Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Our first day we hiked from St. Jean Pied-de-Port in France to Roncesvalles in Spain. We covered 25.1 km (15.6 miles) and crossed over the Pyrenees.
John, Adam, and Rachel outside the albergue
The walk started in town. Uphill right away.
We got used to seeing the conch shell.
Wild ponies grazing in the fog
It was a a cold and foggy day, but we still had some amazing views. I began to doubt my choice of clothing, as I, ahem, have an allergy to cold.
From my journal: The landscapes were beautiful. Green hills (mountains), small farms, shrouded in mist. We walked mostly on the road today, and when we didn't it was pretty steep downhill or muddy. Also: It was very gratifying to get some views despite the mist.
From my journal: The landscapes were beautiful. Green hills (mountains), small farms, shrouded in mist. We walked mostly on the road today, and when we didn't it was pretty steep downhill or muddy. Also: It was very gratifying to get some views despite the mist.
The water fountain outside an albergue where we had sandwiches and coffee. It was a nice break to get some food and warm up inside the building.
The sun came out as we were walking (still uphill) with Hiko, a Japanese man who gave us each an umeboshi (pickled Japanese plums) and a coin, along with a typed explanation of the significance of the coin. I kept the coin tied to the cord that held the conch shell to my backpack.
From my journal: It was amazing. I am so glad we are doing this!
Even though the day got warmer, we could see lots of snow on the mountains in the distance.
The municipal albergue where we stayed in Roncesvalles. We slept in a sort of cubicle with two bunkbeds. There were almost 200 beds in this place, along with separate bathrooms for men and women, a kitchen, vending machines, and a computer room.
Tapas, beer, and wine before dinner. Carbo-loading for our next day on the camino!
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