Tag: Zubiri

El tiempo – the weather

Well today was a different kind of weather. I’m pretty sure that everyone who left St Jean Pied de Port on Tuesday or Wednesday woke up this morning, in Zubiri or one of the next few villages, and were delighted to see grey cloudy skies and feel the cool air. The mini-heatwave for us peregrinos is over, temporarily I’m sure, but the cool air and light showers gave everyone a spring in their step.

For most of who started from France on Wednesday, Pamplona is the logical night 3 stopover. The thought of another 28° night of restless sleep would have been hell, luckily I am staying in a proper hotel as a treat to myself – it’s bliss.

Back to the weather, Spain has a fascination with el tiempo, their news channels have weather bulletins every 5-10 minutes, extremely detailed too! Maximum, minimum temperatures, rainfall amounts in litres (never understood that) wind speeds and most obscure how much hotter or colder than yesterday it will be. Surely simple mental arithmetic would allow me to work it out. Yesterday it was 39°, today will be 24° but the kind presenter has an amazing map (all blue today as it shows everywhere cooler than previously) that they want to talk about … blah, blah, blah. I half expected to see the citizens of Pamplona, Iruña to give it’s Basque name, dressed in boots, coats and scarves when we arrived.

As for today’s walk a small group developed as I left Zubiri and we picked up others I recognised from earlier in the week. Apologies to the two lovely ladies from Poland/Quebec whose names I cannot recall. Also walked with peregrinos from Korea for a while. Met up with couple I ate with in Roncesvalles in one of my coffee stops where an american walker amused us all with his destination today – Poomploon! Most of the day was with Boston, Maryland and Montana – all people above have names but I am keeping identities relatively anonymous.

Highlights of the 22.8km from Zubiri to Pamplona were the guard of honour given to our group by about 30 or so Spanish teenagers! It was also amazing to stop and chat with Dan ‘The Way’ at his little stall. A very well-travelled local man who had even worked as a firefighter in Montana, as well as meeting Martin Sheen when they filmed The Way. The restoration project at Illaratz Abbey was also an amazing place to look in on.

Today 22.8km

69km walked so far

722km to Santiago

Danger – sleeping Alligator or Stegasaurus

Another hot afternoon, as I write I have been up since “before the birds”, more on that in a bit! I’ve completed day 2 from Roncesvalles Pilgrim Kingdom to the much more humble village of Zubiri.

I have already learned, and am not at all surprised, that I am not a huge fan of colossal communal dorms. There were about 100 people on my floor. By the time they had finished washing, watching Netflix and packing their bags, it was gone lights out time. But first, it was time for the monks to serenade us all to sleep over the speaker system. Guess what holy guys? I hated Enigma and all that Gregorian chanting! Next the snoring started, so in went my earplugs. However it was the heat and my own snoring that kept waking me! After what seemed like about half an hour of actual sleep, it all began again as they prepared to sneak out in darkness. Why do people trying to be quiet make so much noise? So I too got up, and left Roncesvalles before the birds had stirred. Feeling knackered, the sign informing me how stupidly far away I was heading, cheered me up no further, but at least it was cool.

It didn’t take long for my happy inner pilgrim to wake up. This happy inner pilgrim is the one that reminds me of all the great stuff, and how trivial most annoyances are. On I paced past the first cafe, unlike almost everyone else judging by the queue, and headed for Espinal and Bizkaretta, breakfast there would be fine. AT THIS POINT I’D LIKE TO APOLGISE IN ADVANCE FOR ANY BADLY SPELT PLACE NAMES – I’LL TRY MY BEST BUT PREDICTIVE TEXT AND SPANISH AIN’T GREAT, SO ANY BASQUE VILLAGES, LO SIENTO! My spirits were lifted by a couple of coffees, tostadas and some watermelon.

The walk progressed well. Pretty tough in places, lots of uphill for a downhill day! There were some animated Italian group conversations, were they arguing or not? a squad of Spanish teenagers complete with beat box blaring out Hotel California! and of course endless Buen Camino greetings. But overall a very pleasant day on amazing woodland trails and quiet lanes. Until, and here comes the crux of this post.

When ancient peregrinos planned the Camino did they not notice that the track they chose down into Zubiri, which is steep for around 3km, appears to be the exposed back of a giant, fossilized reptile. I suggested an alligator or dinosaur but it could easily be a dragon! It was treacherous in the dry, a drop of rain would make it almost impossible without falling! Day two and I feel lucky to be writing this in one piece, without a sprained ankle or worse! And they used to do it in sandals!

Hasta mañana, hasta Pamplona.