El Camino

HOT, HOT, HOT!

It´s HOT now, after Burgos. Beautiful and hot. Must stay wet. Must drink loads of water. Must wet hair!

Near Granon and Villafranca

Grapes, wine, grapes and wine, and new friends

As pilgrims, you´re always hungry or tired, or both. We´ve found a solution-----eat the grapes! The vinyards don´t want to hear this, but to survive, with light backpack, eat the copious grapes that Northern Spain has to offer.

Other photos: new French friends, Michael and Pascale, the 3 Musketeers. We wound up at an Auberge at Torres del Rio very late, 6pm, full of people, 7 people in the kitchen sleeping around the table, on the table and under the table-----so we decided to sleep outside on the terrace under the stars. It was really a good nights´sleep. Try that if you can....

Normal Pilgrim meal

I´m not kidding when I say that this is the normal "Menu Perregrino" Get accustomed to this, as you´ll find these lovely things in any local tienda. You will find all the vitamins and minerals you need to walk for 5 hours a day!!! Just a few Euros.

LOL, the regular menu perregrino is about 10 or 11 Euros, about 15 American dollars...and not much better.

Enter Zubiri

Beautiful surroundings, legs keeping up with my body, all intact, no blisters. I´ve been adding Bodyglide (or Vasoline) to my little manacing toe and wrapping it with a small piece of plastic bag. That´s the trick!!! NO blisters with creme and plastic bag parts. It seems too simple, but it works!

Now, in Zubiri, got there late with Australian friends and voila, I have to sleep on the floor of a high school gym. Nothing but the best!!! Frankly, it was the best sleep ever, as there were NO snorers. If you get to your Auberge late, usually, you get an "interesting" spot, but you sleep well. So ignore those that try to beat the pack by getting there early, because most times, it´s best to get there late (if travelling in the cooler Autumn).

Photos, Photos

I have no time to write whatsoever, but I´ve finally found a computer half-way through the Camino that accepts USB and allows me more than 15 minutes at a time!!! Voila! Here are photos of the beginning of the Camino, half-way up the gargantuan climb up the French side of the Pyrennes. The following photo is of the monastary at Roncevalles where the Perregrinos stayed after an arduous day, yes 8 hours!, of climbing and descent into Spain. 120 beds and about 25 snorers. Bring your WAX earplugs guys! And, get used to seeing loads of butts. No shame. But that´s the fun!