Day 6 - Zubiri

If yesterday’s hike could be compared to watching scenes from “The Sound of Music” today’s jaunt would mirror “The Bridges of Madison County.” We’ve encountered every type of terrain: grass, dirt road, asphalt, concrete, cobblestone, eroded mountainside with sharp, protruding rocks, mud with leaves up to our knees, makeshift bridges made of rock. Even though we still did a fair bit of climbing today, today’s route was considerably more level than yesterday. Much of today had us walking through the forest, perched on a mountainside, with tree branches canopied over the trail. Overall, it was a gentle, delightful walk. Despite very similar distances, I did yesterday’s walk in 7 hours while it took me 5 hours today.. In fact, if I had not had a booked hotel in Zuniri, I would have walked another 5-10 kms to get closer to Pamplona.
We’re like a cohort here, frequently crossing paths with the same people even though there are hundreds of us. I met two Irish girls today who were at my hotel in St. Jean, and have frequently encountered them on the trail, I’ve become good friends with a couple from Nashville who I met at the airport in Biarritz, and we’ve gotten together a number of times. I’ve met a couple from Lake Tahoe, California who are avid hikers and they met through their hiking club Tahoe. I’ve met Paul from England who shared his story of five finger shoes and how it helped him combat plantar fasciitis (I’ve included a photo of his shoes). I spent two hours today talking to an HR person from Melbourne who had great stories of his company travels all over the world. He did the Camino 10 years ago, but did not finish it. I’m unsure of his age but I suspect he’s on the shady side of 70.
He asked me to join him for coffee but I declined because stopping for even short periods, causes my muscles to seize up. Today , I overdosed on magnesium, electrolytes, and water to avert cramping- no cramps today.
So, I’ve been in Zubiri since 12:30 walking around a bit. Much of the economy, here too, appears to revolve around the Camino. I have no idea how large it is, but it is filled with cyclists. I’m sure at 20 groups of 4-10 cyclists have zipped by in front of our hotel.Read more