Day 1: St. Jean Pied De Port – Roncesvalles, Day 2: Zubiri. Day 3: to Pamplona
Day 4: to Puenta La Reina, Day 5: to Estella, Day 6: Los Arcos, Day 7: Logroño
Day 3-7: Hola!
Day 8 Logroño, Spain (day of rest and laundry)
AND tomorrow (fear-faced icon), Day 9: to Najera 30.1 klm…
Dear friends: Where to begin… opportunity for wifi or computers with signals strong enough to write has been a challenge. Jeff and I are staying at Refugios, Algergues, though today upscaled it to a Hostel. We are trying to stay the course: simple living, shared accommodation, evenings of showers, foot care, pilgrims meals, Mass, cerveza/vino tinto, cello, song… painful sleeping-bag sleep (feet, knees, hips, back) packing in the whisper of early morning dark, cafe con leche, 25 km per day, hunks of cheese, sausage, baguette, oranges, apples, water, wine, at watering holes, under the shade of ancient trees…
Highlights:
Day Four, Walking from Pamplona to Puenta la Reina my back was in spasms, knees beginning to complain… as I walked, the opening scene of Barbara Kingsolver´s Poisonwood Bible, sisters walking, flowing through a field in the Congo, came to me… this memory led me to Egyptian, African, Basket carriers… walking with water, firewood… burdens… Tall, aligned, centred… they make it look easy. Day Four I ¨walked with Queens¨ in my imagination, one on either side of me… My posture realigned, the burden became less and my back began to heal.
I have felt gratitude for those ghosts continuing along the path.
In Burgette, enroute to Zubri, thrilled to walk the same streets in the shadows of one of Jeff´s kindred spirits – Ernest Hemingway… Pamplona our imaginations easily contemplated a history of the running of the bulls. On our walk Day 4 – highest point, Alto del Perdon… mountain ridges laced with windmills… stories of Don Quixote, I played my cello! The panorama was magnificent… pilgrims joined me, sandwiches, water, a very hot day, a rest before a painful and long descent. reaching the end of the day was the most pain yet… after a circuitous route around the city in the evening, ended up having dinner across from the Albergue! Owe. Day 5 leaving the city of Estrella, a 12th century bridge, the city sillhouette… can´t wait to share the pictures… Cirauqui – a colourful sun-drenched city, perched high on a mountain – stunning. Must go now… dinner! Will catch up with more later.
Love, to you all! XOXXOX Morag and Jeff