Los Arcos to Logroño

28 kilometers

17.4 miles

Anna’s last day of walking was our longest day yet.

A bit daunted by the distance, we decided to get up and hike in the dark.

We left at 6:15, after downing a cup of coffee and some toast at La Casa de La Abuela.

Because we were leaving from a smaller town, I was surprised by how very dark it was.

And once we got to the edge of town, we couldn’t really see at all. We used the phone flashlight for the better part of half an hour.

I’m really not a fan of hiking in the dark, so it was a good reminder to me that I would rather plan for shorter days if I feel like a longer one is going to require night walking.

Fortunately the path was flat and wide leaving Los Arcos, and we appreciated the cool air. We were imagining those who had gone on and done this stretch in the previous day’s afternoon sun. Yikes.

Streaks of light started to break through the clouds behind us as we walked.

By 7 we could see enough that Anna spotted a turn we nearly missed.

How sad it would be to get up so early and then to get lost.

We moved fast through the early morning. Partly because we couldn’t see much and partly because we were just sleepily marching on.

It seemed like everyone else was out early as well. We passed some folks while others passed us.

Our Scottish friends always start later but walk so much faster, but then there are others who start earlier than us but we catch up to them.

A full week into the Camino, everyone seemed to have found their rhythm.

We passed through a couple of smaller villages, but we were trying not to stop much in order to keep up our pace.

I love every part of a day on the Camino.

But maybe the morning light is my favorite.

I love how it paints the world shades of orange and yellow.

We did continue to stop for blackberries of course.

We picked them every day, especially in the morning.

And we took a quick break at a man’s forest table for a banana and hard-boiled egg.

My dad is the king of hard boiled eggs and so we said how we could imagine him here setting up a table for hikers with exactly what this man had on offer.

A few snacks.

Cold drinks.

Chairs to sit down in.

And an encouraging word.

We continued on through more vineyards and olive groves.

So so beautiful!

I took MANY vineyard photos as we passed officially into Rioja land this day.

People kept asking Anna if she was sad to leave.

So many folks are here for over a month walking the entire Camino. It can take close to 40 days if you add rest days, which you might want if you’re hiking 500 miles.

Of course she would have loved to walk further but since she already had her head around getting home, she was ready to go.

And I was trying to soak up the day knowing I would miss her when she left.

But I think mostly we were both just feeling grateful.

The gifts of a week of walking together had been MANY.

And it’s always special for me to share the Camino with someone I love and for them to love it too.

It didn’t hurt that we were really fortunate with weather. (I’ll take the heat over freezing rain any day.)

We made it to Viana before 11 thanks to waking up at dark-thirty.

The Way goes right down the middle of the town, so you run into anyone else who has stopped.

We ordered iced coffees and sandwiches.

Then we even took off our shoes and put our feet up a while.

Some folks hang sandals or flip flops on their packs and change into them at every stop to give their feet a break.

But sometimes when I take my boots off, it’s hard to put them back on my now swollen feet.

We had just over 9 km left to Logroño. They were a bit of a slog after the 19 we’d already done, but if course we eventually made it.

The outskirts of Logroño had some city bike paths and gardens.

There was a display of ‘Camino roses.’ Apparently the Camino has its own rose.

We reached the old town right at 1pm.

I was feeling super proud. We made it through the first stage of this Camino.

We went to the cathedral. I lit a candle in gratitude for the journey.

The last time I was here, the church was covered in scaffolding so it was fun to see it unveiled in all its glory.

Then we had a bit of a hike to our hotel. I had booked us near the bus station because I was taking a bus at a crazy time.

But that meant we still had a bit of a haul after the church. We made it though!

We rested and got cleaned up. Then we headed straight for the best gelato in town.

Anna had mojito and mango. The mojito even had little bits of mint in it. I had a super unique fennel almond flavor that was actually really delicious.

After gelato, we found some lunch and Rioja wine, of course. We sat outside at a table in the middle of everything. It was harder to spot the pilgrims in the sea of city folks but there are a few tells.

Then we went back to our room so Anna could take her Covid test in order to fly out the next day.

She got her negative results and we went back out to meet friends for drinks and some dinner. We had pintxos and more wine.

Pintxos are little plates. We had tuna and calamari. Olives and peppers. Something with figs. Tiny thimbles of soup.

It was all lovely. And we sat laughing and talking until almost midnight.

Then we all said our goodbyes and Anna and I went back and packed up. I rested my eyes for about an hour before telling Anna goodbye and heading for my overnight bus. The next day I’d be starting Stage 2 of my Camino journey.

