After months of anticipation and days of travel, finally step foot of the Camino, Thursday, September 18, hallelujah!
After months of anticipation and days of travel, finally step foot of the Camino, Thursday, September 18, hallelujah!
As many of you now, we did the last hundred miles or so the Camino several years ago and it was truly a joy and physically taxing. Truth be told it was nothing compared to the first two days in France.
As many of you know, we did the last hundred miles or so the Camino several years ago and it was truly a joy and physically taxing. Truth be told it was nothing compared to the first two days in France.
The average gradient of the ascent on day one Is around 8% with some areas achieving between 10 and 11%. There are almost no spots and no downhill portion during that ascent.
as hard as it was, it’s Impossible describe the feeling of exhilaration having conquered the mountain.
The views, as you will see in the photographs are breathtaking with magnificent views and awe inspiring vistas! and as has seemed to become the norm we met some wonderful people.
Before I post the pictures and the stories, a little bit about what we decided to do these first two days.
there are actually two primary paths leaving Saint Jean Pied de Port.
Both are extremely challenging, but the toughest by far is the first day on the Napoleon Route, which is the one I describe above.
The second is the Val Carlos route, which by all accounts on the second day is equally as hard as the Napoleon Route second day but a completely different kind of trail.
On the Napoleon route, day one, we saw beautiful vistas and full views of the mountain ranges.
On the Val Carlos route, although unfortunately there was some walking along the highway which was a bit challenging with no shoulder and traffic zooming by at 50 miles an hour, overall it was probably more our kind of trek.
We prefer dirt paths in the forest as opposed to paved paths in the open vista. Both are beautiful, but we seem to feel closer to nature when on a path alongside a rolling river deep in the forest.
So we opted for the Napoleon route the first day and the Val Carlos route the second.
Day 1- St Jean Pied de Port to Borda
After an early breakfast and receiving our pilgrim stamps, we were ready to set foot on the trail.
As you can see from the graphic above, there ain’t no messing around or getting used to it step foot on the trail and you’re on your way up.
As you start the Camino, no matter what time of the morning, you’ll end up initially gravitating towards people with the same pace. Of course, that only starts the day!
As the day progresses, some members of the group will accelerate the pace, some will slow down, and of course, some will simply stop periodically for a break either for a snack, a breather or simply to take some photos of the views and their fellow pilgrims.
this results in a sort of hopscotch effect, you’ll travel with a group for a little while and then they’ll be a split for some period of time and then you take a break and the people you were traveling with overtake you again! In this process, you often become a member of several group groups so even though you may not be traveling with the 30 or 40 people that you meet a day you will meet them and there will be some memories.
In this process, you often become a member of several group groups so even though you may not be traveling with the 30 or 40 people that you meet a day you will meet them and there will be some memories.
Today there was a very small group, two sisters :-), Linda and River and it seemed as though every few miles we’d be stopped and they’d come to join us or they’d be stopped and we stopped to talk to them.
The sisters are from the great Northwest and decided to attack the trail together. As in all groups, one was a little stronger hiker than the other, and so that was the pace that they kept. This is a common thread with groups on the Camino doesn’t take long to get the pace that meets everybody in that particular group and that’s the pace they maintain.
“True Sisters On The Way”
On day 2, we saw them several times again each time interested in our welfare and wishing us a “Buen Camino” and the last time we saw them on day two they were in the company of Robert, former Austin TX resident Who had some health problems and the girls adopted him as they’re Camino partners and adjusted their pace to make sure that he stayed OK! Such is the way of the Camino.
SOME PHOTOS OF DAY 1
Wild horses along the Camino
At the end of our first day, on the way to Val Carlos, we ran into a marvelous Australian couple, Linda and Dan. They were on holiday from Australia, where they work with their family to manage a large dairy farm. We enjoyed our conversation and said our farewell’s not realizing, this being the Camino we would meet again 🙂
Dan and Linda
Day 2- Val Carlos
Our second day of crossing the Pyrenees begins.
First thing in the morning, we’re up for our coffee and notice a lady traveling alone and heading out the door.
Although some Americans find this frightening, it’s not at all unusual on the Camino to see ladies enjoying the Camino on their own private journey, we thought this lady was no exception.
