Mansilla de las Mulas

Day 2: Orisson - Roncevalles
~16.8 km (10.4 miles)

After another night of being awake for about 2-hours, and a less than satisfying breakfast, I headed out this morning at about 7:45. I walked alone taking in the beauty and early morning stillness. Today’s goal was to complete my trek over the Pyrenees and reach the Monastery in Roncevalles.

I loved listening to the sounds of the cowbells that were not only on cows, but also on the horses. The sounds of birds and sheep baaing echoed through the hills. Watching the horses run was a treat for me and I was reminded of my adolescent years growing up riding my own horses. They are such beautiful and powerful animals. The green hills covered in sheep brought back memories of my time in New Zealand and I could see the similarities.

I noticed and passed other pilgrims, but I walked alone until I came upon Valeria from Argentina, my bunk mate from last night. We chatted a bit with her Argentinian Spanish and my English and seemed to make sense of what each other were saying. I eventually moved on to try to catch Sue, who had stayed 1 km further past Orisson at Borda. I never did see Sue, but when I finally reached the food truck, that sits at the top of the hill, I enjoyed a conversation with Rachel from Switzerland. She too had stayed at Orisson the night before. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of the food truck, but I did enjoy a snack while I was there.

At one point, as the terrain was steep and rocky, I chatted with a Frenchman who was with a group of bike riders. He would smile and playfully say, “hello” each time he road past. When he attempted to speak French to me, I let him know that I only spoke English. He asked me my name and repeated it as Juliette and told me his name was Patrice. Unfortunately, once the road forked where I had to go right, he rode off to the left never to be seen by me again.

At this point, I was tracking down the mountain with two young males whom I later learned are from S Korea. Down, down we went through forests, over paths covered in leaves so soft that I almost felt like I was bouncing, then down a narrow, rocky path and over more paved road.

When I finally reached the bottom, I skirted through a grassy meadow, through the gate that marked the crossing from France into Spain, and over a creek until I came upon the backside of the monastery.

I arrived at 11:45 am, so it had taken me 4-hours to complete the second half of the trek over the Pyrenees. I didn’t recognize any of the other pilgrims who were waiting to check in for the night, except for one of the S Korean guys who was just ahead of me. I had lost track of him and I discovered that he had opted for a shortcut.

The monastery didn’t open to the pilgrims for check-in until 1:00 pm, and I was glad that I had food in my pack for lunch that I’d purchased at Orisson. All of that walking definitely made me hungry!

Once we checked in I was thrilled that I was placed on the top floor with the single-level beds, and vaulted wood ceiling. Eventually, Sue, Valeria and Rachel all arrived and they were also on the top floor.

We attended the Pilgrim’s mass at 6:00 pm where I think we were all wished well on our Camino. It was all in Spanish so none of us knew for sure. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

We were assigned different locations for dinner and I enjoyed the company of Rachel from Switzerland, Duncan from England and Paula from Ohio, who had also been at Orisson. The trout was small, but tasty and I devoured the plate of pasta that was my starter. Red wine and dessert were included.

After dinner, I found my Aussie friends, Stephen, Angela, Genevieve, and Yvonne, in the bar having a drink before their dinner time slot. I joined them for a glass of wine knowing that we would likely not see each other again. They had plans to walk shorter stages, so would not be at my destination the next day. I was happy that we got a group photo, however, and I will treasure that friendship, even as short as it was. And, if I get back to Melbourne Australia again I will definitely let them know!

Lights were out at 10:00 pm and I was happy to tucked into my sleeping bag hoping for a better nights sleep. 😴Read more