My last three posts didn't save properly, so I will do my best to remember all that has happened on the journey so far.
I left Paris for Bayonne, where I met Martin from Ireland. We took a bus to St. Jean and picked up our credencial, or official pilgrim passport. The folks that checked us in insisted my bag was too heavy, so they had me empty it out in front of the crowd. They booed and cheered as I attempted to justify what I needed. I ended up stealing back my deodorant and face lotion. The French woman and I did a celebratory dance when we re-weighed my bag. It went from nearly fourteen kilos to just over ten. The British woman told me she wished I was her daughter. Her husband apologized for the public humiliation and thanked me for being a good sport. I thanked them for helping me!
They say the first day is the hardest, and if people drop out it is usually after day four. The hike over the Pyrenees was tough, but the views and the cows and sheep made up for it. The uphill did not let up. The final five kilometers were downhill, and even though we never thought we would wish for uphill again, we wished for it then.
The albergue (pilgrim hostel) in Roncesvalles was large and clean. I paid 2.70 euros for laundry service. Being clean on the Camino is a luxury. At six pm the monastery held a special mass for pilgrims. There was a wonderful sense of international community as the priest named all the countries represented. I couldn't understand much, but my favorite part was when we all said 'Peace be with you' in our native languages to one another. It was a beautiful moment that I will never forget. I met an Irishman who said when he was out drinking that night the priest invited him and a group of Spanish people into a special room of the monastery where he saw a purported thorn from Christ's crown of thorns. Neat!
The hostels begin the hustle and bustle at six am every morning, and we are on the road by six thirty. It is interesting and comforting to see the same people along the way - sometimes you're ahead and sometimes you're behind. We all have the same end goal. Paul and Ferrah are a couple that live in Dublin, and we cross paths nearly everyday. Paul is a member of European's Parliament (MEP) and Ferrah teaches world religion at Trinity. She had Joffrey from Game of Thrones as a student and said he was sweet and bright. I told them they were a power couple and they 'had a giggle.' I have picked up a few common phrases from Martin, including saying that everything is either shit or grand.
People ask a lot about family, and I love bragging about my brothers and Katelyn and hearing about everyone's traditions, customs, and life histories. It makes the ten hours of hiking move quickly. We hike on roads, over rivers, through woods, rocks, grass, cobblestone, in cities, and in the middle of nowhere. I think the bicyclists are the true heroes. I don't know how they do it.
All the restaurants have peregrino menus, and we always overeat. I can't tell if the food is delicious or mediocre, because we are always so hungry by the time we plop down our bags. I somehow became the Spanish speaker of the group. It is incredible how much I have changed since the last time I was in Spain. Speaking Spanish to strangers is not as frightening as I remember.
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