It’s easier to say goodbye at 2am. No tears at that hour. And of course I’ll see Anna again when I go home in a couple of weeks.

But it’s goodbye to this sweet week of taking a long-dreamed of journey together. It will remain with me for always.

If you’re following along on our Camino journey, I would love for you to consider giving to the Move for Peace. Read more about that here.

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Estella to Los Arcos

21.5 kilometers

13.5 miles

We had coffee at our hostel before heading out on Day 6 from Estrella to Los Arcos.

The day before, we enjoyed getting out early and doing most of the walking in the morning, but this stage was going to be our shortest one so there was time for coffee.

Our hostel didn’t have air conditioning, so even with the window open, we had both slept a little hot.

The morning air was cool when we stepped outside but not cold. You could already tell it was going to be a muggy day.

We walked through Estella under cloud cover and climbed for while to another connecting town.

About two kilometers down the road we reached a winery (or bodega in Spanish). I knew we were getting close to the famous wine fountain.

The area bodegas collectively contribute to keep this fountain flowing free for pilgrims.

Traditionally you drink the wine from a shell that you display on your backpack.

The shell is the sign of St James and of the entire Way, so a shell on your pack marks you as a pilgrim walking the Camino.

Even though it was a bit early for wine, of course we stopped and shared in the ritual. And we might have taken some wine for later as well.

After we left the wine fountain the trail flattened out for a bit and we got views to the north of the mountains that are between us and the sea.

We met a man who was out for a day walk and he told us some about the area we were walking and we understood bits and pieces of it. He only spoke Spanish, so I kept having to ask him to repeat things or I would repeat back what I thought he was saying.

We walked a good little while with him and then he turned off of our path, but not before telling us to be sure to fill up our water in the next town because we would have a long, empty stretch afterwards.

I’ve been studying Spanish to get ready for this trip but of course I am rubbish at speaking it.

But folks have been super patient with me as I try to find words that express a tiny fraction of what I want to say.

After we parted ways with the Spanish man, we caught up with a lady from France and had a similar experience.

We walked together for a while, speaking in a mix of English and French. She told us that she was retired now, so she loves traveling and her favorite place she’s been is Capetown.

We all stopped in a field together to examine some asparagus that was growing. Most of it had gone to seed so we couldn’t figure out what it was but eventually between us we sorted it out.

These are the kinds of important things you do while walking the Camino.

Soon we reached the next town and we sat down for coffee with some familiar faces. We ordered some breakfast sandwiches and hard boiled eggs.

We’ve debated much about how long to stop for to keep from getting so stiff that it’s hard to get going again. Some days we take several short breaks and other days we take one long break.

Even with the cloud cover, the morning was hot and sweaty, so as the day wore on, we tried to keep moving fairly quickly.

The path snaked out a long way in front of us so we could see the line of pilgrims making their way in the sun.

When you’re out of the woods and the trail opens up, you can see for a long way and sometimes it seems like the horizon is never getting any closer.

But eventually, when your feet are throbbing and you’re fully covered in the dirt that you kick up all day long from the dusty trail, the entrance of the town comes into view and you can almost feel how close you are to a shower.

We were staying at La Casa de la Abuela (Grandmother’s House) and when we arrived, a man was trying to check in but the gal at the desk couldn’t find his reservation.

I hoped they would get it sorted and he wouldn’t have to go on to the next town because it was really hot now and it would be 5 more kilometers to the next town.

We’re not sure what happened to him but the town square and a pitcher of sangria with our name on it drew us away from the confusion at the albergue.

We sat for over an hour in the square, until we were about to fall asleep sitting up.

I kind of love it when there is one main gathering spot at the end of the day so you can see everyone coming into town.

Everyone was so relieved to have made it. Another day of the Camino and another 20 kilometers was behind us.

We dragged ourselves to the room at the top of all the stairs at La Casa de La Abuela for naps.

Later we strolled through the town a little more. We saw the church and found a little shop to buy some fruit for tomorrow’s walk.

We had a communal pilgrim dinner at our hostel. Lentil soup with chorizo, salad and ice cream for dessert.

We sat with our friends from Mexico, our last time to see them. So we wished each other a final Buen Camino.

The sun lit up the church tower as it fell toward the horizon, the same way it had done on the town walls as we had left Estella that morning.

It was time to call it a day.

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22 kilometers

14 miles

We started early on our way from Puente la Reina to Estella to get ahead of the heat, and we were proud of ourselves for leaving in the dark.

But then a coffee shop was open and the chocolate croissants were calling out name so we stopped even though we had not yet walked even ten minutes.

