Camino Day 2: Roncesvalles to Akerreta
“Those mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb”
Day 2: 29.5 kilometres - 45,064 Steps
We bounce out of bed feeling great. Not even stiff, how is that possible? We set off in high spirits.
The scenery again is spectacular, we have descended from the mountain peaks into beautiful lush pasturelands. At Erro, we get waylaid by a herd of fat woolly sheep with shepherd and dog in tow. While they wander up the laneway, all the pilgrims move aside excitedly taking photos and videos. Then shortly after, another flock, freshly shorn, run crazily across the road, bolting from the shed to the safety of the open field across the path. One black sheep, hundreds of white ones. No shepherd or dog in sight, just hundreds of uncontrollable sheep bleating their path across The Way, like crazed escapees. We wait, watching, laughing like children, delighted, spellbound.
Donna is so relaxed. She takes so many photos and walks so slowly, I am getting a little frustrated that I have to wait so often for her to catch up. I would like to be making better time. Although in truth there is no reason for this – I need to let go and slow down.
We pass a food cart with the following sign “Looking for a husband or wife? Leave your underwear here – MAGIC HAPPENS” There is indeed a box of assorted undies under the sign. We are intrigued, but neither of us are looking for love and we definitely don’t want to get too close to those undies!
The towns all seem to be set on hilltops with no outlying properties. I imaging this was for protection in the past. The towns are medieval sanctuaries, with cool stone buildings and shuttered windows.
We arrive in Zubiri and new and soulless town on the river. It’s after 2pm. Donna is exhausted and hungry. She complains it’s too late for lunch – although we would have been here earlier if she walked faster or took less photos! We find a café and order two empanadillas, they look delicious encased in flaky pastry – but YUK - they are ATUN (tuna). Donna eats them both. Donna who eats like a bird – I have never seen her eat so much. We have another 7km to go….I can hardly bear to tell her…and it’s all uphill.
Surprisingly I am not finding the walking tough, I’ve been training for this walk so I am pleased it has helped. Donna is struggling, and letting me know all about it. I walk a little further ahead to be out of earshot. I come across a lovely old building with a gorgeous kitchen garden. The owner is working in the front yard with his baby daughter lying asleep in her pram in the cool of the shade. We strike up a conversation and he tells me that he walked the Camino four years ago (he is English, his wife Welsh) and they returned to buy this deserted church that had captivated them on their second day. It took two years of negotiations before the church agreed to sell him the property but they finally did and now they are renovating. It is like a project from Grand Designs. They have subsidence issues and are trying to fix the foundations so they can pull the building back together – with what is in effect a giant clamp. Like a zip. Sounds dubious. He says with a big smile “Be careful where your Camino journey takes you”.
We persist up the hill to our nights accommodation. I arrive to see a small group having drinks on the terrace taking in the stunning views. I sit on the stone fence and wait for Donna before checking in. This property is incredible. It was a four year labour of love for the owners to renovate this 17th Century heritage building into a small bed and breakfast. Their devotion to the task is evident in everything. The rooms all feature the original hand carved wooden beams and one of the sitting rooms retains its original circular stone hearth in the centre of the floor and massive conical flue in the ceiling above.
Donna is in a foul mood. She glares at the man on reception who asks her to preorder her dinner. She needs to carry her bag upstairs but refuses, saying she will deal with it later. I leave her alone and head downstairs for a drink where I happily join the other pilgrims, a group of four English gents, boots off, for a chat and a glass of wine.
Jean Claude has checked in too and this, and a glass of wine, improves Donnas mood a little. Her feet hurt, and it’s no wonder, she is more accustomed to heels than hiking boots and we have walked a really long way today.
POSTCARDS FROM RONSCESVALLES - AKERRETA
Map from Roncesvalles to Akerreta
Video from Roncesvalles to Akerreta
STAGE ONE: ST JEAN PIED DE PORT TO LOGRONO
