 

Approaching Ciraqui (above) I felt pretty good. I had a rest, a snack and commited to the next 5-ish k to the next village. As you can see from the photo, I'm starting to get into Spain's wine country. 

The Romans marched along this part of the Camino. 

I think it's normal to question your motivation when you commit to something like the Camino. Sharing experiences with other pilgrims at the albergue renewed me and I vowed to take an easier day, or even more easier days, as I make my way. 

Typical house that has embraced the scallop shell, one of the Camino's symbols. 

Kilometers walked: 27.11 (Fitbit), 20.44 (Buen Camino app). I know I took a wrong turn early in the day, so 2-3 k of variation here is probably due to that. 

Day 4: Linzoáin - Trinidad de Arre

Today was the first day that my alarm woke me. Today was also the first day that I left in the daylight. In a shared room with just three beds (and people) I slept much better. After good rest, un café con leche de soja and great hospitality at Posada El Camino, I was ready to take on my third day. 

I ended up walking with another guest from the hostal and chatting made time pass quickly. We had breakfast and second coffees in Zubiri and continued. 

The weather was perfect and it felt satisfying to see a less busy camino before me. So far, walkers seem to be moving in very similar stages, which is a less tranquil experience walking and necessitates planning and reservations, something I prefer to avoid so that I can stay open to how my body feels and how the day unfolds. 

This is how you feel sometimes on the Camino. 

The trail threaded through some picturesque villages and followed the Arga River most of the day. 

My new friend and I ended up going farther... somehow we didn't find a village, but it all worked out. We are in the albergue connected to the church and they say it is the oldest on the Camino, dating back to the 12th century. There is a lovely grassy courtyard and it is peaceful. Pamplona is not far, so I will see busy city-ish stuff tomorrow. 

Kicking back for now. :)

There is a kitchen here so I visited the supermarket and and put together a simple salad dinner. 

There are guests from Cataluña, Navarra, France, Japan, South Korea and the Ukraine. At least, those are the ones I have chatted with so far!

Kilometers walked: 30.33 (Fitbit), 23.71 (Buen Camino app). Interesting variation, no?

Day 3: Roncesvalles - Linzoáin (Lintzoain)

First things first, why are there two town names above? I'm in the Basque Country and the second is the Basque name for where I am. Spain has a lot of geographical, cultural and linguistic variety - come and see! 

I wanted to sleep in until 7:15 or so today, but in the big albergues it can be difficult. Lots of people in one big room means a lot of noise... phones, snores and really early risers. When the lights switched on at 6, I figured that I might as well get up. 

(Before dawn selfie; only 790 k to go...)

I was out of town before 7, opting to walk a little before breakfast. It was still dark on the trail, but I met a sweet Swedish girl with a headlamp so we chatted until the next town (and breakfast stop). My body didn't feel so sore, but I just felt tired despite the food and caffeine. 

It was a drizzly morning, which is not bad for walking, but my clothes hadn't dried from the day before so I started looking at lodging options at my second coffee shop. I opted for an easy day and to avoid the stop that most were headed towards, in an attempt to escape the crowd. I think everyone has read that September has better weather and is less-crowded... so far it seems busy to me. However, it will probably even out as we strike our own paces a bit more. 

I found a lovely old house, which has been reformed into Camino lodging via my Buen Camino app. It's a new option on the Camino and the owner is very kind; the bonus is she has an adorable puppy, Nala. 

With my clothes on the line, a picnic lunch at the table inside my tummy and good wifi, I updated my blog and rested. 

The hostel is THE option for food and drink so I enjoyed a lovely meal of home-cooked, locally grown, fresh food for dinner. 

Kilometers walked: 19.13, definitely not a record for the Camino, but a good easy day. Not all of this was "on the Camino" as I explored around the village, stretching my legs after settling in. 

Day 2: St. Jean - Roncesvalles

Today will also be known as the hazing day of the Camino. Oh my, saying it was hard doesn't even begin to describe it. I left my hostel at 7:11am and didn't get here until 5:30... more than 10 hours on the trail does not mean that I was walking the whole time, but it does mean I was on the road for a very long stretch of time. The ascent was tough, the descent was steep. I had some great rest stops, conversations with fellow pilgrims, snacks and took some amazing pictures. 

I finally made to Roncesvalles and it was good I had made a reservation because all 180 beds were taken. Getting to the hostel late means less time to rest and that my hair and clothes are still wet. Most pilgrims finish their walking at 2-3 to take advantage of Spanish lunchtime and relaxing in the evening. Hmmm, that sounds nice!

It was a great day. It was just long and a brutal start in. If you do the Camino Francés I absolutely recommend that you break up this first stage. Your body is not used to the trail or your pack yet and it becomes a trial. 

I met quite a few Americans today and kept running into three men from Texas. As we chatted and also met other pilgrims people were so kind, asking them if all was okay with their homes and families. ❤️

This evening was busy. Self care (clothes washing, showering, Food!) took priority, but I did make it to the 8pm pilgrims' mass . It was a really special ceremony and all the pilgrims were called forward at the end to receive a blessing. 

My plan is for tomorrow to be a much shorter day. It will be good for my body to move and stretch but pushing it too much at the start is not a good idea. 

Kilometers walked: 25.83... though I'm starting to wonder how accurate my darling Fitbit is since that is shy of what the route marks... and I tend to trust the 1000 year old trail more than new technology. 😂 However, it is noteworthy that none of my walking registered today... instead the Fitbit picked up my activity as sport. Intense.