We sat outside at the tables and watched many pilgrims pass by. It’s amazing how early folks get up and get going.

We had no idea how many people were starting the day in the dark until we sat and watched folks leave the city early.

We drank our coffees fairly quickly, ate our treats and joined the flow of folks passing by.

It was light by the time we reached the ‘puente,’ and the river was reflecting the morning sky.

We were on our way.

And also it was my 48th birthday.

I was feeling super fortunate to be doing exactly what I love doing on my birthday, and also to have my sister alongside me.

We walked and talked about other memorable birthdays and the learning of the last year or so.

Plus we visited with other folks that came by throughout the day.

We started to see more and more vineyards. We were not yet in the actual La Rioja región but we were getting close.

The clouds covered the sun for the better part of the morning, a great relief to everyone.

We stopped in a little garden where a man was selling fruit and snacks. We had some sliced watermelon and a couple of bananas.

Then we pushed on to the hilltop town of Cirauqui.

It was a lovely wee place, but besides a quick bathroom stop and refilling our water bottles at the fountain, we pushed on ahead.

The landscape has been a bit different each day on the Camino, but so far it’s all been just gorgeous.

The vineyards were all fall colors the last time I was in Spain, so it is fun to see them bright green and laden with grapes.

We also saw lots of olive trees and fig trees and some other fruit trees we didn’t recognize.

We met a few new folks and talked with some we have already met.

We moved slower in the afternoon and even stopped at some water to soak our feet. But then we struggled to put our boots back on and walk the two more miles to Estella.

When we got to Estella, I was super tired so the hostel owner told me not to hurry. I was digging in my pack for my passport and he said, just sit and take time. Take time. No hurry.

In addition to checking folks in, he was pouring pints from a beer tap that was built into his desk.

Later in Estella, we had a fun vegetarian lunch. The owner of the restaurant brought out a little cake with a candle and sang happy birthday to me in Spanish. Then another gal sang to me in Swedish.

It was all super sweet.

Then we went to rest by the river and Anna did our laundry…such a happy birthday present!

We met up with some folks for dinner, two hikers from Scotland, a guy from Ireland and another American gal we’ve met a few times. Such a fun end to a super fun day.

We fell into bed feeling happy tired from the day and ready to rest up for the next.

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23 kilometers

14.3 miles

It was going to be a hot one on the walk from Pamplona to Puenta La Reina.

At least that’s what we’d heard (and seen), so we set an intention to get our earliest yet start.

Let’s try for walking by 7, we said before bed.

We almost made it. It was 7:24 when we walked out of the gates.

Because of our early start we left Pamplona with a sea of pilgrims.

It can be like a parade first thing in the morning, but soon the gaps between everyone grow and you are spread far apart.

The sun was hot early so we were glad for the early start. There was shade on the path where you knew the sun would be scorching later.

We met a few new pilgrims on the way in the morning, people we hadn’t seen yet because they had all been starting much earlier than us.

We walked up a long, gradual hill in the sun, still finding our breakfast blackberries along the way. After a while, we could see Pamplona far in the distance behind us.

The path leveled out for a while and then began to climb steadily again.

I kept stopping to look behind us as we climbed towards the windmills on the top.

I felt more tired than I had the previous days. Maybe the cumulative days of walking were catching up to me, or maybe it was the sun. But I was moving slow up the hill.

We met a girl near the top from Avila, so we walked the rest of the way with her and heard a bit about her walks. She’s been walking different parts of the Camino since she was small.

It always seems to make the time pass quicker when you meet someone as you’re walking.

Then all of a sudden, you’re further along than you realize.

At the top of the hill is a fun sculpture of pilgrims. And the breeze once we crested was glorious.

We could see that it was all downhill for a long way.

We met some other folks on our way down and into the next town, so we stopped for coffee and food with everyone we were walking with.

I figured out how to ask for iced coffee in Spanish which was a big win for two sweaty pilgrims. And we had our tortilla with vegetables plus an apple cake.

Now that the hills were behind us, everyone was super cheerful. It was a jovial stop for sure.

Anna later starting writing down names because we were starting to forget folks we’d met.

For sure all the people make the Camino the special trail that it is. People from everywhere and people of all ages. We’ve seen families and couples and many folks on their own.

After our coffees, we just had about 6 miles left. It was still hot but pretty even the rest of the way, so we made pretty good time. I had more energy after having food for sure.

We reached Puente la Reina at 2pm which was our earliest arrival so far.

It was really nice to have more time in the town. We explored, found some lunch, and rested in a garden with other pilgrims.

Anna even did a little shopping. We each brought one thing to wear for hiking in the heat and one thing for colder weather.

