STAGE TWO: Orisson to Roncesvilles

We awoke to a beautiful fog around our little oasis, breakfast was served and the troops were off. I was one of the last to depart everyone tells you to keep pack weight down and there was even a pile of clothes on the side of the street where in the struggle someone determined to empty their pack on the spot. I am pretty proud of my packing, a host in Saint Jean urged me to go lighter, he even tried to get me to unpack my light wine glass that Steve had purchased from REI, it has been engraved with BUEN CAMINO 2012 and gets a lot of attention. I forgot if I mentioned our family style dinner at Orisson it was real nice and off we all had done to bed. I did not pull out my earplugs and was conscience about rattling my sac while others slept however a gal snored in the bunk under me and I could not sleep. I took my sleeping bag up on the deck overlooking the mountains and slept well, I only wish I had done it several hours earlier. It was so special sleeping under the stars I kept hearing what sounded like a halyard on a sailboat and looked around to see what it was, I couldn't find the source but once packed and ready to set off white cows surrounded the auberge sporting bells and it was a beautiful site. While sitting outside at Orisson a young female I would guess in her twenties came up over the hill walking beside her horse, we were all fascinated by them and the horse made her way over to a table with the cutest expression wanting the beer that the three gentleman were consuming. The trek today was everybody as bad as yesterday. Suprisingly no soreness but we continued up and over the mountain range with Roncevilles as our destination. How can one describe this? I am in shock at how difficult this has been for me...I am going to steal a description I read on a young gals blog to best describe this route. I will go back and find the source to give her credit, I just remember the author of the blog was named Rachel and her Camino blog was hilarious to read. Anyway this is roughly how she out it...

Today I walked from Saint Jean oner the Pyrenees to Roncesvilles, I took the "Napolean route". Do you remember when Napolean took his men to Russia and didn't prepare them for the cold and they had no jackets and they all died? Well let's just say that was the second stylist thing he has ever done.

Most seem to struggle on the down hills most, I clearly struggle on the up hill. Today took us thru some lovely woods though, it's do neat how familiar the faces are and the bond you form with people out here. As I walked today I met a young man who I guessed to be in his twenties, J. From the Midwest, I arrived to the Fountain of Roland and asked him if he'd help me undo my wine glass from the back of my PAC,I felt the Fountain of Roland was so worthy of my wine glass. I walked alone thru the forrest for awhile at a relaxed pace drinking my water from my wine glass. At some point J. caught up to me and we walked and talked. What a super kid, I instantly loved him and he shared how he was walking the Camino with his father and that they both were carrying their bagpipes in their pack. We arrived to Roncesvilles and I must admit I did not give this town the respect it deserved in my pre travel plans. The auberge has been redone think IKEA inside old stone building outside, a massive building but cubicles sleeping four with two sets of bunk beds. I slept one cubicle of D from England and little J and Big J from Montana. I would start calling D from England "Bond", and my two new friends, father and son "Papa bear and Little Bear". It ends up the gal with horse had passed us by in Orisson and had knocked on a door a little way further up hill and asked if she could put her horse up there for the night. Evidently she knocked on the right door for she was welcomed with open arms and she stopped Papa Bear and Little Bear as they walked by and they joined her sleeping out under the stars. Both Bears said "those Basques can drink". So I heard more about this facinating girl and her horse,they had started in Toulouse France and my starting point of Saint Jean was her half way point. I am days behind on my blog but have to say I smile on trail when I see the piles of horse poop for I know Soul (the horse) is ahead and already been this way. We attended the pilgrims mass, ate a pilgrims dinner and found ourselves asleep at the mandatory lights out at ten thirty. The best part of the day was sitting outside of the bar as pilgrims strolled in looking for the auberge, there was no rush we ate and drank well and sat for hours catching up with each other. You are never alone on this path...