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Camino Frances 2023

August - October 2023
Camino de Santiago - Walking 500 miles and going to the ends of the Earth with Jörg by my side, watching over me. Read more
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  • Julie RosenthalCamino Frances 2023
    1

    I’M OFF THEN …

    August 24, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    “I’m Off Then” is the name of the book by Hape Kerkeling, a German comedian who walked the camino. It was the book that Jörg burned for kindling for our camping fire in Zion National Park in February 2009. It was also the kindling that started our conversation about the camino. I had it already on my radar to walk in the fall and after our chat, he said he would meet me there to send me off and greet me at the end. A month before I was to start, he decided he would join me on the pilgrimage.

    Back then were different times, no iPhone, just a digital camera and a paper journal. This blog will now replace my paper journal. I can’t be sure how many details I will share here. I would like to share everything; what I see, what I hear, what I smell, what I touch, what I taste and most importantly what I feel. It is this last one that will be the biggest challenge. I am sure I will be experiencing a plethora of emotions. I am also sure some will be uncomfortable to share and uncomfortable to read, but I am hoping to share them all as I learn to carry my grief.

    Well, it is that time. “All my bags are packed and I am ready to go … “ I will leave you with this song I had learned on the guitar for Joerg back in 2010. He was leaving for the first time from Canada to go back to Germany for a bit as he was only here on a tourist Visa and had to leave every 3 months. Believe me, the video is hilarious and painful at the same time. Feel free to laugh out loud but as they say, “it’s the thought that counts”. I had to edit the video down to a max of 2 minutes (lucky you!) I left the end of the video where you can see where I thought I turned off the camera, but didn’t and Jörg came in to thank me!    Read more

  • Julie RosenthalCamino Frances 2023

    Arriving in Madrid

    August 25, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    I arrived at OK hostel in Madrid at 3pm after being awake for 26 hours and two delayed flights. I think I have now become one of “those people” who cannot sleep on planes. I was exhausted and hungry, so I went in search for quick food, and I found it, McDonald’s. I know I will have lots of opportunities for authentic Spanish food so I don’t feel any guilt (ok obviously I have a smidge of guilt or I wouldn’t have mentioned it!)
    I then went back to the hostel for a nap.

    I woke up around 8:30pm so decided to join the community dinner. Met a very nice couple from Quebec and they persuaded me to go on an organized bar crawl with the hostel. There were about 25 of us and it started at 11:15pm. We went to three different bars and got free tequila shots at each. They were dance clubs, and it was a stark reminder that I am no longer in my 20s. I embraced the atmosphere at first, moving around the club, needing to brush against everyone just to move closer to the bar to get our free shot. It wasn’t until 2:00am that we got into our third club (which is open until 6am of which my guide informed me enthusiastically). Just after 3:00am, it was time for me to call it quits and leave my new friends to close out the bar. I had a good time, but the crowds and the noise was just way too much by that time. I was back and in bed around 4am. You would think I would sleep through the day, but I was wide awake at 6am, so have decided to try and stay up for the day as 6-7am will be my normal waking hours on the Camino.

    When I was on the plane, I thought about Jörg quite a bit. The most consistent thought is that he should be here with me. I know most would say he is here in spirit with me, but it is absolutely not the same. We had a tradition of holding hands whenever we took off and landed, so I made a fist and held his hand.

    During dinner, I was telling my new friends (Max and Laura) all about Jörg. He is obviously integrated into most of my memories and conversations. I love talking about him and sharing his stories. Max is a kite surfer and did some surfing in Tofino. At one point Max asked me where is my husband. I decided to tell them he had passed. This will be a daily decision I need to make and I am not entirely sure I know how I am going to handle it. On one hand, I don’t need to tell everyone, especially if they are just a passing acquaintance. Later in the evening I was talking to a couple from Austria and I mentioned Jörg was from Germany. They asked where do we live, and I just said we live in Canada. There was no need to go into more, especially in the middle of a club. I know there will become a time I will start saying “my late husband” when telling the stories but I am not ready for that yet. Not sure I will ever be ready, but not my worry for today.