Since it’s been warm every day so far, Anna was ready for a new set of clothes for the warm days.

Also now she won’t have to put her clothes on while they are still wet in the morning.

We wash our clothes out every afternoon in the shower and then hang them up to dry. Some days they seem to dry better than others, so some mornings we have to put them on wet.

Then thirty minutes into walking I’m not sure what is sweat and what is wet from the night before.

An hour later it doesn’t really matter anymore.

There are outdoor shops in many of the towns though so it’s easy to pick up something you didn’t bring along or that you wish you had once you got here.

In general it seems to me like almost everyone is carrying more than they need, so I much prefer to bring less and then adjust as you go.

I’m in my smallest pack and am still trying to decide what I could eliminate and send home with Anna.

There were gorgeous tomatoes all over town so we were excited to find some local tomatoes to have with our celebration beers.

Puente la Reina means ‘the queen’s bridge,’ so we went to see the medieval bridge that Queen Muniadona, wife of King Sancho III had built so that pilgrims could pass safely over the Arga River.

We met several folks on the bridge taking pictures. Anna talked a long time to a couple from Boston who were biking the Camino while I met a French couple who were having their annual vacation in the area. They told me all the special things I should not miss about the towns we are passing through.

I made a few notes for later and then we headed back to rest until the pilgrim’s dinner was served at our albergue.

We got to sit with a couple from Mexico that we had already met several times and who are now our best friends.

We had a great time laughing and talking about the day.

I could hardly hold my eyes open when we got back to our room. I think I fell asleep before we turned out the lights.

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20.5 kilometers

13 miles

It was still dark when I woke up from my best night of sleep so far on the Camino.

I wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and went out to sit on our balcony under the stars.

A little tiny sliver of a moon came up over the horizon. I watched it rise and as the sky grew faint with light, the stars disappeared.

What a beautiful morning.

We stayed longer than usual in our room enjoying the quiet and the bathroom to ourselves, so we didn’t really start hiking until about 8.

I have a smaller backpack, but it’s like a Mary Poppins handbag in that the amount of stuff that comes out of it can fill a whole room. Also we had rinsed out our clothes and they were drying everywhere.

We had a slightly shorter day, and much less elevation, so Anna decided to carry her backpack. It took us both a little longer to organize everything after spreading ourselves out all over the room.

But eventually we were ready and out the door, saying goodbye to Zubiri and the Rio Arga Albergue.

The trail climbs uphill out of Zubiri, so we joined the parade of pilgrims marching up the way.

It was Sunday, so there were several groups of day hikers out enjoying the weekend.

I couldn’t pick out what they were speaking to each other. It’s wasn’t Spanish or French, which are the two languages we had been mostly hearing on the Camino.

So I decided it must be Basque.

All the signs in this area are in both Spanish and the regional Basque language, Euskara.

It’s a unique language in Europe because of being ‘pre-Indo-European,’ which some linguists say makes it the oldest language in Europe.

Some towns in this region even have two different names, a Spanish name and a Basque name, and they are often quite different from one another.

Later in the morning we passed a sign along the way reminding us that we were in Basque country.

Seeing this sign reminded me of something I read earlier this summer about the fact that the idea of a country wasn’t created until the 17th century.

Before that, we didn’t even have agreed upon borders.

The Basque country spreads into southern France, defying the country border.

It’s a beautiful area with more potted begonias than I think I’ve ever seen anywhere else.

Our late start caught up to us as the day felt hot earlier on our walk.

We were ready for our mid-morning stop long before we found it. Again because it was Sunday, not as much was open.

Note to self: Buy a sandwich ahead of time next Sunday.

But by and by, we crossed over a bridge and came upon an open cafe by the river.

They were serving up sandwiches and coffee. We ordered both and enjoyed sitting and taking off our packs for a while.

I loved watching people come over the bridge and have the same happy discovery.

We pushed on after not too long, as the heat was catching up to us.

Again we climbed up just a bit after our river stop.

We passed several old farmhouses. Even though we were getting closer to Pamplona, we were in the countryside until just a few kilometers out from the city.

We bought peaches from a man with a tiny roadside stand. He was making freshly squeezed orange juice out of the back of a little minivan.

When we reached the village of Villava, we knew we were getting close.

Maybe just an hour or so left. We were hot and sweaty by then so we hoped we were right.

We started passing more and more people. There was a festival in one square we walked by and people were out everywhere enjoying their Sunday afternoon.

Tables and chairs filled the sidewalks and every seat was taken.

We finally reached the city gate of Pamplona around 2, an early finish for us.

