Day 4 - slept in Trinidad de Arre - July 1

Woke up at 7:30, left the casa rural by 8:30am with Dee. It was nice to have our own room but ugh, all we were doing is complaining about how we didn't want to get up and go. Her ritual involves having a cigarette out the window first thing in the morning. My ritual involves leaving to brush my teeth, wash my face, and have the dry heaves for a minute again. What causes it? It feels like my body is just rejecting the notion of the physical challenge, plus the angst of not knowing where I'll lay my head tonight. I also have the distinct pleasure of rubbing Vaseline all over my feet every morning.

We headed out to find coffee and tea. The walk out of town first went by a beautiful stream but then continued through a bleak industrial complex. Once we got passed that, we came across a series of small towns (hamlets) that were absolutely darling. The architecture and the brick roads and the flora and fauna and the fountains were so beautiful. In Osteriz, Ilarratz, and Esquirroz I walked around in amazement. While we were at one of the fountains, we watched this fun-loving Basque pilgrim man entertaining a group of Spanish pilgrim ladies, while a young reggae looking pilgrim boy was boiling his own coffee and cooking his own breakfast at the fountain. One energetic Spanish pilgrim woman was doing a few stretches and when she was done, she turned to us and said in a satisfied manner with a heavy accent, "as brand as new." That had us a rolling with laughter and so the quote of the day became "as brand as new."

The next stop was at a darling cafe in the middle of nowhere that appeared at just the right time. There was a couple doing the Camino on horseback, we met up with Annigrette and Vega from Finland, and we met Shai from Brooklyn. I remembered passing him because he had a huge backpack and a pre-existing knee injury that was making him walk very slow. He was a talker, and he was entertaining everyone at the restaurant with his magic stick. "Shai's stick" - a ruler-sized sports wand that you roll over the muscles of your legs to relieve pain. He let everyone try it and sure enough, it felt great!

The town of Larrasoana was next up on the trek. It was considered an important pilgrim halt in medieval times because it had two pilgrim hospitals and a monastery. But none of that is evident today, in fact, Dee's feet were killing her and we could not find a Farmacia open. Nothing ever seemed to be open when we walked through these towns! It was another absolutely darling place with a cutesy little downtown but there were no people and no stores open. The place had Jacobean symbols and armorial shields on many of the buildings and so I decided to melt into the tranquility (tranquille) of it all.

We were back walking along the Rio Arga and it was beautiful, plenty of shade along the tree-lined riverbanks and a number of drinking fountains along The Way. I was loving on my water source: I had a 1.5 liter bottle that fit inside a Camelback coozie that strapped onto my waist pack or back pack or belt. It was great because I could easily reach it, as opposed to storing your water on your back pack where you can't get to it on your own. Many pilgrims had the "aqua bladder" (talk about an unappealing name) which is stored in your pack and you drank from a straw. Not my cup of tea.

Before Pamplona is a town that is listed by many different names, I'm still not sure which one is correct. It is known as Arre, Arres, and Trinidad de Arre. At any rate, Dee and I were glad to get there. Like yesterday, it seemed the last three kilometers was a never-ending road in which each step is so painful, one ends up walking like an old man. When we emerged from the forest and crossed the lovely bridge, we came across Robin from North Carolina who was introducing us to an Italian couple. We rested for awhile and listened to her go on and on, and finally headed into town where we came across Brian from Ireland and met Roger from Belgium. It was fun sitting in the square (Calle Mayor) with these guys at the Cafe Paradiso in Arres drinking Albarino wine. The guys were staying in town for the night and had already arrived hours ago and were quite rested by the time we encountered them. Even though Robin was going on to Pamplona, Dee and I decided to stay.

We walked 18.5 kilometers today and there was nothing nicer than sitting here and watching the village come to life. We talked about how the Spanish men are out in the mornings (drinking coffee and reading the paper, when only the cafes are open), the women and children emerge in the afternoons (when stores are open for a few hours before siesta), and everyone comes out at night (and stays out really late). It is fabulous but you've got to think, no wonder this country is going under, nothing ever seems to be open and no one seems to really work! The boys were staying in the convent by the bridge but heading for the pilgrim dinner at the Municipal Alberge so instead of going backwards, we said goodbye to Robin, went to dinner with them, and checked into the Municipal afterwards.

Dinner was fun (even though the place was an eyesore). And the food was pretty good tonight. Same fare: one starter which is usually either soup, salad, or pasta; one main course which is usually either fish, chicken or beef; dessert which is usually either yogurt, ice cream or some kind of flan-looking dish; and all the bread you can eat and all the wine you can drink! Brian and Roger had both done the Camino before and they were giving us all kinds of advice. When talk came around to our feet, which it invariably does every night, Brian gave me a Compeed for my blister. My NuSkin wasn't working and they all said this Compeed stuff is the best, so of course, I gratefully took it. Everyone complained about their feet, whether it was the bones or the blisters, it was unavoidable. I remembered that I had a bad dream the night before about popping my blister and it gushing out, and Dee said "you know you're on the Camino when you're dreaming about blisters."