    After typing this out, I am now ready for a nap … so much for staying up.

    TTYL (Talk to you later)    Read more

  • Julie RosenthalCamino Frances 2023
    111

    A Day in Madrid

    August 26, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 30 °C

    Survived another day in Madrid. I had breakfast at 8am and afterwards I was ready to crash again. Slept until 11:00am. Some of you may know this but there is another route to Santiago de Compestela that starts in Madrid. I posted online in my Facebook Camiga group asking if I should get a stamp from Madrid even though I was starting in SJPDP. The answer was a resounding yes and one person even replied that they live in Madrid and looked up the hours of the church that gives the stamp and it was open from 10-1 so off I went. I got my stamp.

    I will admit that going in the Santiago Church here in Madrid had an impact on me. God and I are not on good terms right now and I told him that. In spite of my feelings, when I sat in the church alone I still felt an overpowering feeling of love.

    I then did a walk about. Hit all the tourist spots like Plaza Mayor, Puerta del sol (the middle of Madrid and Spain), Parque de el Retiro and Decathlon. Ok, Decathlon isn’t a tourist destination, but I was on the hunt for a few items. One was some hiking sticks. I decided at the last minute to not take my hiking poles with me as I was taking my backpack as carry on and there were mixed reviews as to whether the airport security would allow it. I didn’t want the hassle. I decided I would buy them here. I know they sell them in SJPDP, but thought I would try to get them sooner. The Decathlon store was very small and they only had a couple types and I didn’t like them.

    I was also on the hunt for some socks for my sandals. GASP! I am becoming one of “those people”, socks with sandals. It is painful just typing these words. I am so dead set against this, but when you need it, fashion goes out the window. I wore my sandals out during my 4 hours of clubbing last night and then after about 5km today I could feel blisters starting to form. I tried to put bandages on the spots to prevent them but my sandals are so tight fitting that they would rip off when I put my sandal on. I then thought that perhaps if I put bandages on the spot and then put socks over them, that may help keep them in place. So I bought some short running socks that were subtle and matched my sandals. Problem solved, but I will need to try and evade the fashion police.

    After the walk, I came back for another nap, then down for dinner again at the hostel. I have now had my first traditional Spanish dish, Paella so the guilt of yesterday’s McDonalds is now absolved. TTYL    Read more

  • Julie RosenthalCamino Frances 2023

    Another Day in Madrid

    August 27, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    I stayed in bed all night, the first step to conquering my jet lag. I went to bed at about 11pm and stayed in bed until 7am. Staying in bed is different than sleeping though. I woke up quite a bit through the night but forced myself to stay in bed and try to get back to sleep. Baby steps.

    I had two things on my agenda to do today; the world famous Sunday El Rastro Open Air Market and a walking tour of Madrid.

    The market is literally 10 metres from my hostel so just had to fall out of bed for that one. It opened at 9am so I was a bit early so popped into a local bakery and had a ham and cheese quiche sort of thing and some pig’s ears . The Spanish call them Palmeras / Palmiers, but as soon as I saw them, I knew I had to have a Schweinsoerchen for Jörg.

    I then ventured into the market at 9am where quite a few were still setting up. I wandered and thought, oh yeah, this is big, but only a little bigger than the Duncan Farmers Market, but then I wandered a little further and saw that there were branches off on each block. I read on Wiki there are hundreds of vendors. It had all the typical flea market stuff like clothes, bags, art, jewellery etc. There were quite a few vendors that had tables of clothes that were just in a heap for 1-5 Euros. I would have loved to dig through the piles but I was too scared I would find something (and add weight to my already heavy backpack).

    As I was wandering the market, I started to not feel so good, like I wanted to throw up. I headed back to the hostel and slept for 45 mins before getting up for the walking tour starting at 11am. I felt better, was it the pig’s ear?

