Where to even begin! It was a BIG day. Senses overwhelmed. It started out with me waking up from nightmares of not packing enough and oversleeping. I did sleep in a little (because I could!) and hit the road at 10:30. It was foggy outside and a little chilly, but I knew that would change soon as the sun came out. Walking out of the city was slightly confusing. Where is the camino?
I knew it would be a big day. The Pyrenees portion, while one of the prettiest, is a lot of up and down. 15 miles total til you reach a bed. The road gradually began to climb through the mountains. Passing sheep, horses, and farms along the way. Always with views of the beautiful surrounding mountains.
It was HOT. The sun was burning down, and it was uphill. Luckily I have learned from past heat hikes, put on my hat and sunglasses, and stayed hydrated!
Most of the walk was on an asphalt one lane road, cars would drive by at times, but overall it was very quiet. The last five miles were on a dirt path, which was much to my relief as my feet were KILLING me!
There were so many little things I was noticing along the way: flowers, berries, spiderwebs, scat (only a gal from the wilds would take a photo). :)
Guess that scat?
At some point we entered Spain, but as one of my new friends said "if you ask any of the locals they wouldn't say they are in France or Spain, but rather Basque Country." Either way, the higher you got, the more dramatic (and lush) the views were.
And the sheep, cows, and horses were everywhere! You could always here their bells ringing in the distance.
The final stint was ALL downhill, which was BRUTAL! At that point my feet and knees were in pain. But it was through beautiful old growth foggy, forest.
And then all the sudden, I had arrived at the monastery albuergue, it was beautiful. I was tired and my feet were sore. And what would you know but right when I get there, take a shower and sit in bed, the priest comes by offering some sort of Spanish alcohol. Then offered a tour of the facilities to pilgrims. After the tour, I ate my first pilgrim meal: soup, trout, wine, and ice cream. Then it was time to rest the body and sleep. Day 2 was sure to be full of aches and pains....
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Camino Meditation of the Day
I know not everyone is able to walk the camino. So I'm going to offer reflections from the road for you to ponder. Today it's the question: What's your story?
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