Dee was proving to spend much of her time on her iPhone because there was free Wi-Fi (pronounced "wee-fee" over there ;) almost everywhere. All you had to do was ask for the code, and it kept cracking us up, all of these cryptic codes the cafes had set! Too funny. We also spoke with two Spanish pilgrim girls who were sisters and staying in the same Municipal Alberge. When we finally checked in, the warden was talking and walking so slow, it was all we could do to be patient and follow along on her rehearsed, monotone tour. At last, I was at my bed (late again but we weren't too concerned because we knew we had a short day to Pamplona tomorrow) and I hadn't even taken a shower yet. Decent shower here - private, women-only, warm water, no time limit - and the sheets and pillow cases were nice and clean, "as brand as new." There were about 48 beds in the big room and it was all women. Earplugs in, making memories!

"Be the change you want to see in the world." 
- Mahatma Gandhi

Day 5 - slept in Pamplona - July 2

Up by 8am, out of the alberge by 9am with Dee. We had a mere 3.5 kilometers to make it to Pamplona today so we took our glorious time. Back in the main square at the Cafe Paradiso, we ordered coffee and tea and yummy pastries. Our theory of only the men being out and about at this time held true. We headed out of town and into the suburbs of Pamplona. There were funky industrial buildings along The Way and we had to keep a watchful eye for the yellow arrows once we entered the city limits. After walking through the suburban parts of the city, we reached the bridge and the medieval part of town.

There is an ancient stone cross with a relief of St. James as a pilgrim atop the scallop shell on the magnificent medieval bridge that stands as a gateway to this historic city. Dee turned off to the left toward the alberge where Robin was staying and I headed into the gates of Pamplona to find a hotel. After roaming the streets for awhile looking for an "H" sign, I finally asked at a cafe and they pointed me in the right direction. It was only 11am when I checked in; I promptly took a long bath!

The rest of the day was spent roaming around Pamplona, what an amazing city! You can tell it is a vibrant university city with the old town at it's center. The Camino goes straight through the old part of town, and coincidentally, is also one of the roads where the running of the bulls takes place. The Festival of San Fermin was set to start the following weekend and the city was already getting prepared. I thought about staying to watch it but realized it would be too long to stay in Pamplona. The saying here isn't that Ernest Hemingway made Pamplona famous, the Spaniards say it was Pamplona that made Ernest Hemingway famous. Cute.

I was happy to be an incognito pilgrim for the afternoon and I put on my flip flops and the only skirt I brought and headed to the main square. The conceirge at my gorgeous hotel told me there was an eco-laundry mat in the square so I packed up my dirty clothes and went to find it. It was great, I put everything in and waited for the machines to run their course while I sat out front and had yummy red sangrias with Dee.

We saw a group of our extended family in the square, and I met Alexis from Scotland. We decided to veer off the pilgrim menu and order real food, I had mushroom gnocchi. Then Dee came with me to the pilgrim sports store (the only other one I've seen since St. Jean Pied du Port) and I finally bought the synthetic type of clothes I should've purchased from the beginning! I got two pair of lightweight, quick-dry pants; three wicking short-sleeve tops; one long sleeve top; and a proper jacket (I had brought my Lululemon yoga jacket which was heavy and slow-drying). I went back to my room, unpacked everything, reassessed, and repacked.

My room had this lovely painting in it of a woman emerging from the dirt and river and that was exactly how I felt. I took another glorious bath that night (my legs were killing me unlike anything I'd ever known!) and set aside a bag full of items which I knew I would have to mail back tomorrow, including my digital camera. I learned how to pinch-and-expand and zoom in while taking pictures on my new iPhone and decided that would suffice, thank you Robin Reed!! I also unpacked my Tempur-pedic camping pillow (it was heavy and bulky and all the alberges had pillows) and another assortment of clothes including one jacket, one long-sleeve top and another pair of pants (abandoned items 13-17). I called my Mom for a check-in and had her in stitches with my stories. I told her it was WAY HARDER than I could've ever imagined and that it was NOTHING like the movie! There was some kind of Spanish party going on downstairs in the street so in went the earplugs and out went the lights on Pamplona. I liked having my own hotel room.

"To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day." 
- Lao-tzu

Day 6 - slept in Puenta La Reina - July 3

Up at 8am, out of the hotel by 9am, with Dee who came to wake me. She had a package to mail for Robin and I had mine so we headed to the post office. Easy directions from the concierge but difficult to find, with all the curvy streets, foreign words, and city bustle. We passed it a couple of times, not realizing Correos is the Spanish name for La Poste. Finally inside we were greeted with the usual kind of rudeness the service people continue to display. It makes Dee furious but I don't mind too much. I figure I'm a pilgrim here on their land, let them be. We finally left the post office in Pamplona around 10am, and to think we made it all the way to Puenta La Reina tonight and partied, what a day!

Dee and I left Pamplona together and found tea and coffee at a cafe on the outskirts of town. Once we were fortified, we walked past the University and up to the Knights of Templar alberge and the 12th century Romanesque church in Cizur Menor. She was having aching feet and told me to go on ahead. My Compeed was working like another miracle, and after my lovely night's sleep, I was ready to tackle the mountain. There was a huge incline today, from 400 meters to 800 meters and back to 400 meters down the other side of it. She assured me it was fine to go ahead and so I did. I started on a long, dirt road through the meadow and up the mountain. I felt great in my new clothes and out there on my own again and I thought to myself, the Camino already feels like a pilgrimage.