    The walking tour was good, not great, but good. There was more standing than walking for the 3 hours. We went to some of the same places I already wandered to yesterday but I did hear about some of the history. One place I didn’t get to yesterday was the palace and cathedral and they were quite nice. There was a lookout in between looking over part of the city. I just realized today how much more I like nature over architecture. I do like both of them, but I felt a type of excitement bubble inside me as soon as I saw a hint of green at the distant lookout. The view itself wasn’t any more spectacular than I have seen in other parts of the world, but the joy inside was clear. I assume that is why I am so drawn to hiking and living in BC.

    After the tour I decided I would just go back to the hostel, do some laundry and spend some me time, reading, stretching, rubbing my feet with cream etc. At 4:30pm I finished my laundry and started to pack away the clothes when ... zzzzzzzzzzzz. I woke up at 7:30pm with clothes all around me.

    I really wanted to go back to sleep but I needed to finish packing up my backpack tonight as I will be getting up early in the morning to leave. Well, really not early, 8am, but to people in Madrid, that is early. They have their afternoon siesta so they stay up into the early morning. I just want to minimize the disturbance in the morning.

    Ok, well, it is 10:00pm now and I am going to try and get back to sleep, I have a 3 hour train ride tomorrow to Pamplona. Two days until take off! TTYL    Read more

  • Julie RosenthalCamino Frances 2023
    2

    Passing through Pamplona

    August 28, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Awwww ... that is the sound of relief, the sound of me breathing in the fresh air and the feeling of peace. Now this is the Spain I remember. It was great to experience Madrid, but it was great to leave. It was too busy, too touristy, too hot, and too loud. But, the people I met were nice.

    I left Madrid this morning on a 3 hour train ride to Pamplona. It was pretty smooth getting to the train and seated. Now I could just relax and finish listening to the book I started in Canada. It is called It’s OK that You’re Not OK by Megan Devine. It is a good book to help me understand my grief and learn to carry it. I am sure I will refer to it and talk about it though my camino, but today I will just let it sink in and absorb it.

    When I arrived in Pamplona, the albergue was easy to find. I settled in and decided to go look for some food before I showered and settled in for the night. I then happened upon the same plaza I was in with Joerg 14 years ago. I could see it plain as day, him in his blue shirt and sandals with his new German friends. I just stood in that spot, closed my eyes, outstretched my arms and breathed. I just wanted to feel him.

    I also came across a great equipment store for everything camino. I went in and got myself a new set of Leki hiking poles. I am quite excited as my last ones are over 15 years old. I can see the difference, I think they will be perfect.

    I have already met a few people who are scheduled on the bus with me tomorrow to SJPDP. Once I arrive in SJPDP tomorrow the journey will begin. I am so glad I did take those extra days in Madrid before starting. It helped me sort out the logistics of my backpack and tackle the majority of my jet lag. I am feeling quite refreshed today and I think I will be on a somewhat normal schedule now.

    Ok, time to finish my Bocadillo and then settle in for the night. I can sleep in as the bus does not leave until noon, but it will be nice to still get to bed early with the pilgrims now.

    TTYL    Read more

  • Julie RosenthalCamino Frances 2023

    Saint Jean Pied de Port

    August 29, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Well, my first negative experience happened last night. I went to bed early at 9:00pm and slept until 1:30am. After that time, I couldn’t get back to sleep so I went downstairs in the hostel and played on my phone. I went back to bed around 3:30am and was suddenly woken up at 4:30am with someone grabbing my leg. It was the guy in the bunk bed across from me. He said something and I thought, oh, he just thought I was someone else by accident and when I didn’t respond he said it again, “you have been snoring all night long”. I was now half awake and I said “yeah, so, what do you think I can do about it?” He didn’t say anything and went back to bed. I didn’t go back to sleep after that. One because I was worried I was keeping others awake, and two because I was going over and over in my head what I am going to say to him in the morning. The irony is that when he fell asleep, he snored! I recorded it and thought I would play it for him.

    So morning came and he was out of bed. I was on my phone, probably scrolling facebook and he said good morning, and I didn’t respond, he said it again, I didn’t respond and just kept looking at my phone and ignoring him. He went away and came back in about 15 minutes and said good morning again and I answered “is it?” He said “yes it is morning”, and I replied “is it good? You woke me up in the middle of the night”. He acknowledged that I haven’t been back to sleep since. He apologized and said that he only did that because when he snores, his partner elbows him and the change of position helps. I know that was bull, he did it because I was keeping him awake. In any case, you don’t touch a complete stranger, if he wanted to wake me, he could say something to me to wake me, not grab my leg. He was German speaking, but I don’t know where from.

