2: Roncesvalles to Zubiri

Camino Frances - Day 2 - August 28th 2013:  Roncesvalles to Zubiri

Contour Map: Copyright John Brierley click here to see notes

Click here for Google Map and my starting point today

I awoke at about 8:30 am feeling refreshed and ready to start day two of my journey. I was aware now that most pilgrims had already starting walking but I was determined to do this my way and not feel compelled to join in the 'race'.  This is not the busy season so accommodation should not be a problem, at least that's what I had read prior to leaving Ireland. I took my time, had a leisurely breakfast in the hotel, walked around the very small town and took a few photos and finally got my camino credentials stamped in the monastery. Back in the hotel I decided to try and jettison some items to lighten my backpack. I only managed to get rid of a book I knew I would not have time to read. I rearranged some items, packed up and left at about 11:30am. 

I was more relaxed today having put day one behind me. I was not on the road very much but instead walking quiet pathways through the beautiful Spanish countryside. I think I could feel myself beginning, only beginning, to chill out. I found the terrain easier too and I was so confident this pilgrimage would not present me with any difficulties. (a bit early to come to that conclusion)

I stopped in Viskarret for a break. When I started back on the road I was stiff and walking like an old man, even older than me. I felt drained and I had to drop back my pace considerably. After a few kilometres I suddenly felt rejuvenated and my energy was restored, the stiffness was gone again and I was walking faster than at any stage to date. I did notice my hips were getting a bit sore as indeed were my feet, mostly around my toes and the balls of my feet. 

I found really nice accommodation in Zubiri at Albergue El palo de avellano. It was very modern, spotlessly clean with every facility you could ask for. At €17 for a bed and breakfast it was dearer than most but worth the difference. Dinner was €12 extra which I booked and I looked forward to my first real shared experience with other pilgrims. (NOTE: To keep it simple I will refer to all those making this journey along the Camino as pilgrims even though many prefer other titles)

Those sitting at the table I joined included a young Spanish couple, two German couples and a Brazilian cyclist. His name is Valentino (what a cool name) and he had been given a two week pass, by his very understanding wife, to complete the Camino Frances on his bike. He did 50Kms today and planned to do 70Kms tomorrow. He was optimistic about completing the journey in time to catch his flight back home. It was here that I first met Stefanie and Daniel a young German couple who became a very important part of my experience on the Camino.

I was relieved to hear so many young people complain about the weight of their backpack and of their aches and pains. It assured me that I was not alone in my suffering and that it was not all age related, old age that is.

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Other Links, relating to this section of the Camino, you may wish to follow 

Roncesvalles:

Images of Roncesvalles available on the internet

Wikipedia on Roncesvalles

Zubiri:

Images of Zubiri available on the internet

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Topic: Modes of transport.

There are so many ways people may choose to travel along the Camino. The vast majority do so on foot and even this group may undertake the task in different ways.

The first thing to note is that most people have a limited amount of time because they have jobs or family to get back to so they may not be able to complete the entire journey at once. I do not believe there is a single right way to undertake your personal journey. People choose a mode of transport that s suits their specific circumstances determined by many factors most of which we, the observer, may know little about.  So, we should never judge or criticise others or in any way feel our method is superior to others.  

Horsepower: Horse or BMW

Horsepower: I only came across a few people who appeared to be making the journey on horseback but I do not believe they where travelling very far if I was to judge by the lack of any backpack attached to the horse. This would be a challenging way to travel based on some of the very difficult, rocky, terrain on stretches of the Camino. Perhaps not so for an experienced rider?

This gentleman, above, and his donkey, or burro I think it is in Spanish, did indeed travel the entire Camino Frances and maybe further as I did not establish where he started from. I came across them on many occasions and they always attracted lots attention. I have several photos of them on my flickr page

This man I spotted on the road to the lighthouse at Fisterra and again I have no idea how far to had travelled but it sure is a novel way to make the journey. (Note: I have seen many ways of spelling the name of the town Fisterra but I choose the one above because it's what I saw on the local road signs.)