I am getting stronger and I have more courage than I thought. I am shedding my things. Even if I think I can do anything, I still have to prepare for it.  All of these thoughts kept running through my head but I find that I can't really focus on any one too long because I have to focus on the world outside of me. Ahead of me I can see a range of hills and a steep climb up, to then pass through a settlement of wind turbines looming in the distance. I can see the windmills next to the big landmark of the day, the Hill of Forgiveness (Alto del Perdon), with a series of large wrought iron sculptures of medieval pilgrims, heads bent to the west wind.

It is ironic that on the way up, all one can do is look down, in every effort to avoid as many rocks as possible. There are rocks of every nature: you have the embedded ones with jagged edges that stick out leeringly; you have the large loose ones that give way and roll underneath each time you angle down on it wrong; you have the smaller rounded ones hiding, that if you happen to step on it with the bullseye of your big toe bone, you are limping for an hour; you have the pebbles that lie beside the tractor grades caked dry in the mud; and let us not forget the shales of granite jettisoning out of the earth. It takes a dedicated pilgrim to actually stop and look up and around now and then.

The climb up provided stunning views of Pamplona behind me. I looked behind and I knew, I had completed the first hurdle in my mind - getting over the Pyrenees mountains and through Pamplona. Once I crested the summit, I could see the view west over the Arga valley and all of the villages I would be passing through became visible far below.  I thought to myself "wow, now I know what it is like to climb up one side of a mountain, climb down the other, and then walk through a huge valley." I met up with a few 'tourist pilgrims' they called themselves, Spaniards from a nearby town just out for the day with their friends. I also met Diego from Mexico.  The climb down was a very steep descent and my legs were crying. The loose boulders were so frightful I had to take a picture of them! My feet, oh my poor feet, and my ankles, I had a new pain. My calves had shin splints, and my thighs were burning, they've never known this kind of workout before. And my ass, I was starting to feel muscles I didn't even know existed. And to think I wanted to do this barefoot (what was I thinking!).

Once I reached the bottom of the crest, the land opened up and became rich red earth and almond trees. The path wound around a ridge running parallel to a quiet country road that led to the town of Uterga. I headed for the first little grocery store, bought wine and saucisson and proceeded to the picnic table to take off my shoes. It was here I met Philip from Spain and had a lovely talk. He took off and I waited for Dee to arrive. When she came, we rested longer and then walked through the town by the local Camino del Perdon alberge and then down into the valley. We still had 7 kilometers to go if we were going to make it to Puenta La Reina. We were going on a suggestion by Roger from Belgium to stay at a particular alberge at the far end of town so we'd rendez vous there. I had the faster pace today and off we went.

The small town of Obanos was beautifully ornate. There was a large church and a cloister in the historic village, and all along the roads and sidewalks were scallop shells marking The Way of the Camino.  It was a gorgeous afternoon walk but totally painful. Many pilgrims along The Way were starting to limp and hobble along. I kept running into the Irish family of a Dad and two daughters and one of the daughters had a bad knee. I walked with her awhile and by the time I got to the bridge in Puenta La Reina, once again I was hobbling in too.

The main alberge in PLR is at the beginning of town, actually I'm noticing that a lot, that the main alberges are at the beginning of town. I saw Anton there and told him Dee and I were going to the other one but he was so tired he couldn't walk a step further. I shuffled through the narrow street and admired all of the shops and cafes along The Way. It must be post-siesta, I thought as people were out and about having a good time. Then after what seemed another couple of kilometers, I reached the end and the bridge out of town. There I was told to cross over and climb up the hill and veer to the right. "Keep going, it gets really steep, and keep veering to the right" is what Roger said. So that's what I did. What a challenge, it was so steep I was literally taking the smallest steps you've ever seen and angling my walking sticks for support! Finally I arrive and there is a large, modern building with a swimming pool. I walked into the big main entrance and dining hall, and checked in with the warden. He spoke French so I was able to communicate. I paid my 10 Euro for the night and 10 Euro for the meal and set off to find my bed.

The communal dinner was served in the large hall and I sat with Shai from Brooklyn and met Jorge and Brendon from California. I also reconnected with Lauren from Washington. There was a large, loud group of Brazilians there traveling together. Afterwards we all went outside and Jorge started buying bottles of wine. Dee showed up hours later, having first partied with her two new favorite German men, and arrived with Esther and Yenny from Holland. We all sat outside drinking wine and telling stories and that's when we met Guy from Australia and Kathy from Switzerland who, met on the Camino last year and got married, and now live in Sweden. It turned out to be another fun late night and finally the warden insisted we go in and head to bed. It was the first night I arrived at my destination and didn't take a shower, kinda gross I know, but such is the life of the pilgrim.

"We are speeding up our lives and working harder, in a futile attempt to slow down and enjoy it." 
- Paul Hawken