    Well, after that, I took my time to get out of bed. I didn’t need to get to the bus station until noon. The bus ride was nice. I sat beside a woman from Australia doing her first camino. The scenery was breathtaking but the winding roads reminded me of the road to Tofino and was glad when we arrived.

    My first stop was the pilgrim office to get my stamp. After that, I went to look at the hostel where Joerg and I stayed. I am sure I have told this story before, but it was full of cats and dogs and stunk so bad. But also, it was where he put his arm around me on the bench outside. It now has a table and chairs, go figure after 14 years the bench isn’t still there. Everything else was the same. In fact, when I was taking photos and video of the place, a cat was jumping up on a screen (watch the video closely, it cracks me up when I see the cat dangling. It was just perfect!

    I met up with Kriste from New Hampshire. I had met her through the Facebook group CAMIGA. We had a drink together and then met up again to go to the grocery store. I will probably not see her again as she is going straight through to Roncesvalles. I think most of the people I meet these first few days I won’t see again because I am taking it slow at first.

    I checked into the hostel which is run by Josef. He bought it about 10 years ago, and I told him I stayed 14 years ago in the same room.

    I then went for a walkabout. I went to places Jörg and I were together, where we had coffee, where we had dinner, and the bridge where we started the camino. It was emotional and I shed some tears. He loved this town and because he was here a couple days before me, he really had a chance to explore it. My emotions always take me back to the same place, he should be here with me. I often ask myself, “What am I doing here? What am I doing here without him?” I think I will eventually start feeling somewhat different once I start walking. My thoughts will be consumed with my aches and pains and the challenges of daily living.

    Dinner at the albergue was delicious. There were about 18 of us. Josef had some activities for us to do to get to know each other. One of them was to throw an imaginary ball at people and when you caught it, you would say in just 3 or 4 words of a book title if you were to write it about this upcoming camino. Mine was Love Lives On. Afterwards, he said we had time for a couple people if they want to explain their title. There weren’t any volunteers, so I decided to share and told the story of Joerg and I (the short version). I thought that with this group it would be easier than the awkward pause when I tell each person.

    Now it’s time for bed.

    TTYL

    Throwback to 2009 from Julie’s Journal

    I am sitting in my bunk right now with Joerg in the bunk above me, shirtless and in his shorts. It is taking everything I have not to fantasize.

    I woke up at 3 in the morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. I had gone to bed at 8pm so I think I had enough sleep considering. I needed to catch a 7:35 train this morning from Barcelona to Pamplona so I headed out early and arrived at the train station by 7am. The train ride was good, but my mind was only on one thing “What will happen at 6:00pm tonight?”

    I arrived at 6 p.m. (as planned) in SJPDP and Joerg was there waiting for me. When I got out of the van I headed straight for him and we had our big hug. It felt so nice to be in his arms. A few times through the day he put his arms around me again. There is more … I can feel it … I think there will be a kiss soon.

    On that note, I am going to sleep. Joerg had suggested we have a picnic lunch tomorrow. It would be perfect if it ends in a kiss.

    The next day from Julie’s Journal

    I slept in today until 9:30. I woke up a couple of times for the washroom and allergies. This whole hostel smells of cats and dogs. They are everywhere. I am glad I am staying at L’esprit hostel tonight. I have checked in and they had a name tag and mint on my pillow.

    Joerg and I walked around town today. We had a picnic breakfast because I was so late getting up. I am currently sitting outside Joerg’s hostel. His window is open so I am looking at him sleep in the afternoon. He is much more affectionate with me, sometimes putting his arm around me. We didn’t kiss today, but before the end of this trip, I am pretty sure we will.