There are loads more options for lodging in Pamplona, so Anna had booked a hotel.

We were beyond ready for our showers and they never felt so good.

We got cleaned up and then headed back out to walk around Pamplona.

I had seen a cafe behind the cathedral that I wanted to go to, so we headed there. They had a great menu full of pintxos, which are the tapas of this region.

We ordered more than we could eat but it was all delicious.

We put our tired feet up in the extra chairs at our table and watched the food and drinks fly out of the kitchen to the full tables all around us.

Later we walked around Pamplona, seeing the churches, the city walls, the parks and squares. We got so hot again we needed another shower.

But first we got ice cream.

Then we went back to our hotel, had a little rest and chatted to our families. We could have gone on right to sleep but we didn’t want to miss out on trying more of what this bigger city on the Camino had on offer.

So we went back out at about 9:45, which is when others are having dinner in Spain.

We sat down at the first table we came to in the square just outside our hotel. We ordered apricot and goat cheese toasts and a giant plate of local salad. plus bread and wine. It was all delicious. Our waiter brought us a local digestif, on the house, he said  It’s called pacharán. Made with anise.

Cheers to the end of Day 3 on the Camino.

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22 kilometers

14 miles

An alarm went off nearby at 5:30. I think it belonged to two young guys from Florence in the pod next door who then began to try to get ready quietly in the dark. 

I crawled out of my bunk and Anna asked me what time it was. I told her and then went to the bathroom. When I got back, I got a few things out of my pack to take up to my bunk with me and she said, 

Did you find out what time it is?

I whisper laughed: I already told you it’s 5:30.

Then why are we getting up??I’m not.

I’m just awake because an alarm went off nearby.

Well that seems unreasonable, she moaned before going back to sleep.

I pulled out hair ties and braided my hair, drank some water and enjoyed being zipped in my warm jacket for a while longer while listening to the Florentine brothers finish getting ready for an unreasonably early start. 

There was no more sleep to be had, but I have no intention of walking in the dark on this trip. The September days are still plenty long and I have all our beds booked ahead of time, so we won’t be turned away as long as we arrive before lights out. 

Take your time and live the way.

At 6am the hostel lights came on automatically, and with them, the sound of dozens of pilgrims beginning to get up and get ready for the day.

Backpack buckles knocking the floor, zippers zipping, sleeping bags being stuffed away, and sleepy shuffles to the bathrooms and showers.

It’s not very often in my life that I see 100 strangers first thing in the morning, just out of bed. It’s a lot of humanity to behold. Strangely beautiful, here we all are waking up to a new day on the Camino and preparing to walk together.

I sit and listen for about fifteen minutes before I climb down and start my own packing.

Soon enough, we are out the door and headed into the dim morning light.

Roncesvalles is higher in elevation so it was a colder start. Since we had left Anna’s bag behind again, I only had my raincoat as extra so we marched quickly for a while to warm up.

The trail leaves Roncesvalles through a shady forest, a great relief to pilgrims in the heat of the day, but in the morning it was chilly and dark. I found myself welcoming the first real incline of the day for how it warmed me up.

After the forest we came the first village of Burguete-Auritz, which is known well to Hemingway fans, as he spent lots of time here. There was a large sign in front of the hotel where he always stayed. It’s not hard to understand why someone would want to pause for a while here. We hadn’t really walked long enough to earn our coffee stop but we would have happily stopped anyway had the darling courtyard with the red umbrellas been open for business.

We pushed on to the next village of Espinal, about 4 km further. We hadn’t eaten breakfast so we were both saying that by 9 we wanted to stop and have coffee and something to eat.

And sure enough, just before 9, we came upon a square with an open cafe.

The gentleman running the cafe was still putting out the choices for the day and many of them were for tapas for lunch. I had come inside to grab coffee and maybe a couple of croissants, but then the cafe owner described everything he had made in careful detail. He explained that he is trying to make healthier options for folks walking because of the pandemic.

Here is something I have learned from experience while walking the Camino, and indeed while traveling in general.

When you come across something that you want to try, even if it isn’t the normal time of day for eating whatever it is, go on and have it. Don’t think: I’d really like to have that for lunch but I’ll just get some eggs now and I’ll look for something like that later.

So I said yes to all the things, which is how we found ourselves eating sardines at 9 in the morning.

And also local asparagus. And roasted leeks. And caprese salad.

We also had Spanish tortilla (kind of an egg and potato frittata) with local sausage.

And an apple tart.

And two cappuccinos of course.

We really like to make our stops count.

We sat at the table for probably an hour, watching pilgrims arrive and enjoy the welcome of the cheerful cafe owner.

