Elizondo
to ( shy of) Puerto de Urkiago
6.1
miles per my technology
I’m
writing that mileage down but it is impossible. The book has this stage at “only” 11 miles something. We did not make our destination by about three
miles.
But some
of my favorite images of my life were this day and I can’t find them. I do know
my phone was at about 3 percent when we stopped so maybe I lost data and
precious pictures.
Anyway,
today was exhausting! We still don’t have our “hiking legs.”, We still sigh out
loud when we see an incline, and we still sigh out loud when we see a decline.
I meet friends for life on these hikes, and today would present another one I
am certain.
I woke
from the porch on the church to Aynsleigh saying someone had entered the door
right near us and waved at her. That was nice knowing we were accepted to be
there. As I was changing discreetly, a man opened a window and started cleaning.
He later popped downstairs to attempt to chat. He had done a Camino from what
I could tell. I was at the water fountain filling waters, cleaning plates (the
usual routine) when he appeared beside me with a baguette and a huge wheel of
cheese. He asked if he could give it to the girls, and I of course thanked him.
The cheese was heavy but we gladly took it! The price on it translated to about
$16 dollars and i couldn’t help but think of what a generous offer. He beamed
as he told us “Good Camino!”
We
stopped at the grocery store, which is always a treat! We
bought fruit and I found the tomato sauce they use on tomato tostados and
bought that too!!!
Up, up , up today in what might have been the worst up of my hiking. At the
top I said I needed a nap! I have never napped while hiking. Many do, they set up their picnic and nap in the
sun. We found a huge rock perfect as table and bed. We ate and Aynsleigh and I
took at least an hour nap.
We were at that stop a few hours. Less than three but
more than 2. When I woke up, I asked if any hikers had past us and Bronwyn said
“no”. Right then up over the hill appeared a woman by herself. We would chat
quickly but I’d learn she was Maria from Southern Spain living in Pamplona, Spain. We
instantly liked her and her enthusiasm. She has hiked most of the GR 11 before
and pretty familiar with it. She jetted off we packed up and followed....
We found Maria sitting under a tree relaxed & staring and she was going to set her tent
up there. When we said we were going to go on she joined us and we hiked until
about 7:30pm, when the conditions totally changed. All of a sudden we were in a
fog, a heavy cloud... We were on top of a hill and were soaking wet. I still
don’t know if it was rain or the cloud, I think Maria would say, “both”. In an
hour we would have reached our destination. No town, no village, just a spot in
the woods, along a small road and a car park for day hikers I assume. I had no
idea from my book but there was a cabin, that was a square container sort of place at
the end. Maria references this and I had hoped that to be our destination. We
were wet and getting very cold in negotiations and Maria suggested we stop and
set up tents. I trusted her judgement as she said she didn’t remember what the
decent looked like.
After last nights finale, I didn’t want to redo that with
the added slickness of rocks from water and condensation. We quickly put on our
rain jackets as we froze and were wet. Maria helped us and knew enough to
remind us to put our jackets on before we set up. She knew the bitter coldness
would come and she was right.
Clearly
my most miserable night hiking... but thirty minutes prior I had one of the
highlights of my life. We were at the summit, in darkness and heavy cloud and
about 1,000 sheep ran by us. I can’t explain it, they were “bahing “ and their
bells ringing in the darkness. I was in awe. I’m just now noticing my
videos of that night are not there, wondering if it is due to my very low
battery that night.
It was
great having María join us for the evening. We were quick to sleep and awoken
by these same 1,000 sheep running by our tent with bells a ringing! In a cloud, cold and in the tent, we could hear them... once dry it would be a great
lifetime moment for now I was miserably cold and worried, “can we do
this?”....