A little over an hour later, as we begin to leave, we noticed the same lady wandering looking at her phone, looking up at the street signs and then repeating the process; seemingly confused.
Brenda approached her and introduced herself to Eva; Brenda found that our observations were correct.
it’s commonly said that the Camino is well marked and we guess that’s true if you know exactly where to look 🙂 sometimes even in a small town, an arrow might not point exactly to where you want to go or there may be a few blocks with nothing and you just think you’re on the right path such was the situation with Eva.
she started the morning, bright and early and headed from the patio of the Albergue to the sign across the street that pointed the way.
A few blocks up the street she ran into a gentleman and asked if she was on the right path. He said “yes of course 500 m you’ll see a group of dumpsters and there you’ll turn to the left.
Several models later, she was both lost and confused. When she asked Brenda, we decided that we were ready to leave so perhaps we could all walk together.
Emma was extremely grateful and appreciative of our gesture.
As a Spanish native Eva Decided that having never attempted the Camino that was the time and she would take two weeks to do the first portion of the Camino. She had never hiked or had to worry about a map and the experience was daunting.
we walked with her for 3 miles to the turn (not the 500 m she was told) and we walked together an additional three or 4 miles. We stopped for a coffee. She thanked us with great appreciation and she continued on her journey. We didn’t see her the balance of the day and hope that she finds the Camino she was praying for.
Eva
Pamela Ella and Richard were another couple we met as we walked strangely enough there from Austin! The Camino works in mysterious ways 🙂
Pamela Ella and Richard were another couple we met as we walked strangely enough there from Austin! The Camino works in mysterious ways 🙂
Richard has been 26 years in the education department of the state of Texas and they decided to take this journey, husband and wife sort of together.
Richard has been 26 years in the education department of the state of Texas and they decided to take this journey, husband and wife sort of together.
The journey has been a dream of Pamela’s for many years, but unfortunately, Richard could only accompany her for his break from work, which would total only 14 days! Pam said she would not let that deter her and she fully intended to complete the Camino on her own. They were a fun couple who were wonderful company. We exchanged contact information and promised to stay in touch.
. They were a fun couple who were wonderful company. We exchanged contact information and promised to stay in touch.
Those of you who followed our last Camino may remember what Brenda described as a horrifying picture of my blister acquired in the first couple of days. Blisters are quite common on the Camino. Some people are prepared and some or not, my last Camino I was one of the latter totally unprepared.
As we walked, we passed a young Korean couple, always polite and always wishing us Buen Camino and Brenda twice mentioned to me that the young man was wearing no socks. Although unusual that’s not unheard of on the Camino many people were hiking sandals we even saw one young man in flip-flops. It’s fair to assume that people just know what works for them and there’s a saying. “It’s your Camino”, meaning do your Camino your way 🙂
As the day were on the same couple would get ahead of us and then perhaps 45 minutes or an hour later we Would see them taking a break, again, “it’s your Camino“. We really didn’t think too much of it until finally just before the final steep uphill climb we saw them sitting alongside the trail and he had his shoe off only 1 foot. I asked “blister?“ he said I’m OK his wife said“Blister“.
I got out my baggie which now contains every size and shape of a blister pack you can possibly imagine I offered. He said “I’m OK. “ Brenda said quietly to me “just like a man:-) he’s not OK” .
I asked to see it, and there was no question he had aBLISTER!
I reached into the bag and pulled out the appropriate size blister pack, and handed it to the Mrs and she began to apply it as we watched after she had placed it over the blister and pressed it on firmly his eyes opened up he looked up at us and smiled and he said “you’ve cured me.” He thanked us profusely, began to put his shoe back on, and we said our goodbyes.
He thanked us profusely, began to put his shoe back on, and we said our goodbyes.
Had it not been for the nice gentleman in the bottom right of this picture we would’ve gone several miles out of our way along a goat path to the top of the mountain! He saw is start to make the wrong turn and asked us “Camino?“ with a smile on his face, he just pointed (in another direction) and said Camino.
Of course you would think just another chance meeting on the Camino As happens on the Camino Circumstance brought us back together at the hostel that evening, whereas we entered the bump ground we were met by a handsome young Korean man who looked at me with a big smile on my face and said “it’s my American angel”! Just another day on the Camino with our friends.
