Day 1 - PM - SJPDP to Roncesvalles

I was leaving the hostel about an hour later than I had told my Spanish friends the night before so fully expected them to be an hour ahead of me. But as I was heading towards the trail, m&m greeted me. Manuel was headed to the Pilgrim's office a few doors down from my hostel. I told them I would meet them at the church where I spent a few moments in silence. We then headed to Roncesvalles as a trio. There were not many other pilgrims along the way. We started around 9 am with one snack break for cafe con leche and our packed snacks. They made it to Roncesvalles ahead of me and I made it there just before 5 pm. It was a very difficult day with a sadistic cycle of uphill climbs followed by downhill climbs. What was supposed to be around a 25 km hike was actually 30 km according to my smart watch or +40,000 steps.

I would not have made it without my hiking buddies who constantly checked in on me, helped me when my calves started spasming, lent me a walking stick to give my legs a break, topped up my water, entertained me with their company and singing, and frequently encouraged me. I probably slowed them down by 1-2 hours lol. They insisted on waiting for me to catch up many times but near the end, I just waved them away. I was taking breaks every few feet to catch my breath on the inclines while they kept a constant pace. I lost sight of them a few times but they would always appear again waiting for me - until it was clear I would be ok because the inclines ended. I could finally walk without breaks on the final 2 km stretch which was mostly flat.

I'm so glad Day 1 is over. It is the hardest stage of the camino - see pics to get an idea of the elevation change.

When I approached the albergue, they were again waiting for me and suggested we get dinner. It was our final meal together before they ended this camino and headed home.

The food was delicious after a brutal day (angus burger for me with salad and fries) and sharing a cheesecake was the perfect choice for dessert.

I am so happy to have met both of them on the first leg of my camino journey. Thank you for treating me to dinner Mercedes and offering me your walking sticks! Thank you for treating me to beer in SJPDP Manuel!

Mercedes was like the sun - dazzling and warm while Manuel shone today as our North Star. His steadfastness, navigation, and leadership helped us reached our goals before nightfall. Both were very charming and complement each other so well. I will miss them! I hope they keep their promise to stay in touch and that they arrived home safely to Zaragoza 3 hours away ❤️

Manuel better leave me a good review on the blablacar rideshare app too! 🧐Baca lagi