The sun flooded the courtyard more and more as we lingered, which made me never want to leave.

Finally we settled up and pushed on into the now warm day.

The Camino ascends from Espinal through farmland and over a hill.

Blackberries were growing all along the track, and we paused constantly to pick a few. There were so many that it was easy gathering all day long.

We were definitely moving slower after the long first day in the mountains. And also maybe because the day was hotter. But almost every time we would begin to feel like the sun had become scorching, we would come upon a section through a grove of shady trees or a forest.

Fueled from our cafe stop, we walked steadily on for hours before stopping again. Around 1 we ate some bars we were carrying under the shade of some trees. We finished off our water and got moving again.

4 miles left.

Onward though the afternoon sun.

People’s greetings are less cheerful when they pass you in the afternoon than in the morning. It’s a beleaguered Buen Camino in comparison to the peppy Buen Caminos at the start of the day.

But regardless of how it’s uttered, the spirit is the same. Buen Camino literally means ‘good way.’ It’s the official greeting and goodbye of the Camino and you both hear it and say it over and over again all day long.

It’s a constant reminder of where you are and what you are doing. Every time I hear it or say it, it brings me back to the present moment. It is an acknowledgement of someone else who is also present here.

We hadn’t planned on stopping again, as I knew the only village in front of us was Zubiri, our destination for the day.

But about 2 km before Zubiri, we crossed a road where a truck was selling drinks and snacks. There weren’t many chairs but a couple from Mexico kindly offered to share their table with us, so we ordered our celebration beers a little early and sat down for a visit.

We had a lovely chat with them about the Camino and where they are from. Then after they left another couple of pilgrims joined us, one from Cyprus and one from Denmark.

Weary from the sun and out of water, folks were ready to be done for the day.

Some people end this day where we were stopping in Zubiri and others push on 5 more kilometers to Larrasoaña. I remember when I was planning that I had thought I would be tired from the first day so I would want to stop at the earlier town. As I listened to folks talk about their own plans, I was grateful for how well I know myself.

We got up and headed down the hill to finish the day. We took a turn off the trail in purpose to find a little hidden spot to pee.

When we rejoined the trail, the gal from Denmark was calling after me that I had forgotten my walking poles at the truck. She had them in her hands to bring to me.

Such a sweet mercy as the last bit was all fairly steep downhill rock into Zubiri.

I would have had to walk back up the hill for them when I realized it.

You enter Zubiri on a bridge that crosses the River Alga. In the river below, people were wading and soaking tired feet. I couldn’t wait to get down there.

Anna suggested we find our hostel first and get our sandals so we wouldn’t have to put our boots back on, and then we looked up and realized our hostel was right there, literally attached to the bridge.

I practically squealed.

The sign on the door said they were full for the night, but we rang the bell because I had reserved a room.

The friendly owner answered and ushered us in to register. Then he carried Anna’s pack, which was waiting for us inside, up the three flights of stairs and into a room with a balcony overlooking the river.

He showed us the bathroom, which is just for you, he remarked, as your own bathroom is kind of a luxury in a pilgrim’s hostel.

From our balcony, we could look down and watch the folks in the river and the  pilgrims arriving on the bridge.

I had no doubt that we had somehow managed to score the best room in all of Zubiri.

We quickly changed into our sandals and made our way down to the river. It was beyond glorious to soak our feet and as much of ourselves as we could stand in the cold water.

We stayed a long time watching others arrive and do the same.

Later we would enjoy showers and dinner, sit on our balcony and then crawl into bed for maybe the best sleep of my life to the sound of river outside.

But now this moment, in this river with water running by was all there was in the whole world, and I am not sure life can be any better.

The post Camino de Santiago Day 2: Roncesvalles to Zubiri appeared first on Alison Chino.

15 miles

At 6am someone’s alarm went off in the room where we were sleeping. 
No. Shhh Shhh Shhh..

I heard a man say to his alarm as he turned it off and went back to sleep.
Now awake after a fitful night of sleep, I stuffed my sleeping bag liner into it’s tony pouch and climbed down from the top bunk for what felt like the millionth time that night to go to the bathroom. Then I started getting ready and packing up my things.

I woke Anna up and told her it was time for breakfast at 6:30. Soon we found our way to coffee and croissants. We had toast and hard boiled eggs. Orange juice. We each grabbed an apple for the road. 

Then I asked the man who ran our hostel if it was too late to send a bag ahead, and he said that it was certainly not. It would be 8 euros in cash, correct change of course, and to bring the bag to him when it was ready. So we quickly adjusted by tossing as much as we could in the bag to be transported. Anna had a small bag she carried instead with her raincoat and just a few necessary items. 

