Safely over the Pyrenees

Hello everyone from Roncesvalles! I now know how to pronounce it too, bonus!

I am on a time limit so I will try to type quickly and fill you in on the last two days, be prepared for an epic but I will try to skip over irrelevant parts and my grammar etc will most likely be worse than ever.

So Wednesday morning I got up and had breakfast at 8am, (bread, jam, cheese, ham, juice and a hot chocolate). I was joined by two american women who are walking the Camino in parts and I had a lovely conversation with them, it is hard for me now to place my mind back just two days as a lot has happened since then really. Time is strange here, it seems like I have been here years already so keeping a diary is imperative as there is so much to remember, but I digress. So placing myself back two days, it was great to have a lovely discussion over breakfast as I had felt slightly alone and I was worried that I may not make friends along the way, how wrong I was but that is to come.

I left the hotel and began to walk to Orisson 8km, walking through St. Jean and out along a tarmac road. Youthful exuberance got the better of me and I walked this first day too fast the result being a small blister on my left heel but its fine, though I am getting ahead of myself. So I knew this first day (I had split it into two days) was very steep with a nasty descent on the second day but my god was it steep. I was pouring with sweat as I was yet to realise my pace, something I found today and fared better. I finally reached Orisson after just under 3 hours or so. The climb to Orisson was so steep, a real calve stretcher, I was glad of my water bladder but it was empty once I arrived. The Albergue was great, I paid extra for a sandwich to take with me today as there is very little/nothing between Orisson and Roncesvalles. I ordered a sanwich to eat when I arrived too and had two bottles of water...this is all irelevant and I shall get to the important stuff! The hotel sleeps 28 (or so my guide says) but it had room for people to sleep in a tent too. I was in a room with three bunk beds with a girl from Korea and four French people, two together and two alone. I then sat for hours (dinner was at 6:30) and just took in the view, there was literally nothing to do here at all. This was the first time I felt truly lonely as a lot of people were in groups and I can be quite shy till I know people (or unless I am drunk).

At dinner I was sat with 15 French people who have been walking the Camino for four years, not very slowly they just do two weeks a year I just hope they all make it to Santiago. I felt a bit out of the loop, my fault for being so ignorant and not speaking French but the guy from my room spoke to me alittle. At the end of hte table, a place over there were some people that spoke English and I switched seats with the lady next to me. Nadine from Germany, Natasha from France, David from england and two further people who didn´t talk much. I enjoyed getting to know them, although I want to walk alone as I am able to think as I wish but the nights get lonely. Not that night though, I really enjoyed it. We all had to stand up and intorduce ourselves´as you can imagine I was very nervous but I said "Hello I am Drew, and I am walking to Santiago however long it takes me". There were some funny ones but I don´t have time to go into detail and I am sure you are bored of my waffling.

I barely slept that night as 3/4 of the people in my room snored but finally I got off to sleep. I had breakfast and a massive bowl of coffe in the morning and then set out immediately. I found my pace, slowly plodding along or ´Slowly slowly catch a monkey as I kept saying to myself´and none of the hills gave me trouble like the first day. I got slightly burnt the first day, only slightly as it was very hot in France but this morning there was a fair bit of fog. I was expecting another massive climb today but it was a slow climb really, I walked alone all the way and it was great. I stopped for a moment in the middle of a herd of sheep who had bells around their necks, the sound was so relaxing. I then carried on the path and finally reached Spain! The border crossing is just a water tap and a cattle grid pretty much. I sat and hate half my sandwich as I had promised myself a break, had fifteen minutes sitting and resting and had some of my cashew nuts. My body was grateful. There was then a slow ascent, slightly steeper towards the end but nothing like St. Jean to Orisson and I was at the top and next was the descent. This was the worst part as it was so steep, I went down slightly at an angle and switched leading legs now and again which worked well. It was hard but not horrific, it could have been worse I guess. I then reached the bottom and felt like I could skip into town, I had been dreading this first stage. I wondered if I could have done it in one go like a lot of people do, and truth be told at the end of the first day I wanted to continue but I think I would have been dead on my feet at the end. I am in great spirits here and luckily mind is overruling my youthful heart.

I was expecting this albergue to be as described in the book 128 people and limited facilities...how wrong that was. This place could have opened just today, it is so new. Lots of bunks in one room but kind of cornered off into 6´s. I am with David and two french men. I showered and hand washed my clothes again (I am getting the hang of this!). The population of this ´town´is apparently 30 people and you can really tell it is tiny, no people really just pilgrims. No shops just two cafes and the albergue. Obviously this new place has computers too, I am glad as I wanted to check in and let you all know that I made it over the pyrenees in one piece. Tomorrow I am going to Zubiri, I think david is going 3km or so more to the next place (the name escapes me) but I have decided I will assess the situation at Zubiri.

We have booked our diner (me, David and Nadia) and we sat and had a drink. We joined two Canadian people who were at the albergue in Orisson, named Greg and Lynn. Greg is hilarious and looks just like Billy Conely (sp) we all learnt more about each other and it was nice, not alone tonight which is great. The lonely nights make you just want to keep walking but now I am on the path properly I doubt I will be alone, especially at dinner where you talk to whoever is next to you. Which remids me that I completely forgot, dinner last night was lovely at Orisson - vegetable soup, meat, meat and lentil mushy stuff and then the best cake I have ever eaten. There was free win too but I have decided that I am going to stay free of alcohol for this trip, so I just had water. We will see how well my resolve holds out after a long hard day like tomorrow though my legs feel fine at the minute and everything is going great, I am very happy with my small but significant progress.

So that is a rough overview really, some things missed out but those of you that want to know more once I am home will be told more. I am going to put some more money in the machine and then upload a few photos, finally you will see the fantastic sights I have been seeing. I am looking forward - as nice at this place is - to being in a ´proper´albergue, one that has been well used as I do like to rough it, I feel that I have been spoilt with first Orisson and now here.

So nothing much to say apart from, read the next post to see the sights and keep the coments coming. They are very useful and shall propel me to Santiago later into my trip. Love you all.

So to sum up - lovely people, lovely scenery, slightly tired legs but happy heart and soul. Roll on Zubiri.