HikeAcrossSpain

Day 4 Pamplona to Puente la Reina Miles today: 15.5 Total miles: 61.3 Elevation gain: 1338’ Descent: 1662’ Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. Jim Rohn Footwear on the Camino is an interesting topic. We have seen everything from lightweight running shoes, to various styles of low-cut and mid-cut hiking boots, to full on high top leather hiking boots. Interestingly, for the three of us, we all ended up wearing La Sportiva mountain shoes which are made in Italy and are a sturdy but lightweight cross between a low cut hiking boot and a running shoe. Why did we choose this shoe? It was for various reason for each of us, but we were all looking for a sturdy soled shoes that was NOT waterproof. We wanted non waterproof for a very simple reason. When it is really raining, every shoe eventually gets wet whether waterproof (think Gore-Tex) or not waterproof. Once a waterproof shoe gets wet, it can take...

Day 3 Zubiri to Pamplona  Miles today: 14.2 Total miles: 45.8 617’ elevation gain 914’ descent Travel like Gandhi-with simple clothes, open eyes, and an uncluttered mind. — Rick Steves So far we have meet fellow hikers from 11 different countries, today meeting our first “pilgrim” from Spain. Most of the people doing the Camino are from countries other than Spain. The two gentlemen pictured above are from the Netherlands and are wearing traditional garb from the mid 1400’s. More standard garb on most days so far is rain gear and trekking poles. The three of us are becoming known as the “rabbits”, from the child’s tale of the tortoise and the hare. We typically pass the same hikers numerous times a day only to finish sometime later than most. We go with bursts of speed, then stop to take photos, talk to other folks, or detour in search of coffee—usually a cafe con leche which is a Spanish coffee beverage consisting of strong and bold coffee mixed...

Day 2 Miles today: 14.1 Total miles: 31.6 866’ elevation gain 2275’ descent Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by – Robert Frost Our travels today were thru farmlands, woods, and small villages. Starting in light snowfall and a chilling 26 degrees, the landscape was blanketed in fresh snow and our pathway was wet and muddy. No rain today, just cloudy skies interrupted by short bursts of sunshine. At our mid morning espresso break I discovered a woman’s purse hanging over a chair back. It was small but filled with credit cards, a cell phone that was dead, and an ID for a German lady. The proprietor asked that I try to return it to the owner further along as all pilgrims generally travel in the same direction.  For 10 miles I walked carrying a gray purse with white polka dots slung around my neck, hoping to catch up with “Marianne”. Either she was a fast walker or she had a good headstart as we were unable to find her. In Zubiri,...

Day 2 Miles today: 16.1 miles (+1.4) Total miles: 17.5 miles “There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” ― Ranulph Fiennes If it were up to me, I would change the above quote somewhat. Today proved that “proper clothing makes challenging weather tolerable”. And today we certainly had challenging weather. We began our first hiking day in a steady drizzle with temperatures in the low 40’s. The morning was mostly constant light rain with short periods of heavier rain and wind. At lunch we enjoyed an hour or so of no rain and sporadic sunshine.  The afternoon quickly went downhill. Heavier rain and wind was followed by heavy wet snowfall for the last two hours of our hike. My rain jacket and rain pants kept me almost completely dry and my mountain running shoes—non waterproof—along with gaiters kept my feet mostly dry. Due to some back and forth hiking to check on Blaze and Chum who had stopped to help a struggling Japanese hiker, our 16.1 mil...

       Our preferred route is closed!!           Chum and Blaze            River Thru St Jean        Pilgrim scallop shell sign for the Camino de Santiago

Arrival Day! “Travel.....the only thing that you can buy that makes you richer”                    St Jean Pied du Port We arrived in St Jean Pied du Port, France, a charming village situated at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains that divide France from Spain. A crystal clear river runs through the village. Weather is a mix of clouds and sun, but somewhat cool....a gorgeous day. The flight from Denver to Munich for Blaze and me was a direct flight and as nice as a ten hour flight can be. Our luggage was over exuberant and refused to join us for our rest night in Paris near the airport. Instead it decided to travel on to St Jean without us. After an evening and night at the Paris Hilton with very minimal personal items we were fortunately reunited with our bags-which contained nearly all of our hiking gear and other essential items-the following morning in the Biarritz Airport in southwestern France. An hour shuttle va...

Miles Today: 0 Total Miles: 0 Very soon we begin our “pilgrimage” on the Camino de Santiago, where we will mostly walk....and bike a little....from St Jean Pied du Port in France, over the Pyrenees mountains into Spain, then east to west across Spain to the town of Santiago.  Santiago is the traditional end point for the various Caminos or ‘pilgrim routes’ that originate all across Europe and have been used for over 1100 years. Hundreds of thousands of people travel by foot, bike, or horseback each year. The route that we plan to do is the most popular route with well over 200,000 “pilgrims” per year, most on foot traveling at least 100 km and many walking 800 km (500 miles) or more before reaching Santiago. The ‘reason why’ varies from person to person. For many it is a time of inner growth, a physical challenge, and an opportunity to meet others from around the world. Some  were inspired by the 2010 movie The Way starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez——availabl...