We were
so glad to have stopped early on our first day of hiking and rested well, because we had a long, windy day of walking through the Pyrenees (and into Spain!) ahead of us!
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| buenos dias, orisson! |
A quick breakfast of fruit, PB2, rice cakes and jam, and we were on our way.
It was gorgeous. The views went on for miles. Aside from the occasional shepherd driving his van to a pasture, we were surrounded by the quiet jingling of sheep bells, the soft crunch of pilgrims' boots on the path, and the whistling wind.
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| beautiful monument in the mountains |
About halfway through our mountain journey we tucked behind a large rock formation to have respite from the wind while we ate lunch. Leftover rice & lentils, Gatorade, rice & corn cakes filled our bellies.
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| we made it to spain! |
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| walking into another country, no big deal |
By the time we arrived in Roncesvalles it was almost dusk. The albergue there is wonderful... It is owned by a religious group who recently constructed the building to accommodate Camino pilgrims. The bunk-beds are cubby-style, with individual reading lights, power outlets and lockers. There was even a separate "airing room" for hiking boots!
Needless to say, the kitchen and cafeteria spaces are clean and well-stocked. There were a number of vending machines selling pre-packaged meals (sandwiches and such), including a few great vegan options. We had rice salad, lentil soup, and veggie medley (Spanish-style cooked vegetables preserved in olive oil with paprika and other spices). Y U M. For dessert we treated ourselves to decaf espresso and a massive Navarran dark chocolate bar, also from the vending machines! Do yourself a favor and try it... The chocolate is a regional specialty and was very rich!
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| vending machine veggies... surprisingly delicious |
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un "descafeinado" and some amazing local chocolate
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Even with this delicious meal and amazing albergue, we were too exhausted to explore Roncesvalles and plopped down in our beds. The ache of the last two days hit us hard, and there was a brief discussion of what would happen if one of us woke up, physically incapable of moving, and we had to cancel the rest of the trip!
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| the beginning of our stamp collection |
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