    After dinner I went out and sat with Joerg on the bench of the hostel and shared our red wine with a couple other German guys who are riding their bikes on the Camino. While sitting on the bench, Joerg put his arm around me (on the bench) but you know it was on purpose. We finally went in at 10:30 … to my surprise, my hostel was locked up and closed. I knocked lightly for about 5 minutes and finally Karsten came and answered the door … Thank God!! My next step would have been to go sleep with Joerg - which I guess wouldn’t be so bad :-)    Read more

  • Julie RosenthalCamino Frances 2023
    11112

    Day 1-St Jean Pied de Port to Orisson 8k

    August 30, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    I am in Orisson now and what a day it was! It was tough!

    We had to leave our albergue by 8am. It was raining last night and a little this morning. The forecast was for rain, but I decided to not put on my raincoat as it was warm enough and better to get a little wet then sweat inside the rain jacket. After taking pictures at the starting bridge, I was off.

    The scenery did not disappoint. It was absolutely breathtaking even though it was cloudy and misty sometimes. It just made everything all the more green. I took over 125 pictures and videos, and it will be really hard to narrow them down to a 2 minute video and 20 photos but I will try.

    It was a really tough climb. It was 8 km and a 700m increase in elevation. It was quite steep. I kept saying over and over to myself, how did I do 25km in one day last time. I am barely going to make the 8km. This is how: 1) I was 14 years younger, 2) I weighed 20 pounds less and was much more regularly active and 3) I was trying to impress this amazing man with me which I was in love with!

    Tomorrow’s climb is another 700m rise but that is over 12km so not as steep. But, it has the added challenge of going down for 5km before I get to my bed.

    I was taking the walk very slow today. I started to have thoughts about Jörg at times. Some were wonderful memories but at the same time I had the one thought that plagues my mind consistently and that is that he should be here. But today the thoughts went further. I thought, “He could be here DAMN IT.”

    This may be hard to hear for some about the details of Jörg’s cancer diagnosis so skip this paragraph if you don’t want to read it. Jörg and I never talked about his cancer diagnosis very often (his choice) but we both understood that he left it too long to get tested. He told me a couple times to make sure I get myself checked regularly for breast cancer with a specific sadness in his tone. As you know, Jörg was a very fit athletic man whose resting heart rate was in the 40s. He started to have problems urinating but kept buying over the counter herbal stuff to help. It would help for a bit but then stop working. I finally convinced him to go to the doctor but he was only going as he had a mole he wanted removed and would tell the doctor this problem as well. He hadn’t been to the doctor in at least 6 years before that. Joerg’s PSA was over 100 when he was tested and was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer, already spread to his bones all over his body. Prostate cancer is one of these cancers that usually men can live with if caught early, in fact, many are cured. Jörg’s father and grandfather both had it and lived to 80. To test for it is a simple PSA blood test. The reason I am telling these details is so that if you are a man, or if there is a man in your life you love with all your heart, please please please make sure he gets tested regularly! We may never know if Jörg could have lived to 80 like he hoped as his cancer was a very aggressive form, but I believe getting tested earlier would have given us a fighting chance. I must clarify something very important though, I in no way blame Jörg for this outcome. He sincerely believed that he didn’t need to worry about his prostate until later and did not have any concerns. No one is to blame.

    Once I checked in, I showered and had lunch. I then read my guide about today and tomorrow’s walk.

    We had a community dinner again where we had to stand up and introduce ourselves and this time I kept it brief said I was doing the Camino in the memory of my husband. A lot more strangers in the room so didn’t want to share. I feel like I can’t tell a different reason as I would be lying but I also don’t want to draw attention to myself for this reason.

    Well, off to bed early again. 8:30pm and in bed.

    TTYL    Read more

  • Julie RosenthalCamino Frances 2023
    11111

    Day 2 - Orrison to Roncesvalles - 18km

    August 31, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    18km today - done and done!

    I started out around 7:30am after breakfast. I had a reservation in Roncesvalles so I didn’t need to worry about my pace, I just had to arrive by 7pm or I lose my bed and dinner.

    It was a steady climb up again, but was blessed with seeing the sun rise over the mountains. While walking, it was just as important to occasionally look behind as the scenery was breathtaking every step of the way.

