Sept. 9,2014 Puente la Reina to Estella 22 km 13.6 miles

The peregrinos woke me up at 5:00, tried to go back to sleep but too noisy so I just got up & got ready with my headlamp. Made tea & baguette with peach jelly & cheese, 2 hard oiled eggs. Started my walk by 06:30, still dark so the full moon was beautiful & lit our way. I guess a pilgrim's day is basically the same, up early, walk paths of loose gravel, hard concrete, dried up mud, at times very narrow mountain ridge or along fields. The daily experience may vary on the different people I meet, Australians, Germans, Irish, South Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Canadians & Americans. Everyone has been so nice & helpful. I learned from Robert (Toronto) about Cocoa beans to prevent sunburn, Pedro from Madrid took my pic at the river where I had my lunch. I keep walking into my "old" Calgary ladies. Tonight a young Hungarian cooked too much pasta & sauce, he invited me & 2 Mexican girls to dinner at the Albergue. I told him to put up a note " Help Yourself" in the kitchen. Later he told us the spaghetti is gone.
Everyday I learn a bit more on how to pack without taking everything out. I thought I put things according to need but most showers do not have any hooks to hang your clothes & toiletries, no soap holder so I have to be so creative as to how to take my valuables with me, US passport, IPad, money. So many things we take for granted. Such is the life of a pilgrim on the Camino.

Day 6: on to Puente la Reina

23.5 km 14.6 miles. Started at 0700 AM, bit dark still but was so nice & cool specially after the night rain.

I got to Puente la Reina at 4:45 PM in 9 1/2 hours. I think I am getting conditioned, I still walk slowly & everyone still passes me by. When I got to P. La Reina, the 1st Albergue was full. I was dismayed as I don't want to stay in a gym again. This is a smaller town but it has 5 albergues so I was able to get a bed.

I did not want the Pilgrim's Dinner so I went to the Super Mercado, bought a piece of steak, 6 eggs, cashew, 1/2 a baguette ( I learned this in Paris) & apricot & peach jam single serve. For E8.46, I have dinner tonight, breakfast & lunch tomorrow. Their breakfast at the Albergue is E3.00 for coffee & Danish roll. I have bought green tea so I am set.

All the cooking utensils, pot & pans are available for use. I just have to wash up after use.

Right now a man is playing the guitar & singing some beautiful Spanish music.

Here are some memories of the day...

Buen Camino,
Josie

Apartment in Pamplona

Still Pamplona

This was the view from my bedroom, the Catedral Maria la Real. I was able to join the Rosary prayer. The altar with the Virgen was so beautiful but so well lit that the IPad could not take a good picture.

Day 5: Pamplona

A mere 2 1/2 hour walk from Arre to Pamplona.

Day 4: Zubiri to Kloster de Arre

This morning, Chris bought me breakfast cause I wash our laundry last night, dried, folded for her. Everybody helps one another in the Camino. Tracey from Ireland lent me her 1 pole which was a life saver on the steep downhill walk. No blister, a little achy but OK.

This was the bridge in the movie The Way where Martin Sheen dropped his pack.

But Moi, soak my tired feet in the cold Arga River. Felt sooooo good. 

 My 3 adopted girls opted to sleep or read a book.

Along the highway which we had to traverse or cross to follow the yellow shell of the Camino.

Could not make it to Pamplona in time, so we stayed here in Arre at the convent of the Holy Trinity, an Albergue .

Day 3: On the Road Again

A selfie while drying my towel on the way, my shirt pinned to my backpack. Then I thought why not just place the towel on my head, it was wet & cooled off my head.

Since it took me 10 hours from Roncesvalles to Zubiri, there is no room at the Albergue. The only space to sleep indoors was in the gym, on hard concrete floor for E2. The Korean girl gave me 1 of her 2 boxes she got at the Super Mercado, then I slept inside my sleeping bag liner, socks on, clean socks over my leather gloves, fleece jacket. It was so cold I put on my poncho in the middle of the night. The sleeping pill did not work, I did not sleep at all caused there was a really loud SNORER. It was like a symphony, different tones, timing. Now I know how the homeless people feel. Surprised that I woke up without pain, a little stiff.

My Roman friends, Flavio & Valentina who invited me to have dinner with them, pasta with tuna. Delicious!  So for the day, it only cost me E5 for breakfast, E2 for lodging.

One of many bridges on the Camino

I was so happy to see my Irish friends, Tracey on my right, lent me her 1 pole which was a lifesaver. They are all part of my Camino Family.

Buen Camino,
Josie