Perhaps even more unique is this young man on his unicycle, also on the road to the lighthouse. 

Walkers did make up the vast majority of the pilgrims on the Camino but even this group occasionally resorted to alternative means of transport. Taxis were used occasionally to take the individuals to the end of a stage if someone was injured or exhausted. Sometimes they were used to bapass industrial areas or to assist an individual to bypass a couple of stages so they would arrive in Santiago to catch their flight. Some groups used hired coaches to take them part of they way, they would then walk for some part of the stage before resuming the rest of the journey on board the coach. Others had their backpacks transported to prebooked hostels or hotels while they walked with their day bag. 

I am not judging any of these modes of transport because I simply do not know what constraints they each had to cope with. I am fortunate to enjoy good health and being retired I can afford the time to walk the Camino at my own pace with no limits in terms of time. I also wanted to experience the journey with a fully loaded backpack and to take my chances along the way with securing a place to sleep. Which, to be honest, was rarely a problem.

There were occasions along the way when I was very tempted to take a taxi, especially when I felt unwell but I was determined to complete this journey on foot  as I promised myself and to the memory of my brother, Tom. 

3: Zubiri to Pamplona

Camino Frances - Day 3 - August 29th 2013: Zubiri to Pamplona

Contour Map: Copyright John Brierley click here to see notes

Contour Map: Copyright John Brierley click here to see notes

Click here for Google Map and my starting point today
I didn't sleep well last night. This was my first night sleeping in a room with other pilgrims so maybe this had something to do with me not drifting off to sleep. I also kept feeling leg cramps starting up so I was constantly moving my legs to prevent the cramps developing into a full lock down and me screaming in pain. Us men are so bad with pain. Valentino was in the bed next to me and beyond him was Karin, from Germany who I met so many times along the way. 

I got up at 5:45am and after the morning rituals went downstairs for breakfast. I met a young couple who live in Sydney, she is from Mulingar originally and he is Australian. I set off from Zubiri at about 7:30am. and I considered walking all the way to Pamplona without stopping. About halfway along this stage I came across a small place serving pizzas cooked fresh or reheated in a stone oven. It was like an oasis in the desert.

I had a large slice of pizza and a fresh orange juice, updated my notes and prepared for the final push to complete this stage. I arrived in Pamplona at about 1pm, checked into Albergue Ibarrola, washed my clothes and lay down for an hour before setting off to explore the city. 

I walked all around the centre of the city before making a tour of the fabulous Cathedral. Later I sat outside the famous Cafe Iruna and often associated with Hemmingway. I had a couple of beers and watched the world go by.

A band started to play in a bandstand and everyone just started to dance together. Total strangers, all joining in the spirit of the occasion. It must have been a native dance because everyone knew the steps. Once the music stopped everyone went about their business, Amazing. 

I went inside the Cafe Iruna and had dinner before setting off for the Albergue before lock out. 

The city had come alive with young people sitting down all over the streets, eating, drinking and just having a great time, Recession, what recession.

Back in the Albergue I took a scissors to the end of my sleeping bag liner because I always sleep with my feet sticking out from under the covers. 




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Other Links, relating to this section of the Camino, you may wish to follow 

Zubiri:

Images og Zubiri on the internet

Pamplona:

Images of Pamplona available on the internet

Wikipedia on Pamplona

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Topic: Why walk the Camino

Why do people walk the Camino and if they were to do it all over again, now knowing what they know, would their motivation be any different? 

When I first decided to undertake this walk it was just another item on my bucket list. Over time, as I have already written about, my motivation changed. This was partly down to what I read about the challenge but also by events in my life. Probably the most significant being the death of my brother Tom, at the age of just 64, on April 6th 2013. Tom and I had often spoke about the Camino and I know he would love to have been able to make the trip but due to his poor health it was not possible.  He was a very religious man and I know his pilgrimage would have differed somewhat to my own. While I am not religious I am spiritual and after Tom died I decided that I would take lock of Tom's hair with me so that he could, in spirit at least, complete the walk. More about that later... I also wanted some time alone, some peace and quiet to reflect of just about anything that came into my head. To achieve these objectives I declared I would walk alone. I did not shun company but dipped in and out briefly with other individuals before breaking away again to be with my own thoughts. 