    Physically today was a challenge. It was 13km with a 700m gain plus a 4.5 km decent. On the climb, I took a break about every 4km to make sure I would last. I took my boots off at that point as well. The muscles were holding out pretty well, for awhile. I think about the 11km mark I was really starting to feel my glutes and hamstrings. About 1km into my 4.5 km decent they were screaming! They were so tired. I would stop every so often and stretch them. About 3 km from the end, I could feel some hot spots on my feet forming for blisters, different places than usual because of going downhill, so I sat down and put tape on them right away. I was tempted to wait as it was only 3km but I knew better not to wait if I wanted to keep going the next day.

    I arrived in Roncesvalles by 4pm. It was good I had a reservation as by 3:30pm they were all full. They have a system where they give you a coloured card when you arrive and then call out the colour to check you in. I wasn’t to my bed until 5pm. I then showered, stretched, rolled my muscles and relaxed. Then it was time for the pilgrims dinner. Dinner was pasta, pork and potatoes. They had the option of fish, but I remember from last time that they give you the whole fish, head and all, so didn’t want to deal with that again.

    I wasn’t planning to go to the mass at the church but just as I was leaving dinner, the bells were ringing and the church was right there, so I took it as a sign. I went in and all the standing was killing me (as I am sure it was with the other pilgrims). The mass is all in Spanish, except for a pilgrims blessing at the end where they say a couple sentences in english and other languages. I only caught a few words of it and all I remember is the word “journey.”

    After mass, it was back to the room. This new hostel is awesome. When Jörg and I were hospitaleros in 2014, we drove here and asked to look around as we stayed in the old monastery last time. Because I made a reservation early, I got a bed on the 3rd floor, which was all single beds, it was absolute luxury (in pilgrim terms) The wifi was very strong so I could upload the blogs I had already written but I had no energy left to compile the videos.

    Ok it’s 10pm and the lights are out, so time for bed.

    TTYL    Read more

  • Julie RosenthalCamino Frances 2023

    Day 3 - Roncesvalles to Espinal - 7km

    September 1, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    I had an AWESOME sleep. I only woke a couple times to go to the washroom and right back to sleep.

    Today was a planned short day. I made a reservation in Espinal which is only 7.5km from Roncesvalles but I thought it is important to give my muscles the break early. When I awoke, I felt pretty good and thought I could probably do the whole 20km to Zubiri but I won’t. At about 3km, I started to feel those glutes and hips again so I was thankful I only had to go 7.5km.

    Because it was so short, I didn’t want to arrive too early, so I left around 9am. This was wonderful as there were only about 3 of us on the trail at that time, so I got to walk alone for most of the way.

    When I almost hit Espinal, I guy stopped on a bike. He was a chef at one of the bars in town and was saying if you want a break, then he is the second bar in town. Ironically, I was just thinking earlier today about the restaurants and how hard it would be for the second one as the first one pilgrims see, they go to as they are not sure there is another one. So I decided to go to his place. Only a couple other pilgrims where there where the other one was quite full.

    Check-in at the albergue is at 2:00pm so I had time to kill so I went to the other bar. It is more expensive, but definitely nicer. I sat with Maria and Antonio from Italy. They also had only done the short distance today.

    I don’t have a reservation in Zubiri. I am a little concerned about that so I looked up if it was even possible on booking.com and they were full. There is a municipal albergue that has 72 places that doesn’t take reservations so I should be fine. If I leave early, I already have a 7.5km head start for most people that want to stay there so I should be able to get a bed.

    What worries me more is that the forecast is rain. The volume of rain in the forecast has gone down since I looked a week ago, but it is still rain. This part is know to be very slippery when wet and is about 500m down.

    Pilgrim’s dinner was at 7pm today and was pasta, pork and french fries with yogurt for desert. I think it will soon be time to get my own dinners.

    Tomorrow will be a challenge. It is best I be off to bed.

    TTYL    Read more

  • Julie RosenthalCamino Frances 2023
    1112

    Day 4 - Espinal to Zubiri - 16km

    September 2, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    I am in Zubiri ... barely!