We filled our water bottles, got our pilgrim’s passports stamped, handed over the now very heavy backpack and headed out.

The cobblestone streets were wet from the night of rain and there were heavy clouds hanging low, but it was not raining yet.

It’s always good to not have to start out a long walk in the rain, I think. It feels less daunting to have rain predicted than rain falling. 

We walked down to the river crossing and up to the town gate that led towards Spain, and to the Chemin de Saint Jacques, or St James Way in French.
Lots of other pilgrims were already walking as well, many first steps of a long- anticipated journey. The joy in the air was palpable, even through my jet lagged haze.

The route begins climbing immediately out of the gate, steady uphill for the first 8 kilometers to Orisson. 

The clouds turned to drizzle as we walked up into them. We got out our raincoats and I pulled out the rain cover for my pack.

We picked blackberries on the side of the road for second breakfast, then marched on up and up. 

If you want a shorter first day, you can pay for one of the 16 beds at Orisson, an intimate experience some say is not to be missed.

We stopped there for coffee at 10, and as they are known for their delicious food, we also had shared soup and a sandwich.

We sat longer than most inside the refuge, watching one man take orders, make coffee, serve food and bus the tables during a rare pause in the traffic. 
From my first two experiences of hiking the way, I learned from fellow pilgrims and hostel owners that it’s best to not be in a hurry. Take your time and live the way. These were the words we heard on my very first day on the Camino six years ago, and I have never forgotten them. 
So after a long pause, we began again.

This time the uphill was not as steep but more of a steady, rolling incline with occasional harder stretches. Mostly on a small road, we walked the rest of the morning away. Now above the clouds, it seemed that maybe we were leaving the rain behind. 

Sure enough, where we could not before see anything but clouds, green hills started to appear out of the mist. Sheep and horses dotted the hills on both sides of the path. 

For a while we could see brighter spots of sky and then bits of blue, and finally even sunshine.

So unexpected, we sat on the side of the road to drink our water and eat our pilfered apples in the sun, delighted that the 90% chance of rain seemed behind us now.

We met a few folks who joined us in our sunny spot, everyone commenting on how lucky we seemed to be with the weather today. And on how beautiful the views were now that we could see them.

Further up and further in, past many fields of sheep, we came upon a roadside stand where a man was selling drinks and snacks. We bought local bread and sheep’s cheese from him to have a bit further down the road. We weren’t hungry again yet, but Anna said it seemed like buying some food from someone who has driven a truck out to the middle of nowhere to serve pilgrims hiking was the thing to do. 

A few miles later when we broke into the bread and cheese, we were happy with our decision.

Late in the day the trail started to be more down than up and we wondered if we had reached the high point. We would climb over a hill and then down into a forest path, and then come up upon another hill. High up now, the hills rolled by instead of being achingly steep, which was fortunate as I was moving slower. 

We crossed the border into Spain late in the day, near the Fountain of Roland. 
Soon afterwards the trail broke off from the road and became a steep dirt path through a forest. 

I had been using trekking poles since Orisson, but Anna doesn’t normally need or use them, so she didn’t want to get any. But after a long stretch of downhill, with still miles to go, she began to try out walking sticks she found on the forest floor. She commented, not for the first time, on how grateful she was not to have her pack. 

Some moments the clouds seemed to swirl back down or up from the valley again and we felt just the spit of a rainstorm that mostly passed us by unscathed. 

Then in the last couple of miles the sun came back as bright as ever and sprinkled light through the trees onto the trail. 

The descent was rough on the knees but soft on the eyes. Heather and moss made me think of Scotland or Ireland. We walked the last mile or so with a man from Ireland who lives in the states, and we talked about lots of favorite parts of the beautiful world we live in. And then we discussed how the pandemic has changed so many things, including travel. 

Before we knew it we were coming around the bend to the imposing hostel and church in Roncesvalles. Attached to the church, the hostel is housed in an old monastery that has been welcoming pilgrims since at least the 13th century. 

It was nearly 5pm, and folks were already being turned away at the hostel so we were grateful we had made a reservation ahead of time for both beds and dinner. We threw out things on the bed and walked to a sun-drenched terrace around the corner to celebrate our arrival with a couple of beers and the rest of our bread and cheese. 
We sat there a long while, watching other pilgrims. Some were setting up tents in fields or hanging up laundry. Soon every table and chair was full with folks having drinks. 

We wandered back to the hostel to shower and get ready for dinner. There were two seatings and I had chosen the later one in case we really took all day to arrive. So at 8pm we went to mass in the grand church. 

