The first posting from Roncesvalles and Zubiri

I finally arrived at Zubiri over the medieval stone bridge in the picture below. My toes were sore and I had changed into trekking sandals some 20 km before. The road was muddy and I got mud and water all over my socks. However, this operation just may have saved my feet from blisters. Tomorrow will show.

In Zubiri there is just one private albergue open. After some difficulties in getting in, this turned out to be a very good place. Well equipped and friendly. They are even offering free of charge to the guests this computer with a (rather slow) Internet connection. The price is the same as in the municipal albergue in Valcarlos - 10 € per night.

I had the pilgrim´s menu at the local bar. It was a three-course dinner with salade, main course, desert, bread, and wine - all for 11 €. The food was like home made and there was more wine than I cared to drink.

Using this machine, with Spanish Windows and other software, has been more of an exercise than I had thought. I´ll hit the bed now and continue to Pamplona tomorrow.

It was only noon when I wrote the first blog lines in Roncesvalles and there were 7 more hours of daylight left. I decided to try to continue to Zubiri today, unless I would get too tired.

The people have been extremely friendly. They don't consider pilgrims a pest but rather appreciated guests. Totals strangers say hello, most cars leave a lot of space when passing, the drivers flash their ligths etc. Also at the pilgrims' office and albergues the atmosphere is very friendly. So far this has been absolutely wonderful. The back pack is bit on the heavy side but my feeling is lighter than in a long time.

On Thursday the sun was shining. We crossed the Pyrenees, passing through snow on the last patch. Ibaneta pass was at 1054 m.

The albergue in Valcarlos was great. Newly renovated, clean, warm, and well equipped. I can warmly recommend it to anyone. I was the first guest. About an hour after me appeared two Italian women Antonella and Nadia. We had a good conversation in a mixture of French and Italian. We ate dinner together (pasta with tuna) and would continue on Thursday over the mountains.

On Wednesday I only walked som 15 km from St-Jean-P-d-P to Valcarlos on the Spanish side of the border. The weather was cloudy and the Route Napoleon (over the mountains, through the Cisa pass at 1430 m) was closed because of the snow. I wouldn't have seen anything for the clouds, anyway.

I went astray and spent almost 1 hour climbing up a mountain and then back to where I went wrong. This made me decide to stay at Valcarlos instead of continuing to Roncesvalles on the same day.

I took the train to Paris, from there overnight to Bayonne. In the picture I am having my dinner at Gare d´Austerlitz, Paris, waiting for the train. Wednesday morning I continued with a local train to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

On Tuesday afternoon I packed my jacket, shirt, tie, leather shoes etc. into Marja-Leenas suitcase (for her to take home), took on my back pack and walking poles, and turned into a pilgrim.

I was on a work-related trip to Brussels with some colleagues. In the picture we are sitting at apreparatory meeting with Dirk, Sasu and Marja-Leena on Monday. Two other people in the meeting (and myself) are not showing.