    I had a rough night for sleep. For some reason I had a tickle in my throat that just wouldn’t stop so I kept coughing. Because I was in a room with at least 15 people, I kept leaving the room when it started up so I didn’t wake people. Eventually it settled down and I slept. I was up at 6:30am and out the door and on my way for 7:30am. Today I wanted to try and get ahead of the forecasted rain. I was not successful.

    Actually, I was a little successful. There was no rain when I left, but was all wet outside because of the overnight thunderstorms. The rain started around 8:30am. I bought a rain jacket off amazon so today was the test. Also, I have a rain cover for my backpack which has never been used, so today was the test. They both failed.

    Ok, saying they failed is not fair, they didn’t stand a fighting chance against the downpour of rain we got. It wasn’t too heavy at the start and everything seemed to remain dry when I hit the 5km mark and I stopped for breakfast at Cafe Juan’s in Viscarreta.

    After my Jamón Bocadillo and Coke Zero I was on my way. The rain had lightened up so I thought it is a great time to get moving. That was short lived. When I hit Linzoain, 2km away, the skies opened up so I took shelter behind a home under an overhang. The wind was blowing the other way so I stayed mostly dry. I was starting to think about calling the hotel there in town and staying the night. I was looking up the number when Emily from Taiwan joined me in my special sheltered spot. It was only 7km to Zubiri she said and we can get a bed at the municipal albergue (they don’t take reservations) I tried to warn her that the last 4km were downhill on a very rocky path which is slippery when wet. After some thought, I realized that it is still going to be wet and rainy tomorrow so I should just get it over with today. I have been stressing about this day for at least a week when I saw the forecast, it was time to get it done. The rain started to ease off a bit, so time to start moving again.

    That didn’t last long before the downpour came again and no more sheltered areas. Just had to keep going. The water was just flowing down the hill like a river, and I am not exaggerating. I wanted to capture it on video but I needed to remain focused and not pull out my camera. I could feel I was already soaked through my jacket and the feet were soaking wet. They are waterproof boots but doesn’t help when you have to walk-in puddles that come above the top.

    I started to think about the pain and suffering and I thought to myself “This is absolutely nothing compared to the pain that Jörg and I both endured over the last year. I can get through this.” With about 4km to go, I found the spot where Jörg and I stopped for lunch last time we were here. It really is the only place to stop and sit on this part of the trek. I sat on the rock and started to talk to Jörg and cry. I said I couldn’t stay too long as I may get sick if I don’t keep moving to get out of the rain and cold. I also thought, maybe that isn’t so bad, then I could join him. I decided to leave after 5 mins. It was good to give my legs the rest for the last 4km.

    After Alto de Erro, the challenge was real. The water was flowing down the path like a river, at least 5-10cm high in some areas. Most of the time, you had to just walk through it. In fact, I found it much easier to walk in the river parts than on the wet exposed rock. I am sure there is some explanation as to why, but I was just glad as I felt like it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

    I had a lot of slips along the way but no falls anywhere on the way down except ... when I was literally 5 metres from town. The difficult part of the path was done and there was some smooth limestone slab on a slant. It was not a difficult part at all. I think that maybe one of my hiking poles gave way as when 5 people all helped me get up (how embarrassing!), the one hiking pole was loose and moved to a shorter spot. I have a cut on my knee and elbow. Both cuts are not big, but I think they will both bruise.

    I arrived at the Municipal Albergue where there was a long line. I joined the line and as soon as I got in the door, the guy announced “only 6 beds left” so I made it just in time.

    I am in a room with 3 other ladies, and guess what, one is Emily from earlier in the day along with Anchi from Taiwan and Mary from the USA. Mary had asked me why I was doing the camino, so I told them all the story of Jörg. They were wonderful. They wanted to hear all about him, see his pictures and it felt absolutely wonderful to talk about him like that. We all went out for dinner and toasted Jörg and love with a glass of red wine from Mary. We are now sitting in the room listening to Anchi’s music, relaxing and preparing for the days ahead. We will all be stopping different places tomorrow, but I am blessed to have met them today!

    TTYL    Read more

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