While we followed the others’ standing, kneeling and sitting, I tried to pick out a few words the priest was saying in Spanish. But soon I just closed my eyes and began just thanking God for our beautiful day. 

At 8:30 we headed to dinner and were seated with two other American pilgrims, a father and son who are doing all 500 miles together. We chose between soup and pasta for a first course, fish and chicken for a second and yogurt or ice cream for dessert. And red wine to wash it all down. 

We enjoyed chatting to new friends, comparing notes on plans and sharing the basket of bread. As tables began to clear, we realized it was time to head back as the hostel closes its doors and turns out all the lights at 22:00. 

Anna asked at the front desk about sending her bag ahead again tomorrow. Then we quickly got ready for bed and crawled into our bunks. 

After that the world went silent but for the sound of snoring pilgrims and the creaks of my climbing out of bunk to tiptoe to the bathroom every few hours. 
I know tomorrow will be all downhill and sunshine. Tonight we rest our tired legs so they will be almost new again in the morning. 

The post Camino de Santiago Day 1: St Jean to Roncesvalles appeared first on Alison Chino.

I stepped off the bus after its arrival in St Jean Pied-de-Port and immediately walked up into a small park that overlooked the road. I found an empty bench above the vineyard covered hills and sat down to breathe in the presence of this place I’ve dreamed of coming to for many years.

I watched pilgrims with backpacks of all sizes wander through the entrance to the old walled town center. I know there are several who have walked to get here from somewhere else, but for the majority of folks wandering these cobblestone streets, this town is the beginning.

The ancient pilgrimage way of St James starts here at the foothills of the Pyrénées Mountains.

In many ways I began my pilgrimage long ago. It includes all the walking I have done in years past on this route and all the walking I have done to get ready to come here (both last year when we cancelled and this year). All the steps to get here are part of the way.

I texted my sister who was still en route via train: I am just giddy to be here.

I felt like a kid. I had to pause on the bench because I wanted to feel all the sensation of having a dream become reality. Even on the bus ride through the mountains, I found myself near tears at the beauty. Each fairytale village was perfectly nestled in the curves of switchbacks. There were green hills dotted with sheep among imposing rock faces.

And then the village of St Jean, the haven for pilgrims from around the world, is straight out of confectionery shop. Sweet shop-lined streets and little staircases and pathways that ring the town and take you up as high as you like so you can view the orange tile roofs below. (Which is just what I did next!)

Cafés and albergues (pilgrim’s hostels) fill in the spaces between the shops. If I were not carrying all my things in a tiny backpack, I’m sure I would have stuffed my suitcase with French crockery and Basque country cheeses.

But instead I found our hostel and dropped my pack on my bunk. (Up top for me tonight.)

Then I wandered out to sit in the garden behind the hostel. I am just amazed that this is a place that exists in the world and that I am in it.

After a good while of gawking at the view, I walked the streets a bit more and found where the Camino leaves the town so I’ll know where to walk in the morning.

At about 6, I walked to the train station to meet my sister’s train for its arrival in St. Jean Pied-de-Port. Here it came at 6:11 on the dot. Right on schedule, a little two-car train rolled up and out poured a sea of backpacks. Anna was among the last ones off the train.

Delighted to see her and to be here together, I led her back up the hill to our lovely hostel courtyard where we caught up over a box of pastries she had brought from Paris.

Then we went to find some dinner. A few places were closed but eventually we found a cozy spot, a restaurant run by a friendly couple. They recommended the fish and potatoes, which I got and Anna had a salad of local specialties and a small dish of roasted squid. Everything was delicious.

It started to rain while we were eating which is when I thought to mention that it’s supposed to rain tomorrow for our first day of hiking. Anna said maybe she’d like to look into having her backpack transported on this first day.

The first day from St Jean is often said to be the hardest day of the whole Camino. It’s 24.5 km (15 miles) but it’s not necessarily the distance that makes it tough. It’s the long climb up a mountain and then back down into the small hamlet of Roncesvalles. And then maybe it’s also that you’re jet lagged and not used to your pack. Or not in the rhythm of hiking yet.

Or maybe it’s the unpredictable weather. When I bought my hiking poles, the man in the shop handed me three attachments for the bottoms: one for the road, one for mud and one for snow. Hopefully you won’t need that last one. But you never know.

Hopefully soon I will let you know how it is from the other side. I’ve enjoyed my quick hop into France, and I wouldn’t mind a little more time in the charming town of St Jean. But it’s time to begin.

Onward we go.

I’m so giddy that I don’t know if I’ll sleep a wink.

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