Another idea I had before setting off was that I would chat with people, listen to their stories and document it here on the blog. I changed my mind on this almost as soon as I started walking. Most people were very open and only too willing to share their stories. Many were inspirational, some were heart breaking, in fact, there were as many reasons as there were pilgrims. I could not tell their stories, they were too personal and it was their story to tell should they ever wish to go public on that. 

So, I am happy to share my motivation and to list why some others travel this path without attaching the story to any individuals.

To Give Thanks:
Some were walking to give thanks for their life, for recovering from a serious illness themselves or on behalf of others in recovery

For the dead:
Many walked the Camino to remember a family member or friend who died. They may have died in the distant past or very recently. It was heart breaking to hear some stories, children who died, siblings, parents and partners. Some died of natural causes while others died in tragic circumstances

To Forget:
I met some who wanted to put a period of their life behind them and start anew. People who were separated from spouse or family members. Others recovering from depression who wanted to push themselves, to challenge themselves and confront their fears.

To Understand:
Some were trying to understand some part of their life which has been causing them grief and worry and they are seeking solutions a remedy to let them move on or get on with others.

To Explore:
Most of the young people I met were doing the Camino because it was there or they were about to start their working life after completing college and they felt this may be the last opportunity they will have for many years to complete the journey in one go.

To meet like minded people:
There is a social aspect to the Camino too and many people who come back time after time to either walk a part of the way, repeat the whole route over and over or try different routes will tell you that they love meeting people from  every walk of life and spending some time in their company.

Religious:
It was no surprise to find a religious aspect associated with the motivation of pilgrims. What was surprising though was how people did not openly display this side of their pilgrimage. People were quietly getting on with it without any overt display of piety. Not that such displays would have bothered me as I expected to see it all along the way. As I spoke with some people the subject might arise and it was lovely to hear how strong their faith was and how much they enjoyed that aspect of their personal experience. Yes, even me, a stone cold atheist , can appreciate and tolerate the belief system of others : ). 

Actually, I must tell you a story while we are on this subject and you can make up your own mind about what actually happened. It was September 4th. and I had just taken a short break in Navarette. I was only back on my way when I came across a church and I decided to stop and take a few photos. 

I took off my backpack and placed it against a tree across the pathway and opposite the entrance to the church, The base of the tree had a decorative iron grid all the way around it so I inserted my walking poles in the holes of this decorative grid so they would stand up in front of my backpack and ensure I would not walk off without them. 

With the photos taken I set off again. About 50Mts up the road I noticed one of my poles was making a bit of a racket . I checked it and noticed that the rubber cover was missing, I guessed it must have come off as I removed the pole from the grid. I went back, breaking one of my little rules that I would never go back, always forward. I could see the rubber cover about 25cm (10ins for my generation) below the grid surface. I went down on my knees to see if |I could get my hand through the grid to retrieve the rubber and get back on my way. I reached it and drew it back up. So, there I was on my knees outside a church when I noticed, in the corner of my eye, a couple probably of my generation, coming in my direction and joining their hands as if in prayer. Now at my age getting up from a kneeling position is not done in one swift action, instead, it is a slow process. It occurred to me that they assumed I was in prayer and were going to join me. I may have been wrong but I did decide that if they got to me and started to pray ahead of me getting to my feet that I would stay put and join in the ritual rather than embarrass them in their very well meaning gesture. As I got to my feet and they figured out what was going on they made a gentle change to their trajectory and were on their way. I was touched by what I thought had just happened but maybe they were just curious about this old guy rummaging around the base of a tree. They probably have a very different entry in their blog recalling this nutter and what they thought I was up to? What do you think? I like my version : )