Finding treasure on the Camino de Santiago

Tuesday 31st May -Orrison to Burgeute through Roncesvalle

Km’s walked – 27.04:  steps 37498: floors -109

Jacqui and I made the decision to hang back in the morning so that we were part of the breakfast rush, not knowing that breakfast was served from7h00 to 7h30. That’s it.  Jen Jacques who was the epitome of charming last night, practically scolded us fr being late and refused to help us.  We got some hot water. Jacqui ate some dry bread. Lesson is to ask when breakfast is and for how long.

I packed Babar and we lugged him down the stairs to wait for his driver.  Leaving that bag standing out there, I got nervous about will he meet me in Burguete.  It was a very cold, windy, rainy morning.  Keep in mind that I planned to walk in summer.  I have very few walk clothes and I only bought an el cheapo rain poncho fromCape Union, and never opened it unti this morning. Bad move.We started our walk up the hill towards Roncesvalles excited, and looking forward to the sun burning off the clouds. We watched many Pilgrims start up the hill and I though wow, it’s going to be busy.  As everyone found their pace we saw fewer and fewer pilgrims, and mostly through the mist.

I have to say it started off ok and for the first four kilometers we just climbed up a steep windy road, with a slight drizzle and some mist, then it just got really cold and really misty, and rainy.  Spectacular views where we could see, but freezing and misty. Thank goodness I borrowed Sarah’s puffer jacket at the last minute, as I was freezing. I stopped took it out and put it on, but still felt distinctly inadequately clothed.  People had serious rain gear and stuff. Jacqui and I were talking a lot so we never noticed the up up up, but the cold and biting wind and rain was freezing our hands, and I was starting to feel a little despondent and a bit like “WHY AM I DOING THIS?” You know those little negative whispers that come around the back of you ear every now and again that try to bring you down. Funny how those thoughts can actually stop you in our tracks sometimes.  I need to watch those. But as we are trekking up the hill, we come around a bend and there in a somewhat alcove is a Man with a Van, selling stuff, but more importantly HOT CHOCOLATE. It was like it had just been sent from Heaven.  They had told us in Orrison that we have to take anything we want to drink or eat as there was nothing between Orrison and Roncesvalles, so imagine our surprise at my lowest moment when there he is.  He was an angel that Hot Chocolate man. Was that you Mum, sending the Angels?

Now it has to be said, that Hot chocolate was equally fabulous and gross at the same time.It was really thin and sweeeet, but it warmed my soul and my body and it was just fantastic.

After the lovely warming interlude we soldiered on and up. There were sheep and cows everywhere. Most we could only hear or see through the mist. We kept meeting a few of the Pilgrims from the night before.  We played backwards, forwards all day. Once we reached the Spanish border about 7kms up I think, we entered a Beech forest.  It felt like we had stepped in a LOrd of the Rings movie or some magical place.  It was green, dark, light and eerie all at the same time. We continued to climb a bit and then it started going down.  Slippery, muddy, steep, quite a lot of negotiating through mud, very icy,but simply beautiful and almost spiritual. We saw so many flowers. So many earthworms and slugs (I guess we were on their turf!). Sometimes it felt like the trees were whispering to us. Really mythical and beautiful.

We left Orrison at 8h30 and with a short lunch stop, we got to Burguete just 3kms on from Roncesvalles at 16h30.  Our Auberge was in Burguete as the apparently could not get us accommodation on Roncesvalles. We were incredibly pleased with ourselves when we go there.  We had done the Pyrenees in really crappy conditions and we had enjoyed it. Hotel Burguete was lovely and apparently used to be frequented by Ernest Hemingway, back in the day. Babar and his friend (Jacqui’s bag) had arrived safely. Dinner was good, 12 Euro for a starter, main and wine (nice wine too).  Fell asleep without even saying goodnight to Jacqui, so tired.  That crown is heavy and Tinkerbell seems to be getting heavier too.

Gifts today; Hot chocolate man, Sarah’s coat, Jacqui’s company keeping me focused, the stunning beauty all around us.