DAY 1 UNTITLED AND THE REASONS WHY

I´M NOT SURE WHAT TO TITLE TODAY´S POST BECAUSE THEIR ARE SO MANY POSSIBILITIES.  LET ME GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES.... A NICE LEISURELY WALK GONE WILD.  THERE IS NO ROOM IN THE INN.  HOLY CRAP!  KEEP ON WALKIN´.  BAPTIZED BY FIRE!!  DANG, I´M IN GOOD SHAPE!, RAIN, RAIN AND MORE RAIN!  WE WALKED HOW MANY MILES??

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT I HAD MANY INTERESTING TITLES TO CHOOSE FROM.  WE WERE VERY EXCITED TO ARRIVE SAFELY IN ST. JEAN PIED DE PORT YESTERDAY.  WE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO REGISTER FOR THE CAMINO AND RECEIVE A CAMINO ¨PASSPORT.¨  AFTER THAT WE NEEDED TO FIND AN ALBERGUE (DORMATORY) FOR THE NIGHT.  AS WE WALKED DOWN THE STREETS, A NICE ELDERLY LADY ASKED US (IN SPANISH) IF WE NEEDED A PLACE TO STAY FOR THE NIGHT.  WE SAID THAT WE WERE LOOKING--BUT FOR AN ALBERGUE.  SHE INVITED US INTO HER HOUSE AND OFFERED US AN INVITATION TO STAY.  IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL HOME WITH 4 LEVELS AND MANY ROOMS.  SHE SAID THAT WE COULD STAY AND SHE WOULD PROVIDE BREAKFAST AND A SACK LUNCH FOR THE NEXT DAY!  WE ACCEPTED!  THEN WE WALKED AROUND TOWN (IN THE RAIN) AND WAITED FOR THE RESTAURANTS TO OPEN.  NOBODY OPENS BEFORE 7PM---NO EXCEPTIONS!

WE HAD A GOOD MEAL AND AND GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP.  WE AROSE AT 6:30 AND HEADED DOWN STAIRS FOR  BREAKFAST.  WE WERE JOINED BY 2 SPAINARDS, 1 AMERICAN & 1 CANADIAN.  WE HAD A WONDERFUL CONVERSATION AND MY MOM ACTED AS TRANSLATOR AS NOT TO LEAVE ANYONE OUT OF THE CONVERSATION. lol!  WE PACKED UP OUR THINGS AND HEADED OUT.  LITTLE DID WE KNOW WHAT KIND OF A DAY WE WOULD HAVE...

WE WENT TO THE CAMINO ENTRANCE AND TOOK A FEW PICTURES BEFORE WE STARTED.  WITH EXCITEMENT WE TOOK OUR FIRST STEPS ON THE TRAIL.  IT HAD BEEN DRIZZLING ALL MORNING AND DIDN´T LOOK LIKE IT WOULD STOP.  WE HAD OUR RAIN JACKETS ON AND FELT GREAT!  MY MOM ASSURED ME THAT WE WOULD DO A SHORT JAUNT TODAY--ONLY 3 HRS.  I WAS GAME :)  NOW REMEMBER, WE WERE STRARTING OUR JOURNEY OVER THE PYRRENES MOUNTAINS.  MY MOM TOLD ME THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME STEP CLIMBING, BUT FOR SHORT DISTANCES.  YES, IT WAS STEP AND I CONCENTRATED CAREFULLY ON EACH STEP BECAUSE IT WAS MAINLY IN THE MUD.  AT LAST WE MADE IT TO ORROZON (SP?).  WE EAGERLY WENT INTO THE ONLY BUILDING IN TOWN AND THE ONLY ALBERGUE.  WE WERE GOING TO GET A BED AND REST FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY.  WE WOULD FINISH OUR CLIMB OVER THE MOUNTAINS TOMORROW.  OH NOOOOOO!  THERE WAS NO ROOM IN THE INN!  WE WERE TURNED AWAY BECAUSE THEY WERE COMPLETELY FULL.  OUR ONLY OPTION WAS TO KEEP WALKING TO THE NEXT TOWN--RONCEVEUX.  THE INN KEEPER TOLD US THAT WE COULD PROBABLY MAKE IT IN 6 HOURS.  HOLY CRAP!!!! DID HE SAY 6 HOURS??  YES HE DID!  WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND DECIDED THAT WE WOULD DO IT.  WE TOOK OFF OUR PACKS, PULLED OUT OUR SANDWICHES AND HEADED OUT.   IT WAS A NICE WALK IN THE RAIN.  THERE WAS FARMLAND ALL AROUND US AND BEAUTIFUL COWS AND SHEEP (YES, I SAID BEAUTIFUL).  THE GRASS WAS BEAUTIFUL, THE TREES WERE BEAUTIFUL AND MY SANDWICH WAS YUMMY!  (HAM & GOAT CHEESE)

NOW THIS IS WHERE MY BAPTISM BY FIRE COMES IN.... WE WALKED ABOUT 15 MILES---UP HILL ALL THE WAY!!!  AND WHILE DOING THIS, WE CARRIED BACKPACKS THAT WEIGH ABOUT 35 LBS!!!  DANG, I AM IN GOOD SHAPE!!  I HAD NO IDEA THAT I COULD DO THAT!  THE TRAILS SEEMED TO GO ON FOREVER AND IT CONTINUED TO RAIN.  I FELT LIKE WE WERE IN THE CLOUDS AS THE FOG WAS SO THICK.  WE COULD NOT SEE MORE THAN 20-30 YARDS AROUND US.  WE COULD HEAR THE COWS AND THEIR COWBELLS, BUT WE COULD NOT SEE THEM.  ONCE WE EVEN CAME FACE TO FACE WITH SOME ON THE ROAD AND THOUGHT THEY MIGHT CHARGE AT US.  THEY ARE HUGE!!

SO, I WE ARE DOING PRETTY GOOD AND FEELING PRETTY PROUD.  THE WIND IS BLOWING AND THE RAIN IS COMING DOWN HEAVILY.  THERE IS SO MUCH TO TELL YOU, BUT MY METER IS RUNNING SHORT.  I´M GONNA HAVE TO WRAP THIS UP.  WE DID HAVE TO STOP AND PUT ON ALL OF OUR RAIN GEAR AND MY MOM CHANGED HER SOCKS.  THIS WAS A CHORE IN ITSELF!  WE KEPT WALKING --UPHILL--UNTIL WE CAME TO THE LAST 5 MILES.  IT ABRUPTLY CHANGED AND NOW IT WAS STRAIGHT DOWNHILL!!  IF YOU HAVE EVER RIDDEN A SKI LIFT AND SEE HOW STEEP THE SLOPES ARE--WELL THAT´S WHAT WERE WALKING ON.  MY KNEES WERE STARTING TO ACHE.  AFTER SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS TO EASE THE STRESS, I FINALLY FOUND A GOOD SOLUTION.... I WALKED BACKWARDS!  THE PAIN WAS GONE!  I CAN´T TELL YOU HOW FAR THIS LAST 5 MILES WAS.  IT FELT LIKE 20!  WE WERE COLD, WET AND HUNGRY.  

IN THE END, WE WALKED 20 MILES--ALMOST ALL UPHILL--CARRYING 35 LBS--IN 10 HOURS!  WE FOUND A BEAUTIFUL NEW ALBERGUE AND HAVE A DINNER RESERVATION AT 8:30PM.  AFTER THAT I´M SURE WE WILL DROP DEAD FOR THE NIGHT.

I HAVE TO CLOSE FOR NOW.  LOVE TO EVERYONE!!  YVETTE & YVONNE :)