"Mi Camino Lindo" in the Pyrenees

Except for very few days on my Camino, I see things that take my breadth away, surprise me or make me laugh. I guess this is because every single day, what I see is new to me. In this blog, I want to show you some of the scenes and things that have amazed me and given me joy.

St Jean Pied de Port, the little town in the French Pyrenees, where I began my Camino on 8 May 2008, is a gorgeous little town. This is the first little street which I loved walking through on the Camino. On my first night I stayed in a little albergue called Le Sprit du Chemin (on the left). In the morning when I came down the stairs for breakfast, I tripped on the last step (which was half the size of the ones above) and I twisted my ankle; so my first morning on the Camino found me sitting at the albergue with ice on my ankle!

When I stopped feeling sorry for myself, I stood up and wandered about St Jean hesitating about making that first step into the Pyrenees. But I am glad I did take that first step because it was a wonderful day and look at how beautiful it was:

Here I am in the full kit with my huge raincoat, which covers me and my 11 kilo pac (inlcudes 2 small front pacs), my Pacer poles, and my little woolen cap on (this means it is very cold! and wet!).

Que lindo!

El Camino in the Pyrenees:

On the first night I stayed at the refuge at Hountos and on the second night at Orisson, both still in France. This is what the weather looked like on the morning of my first serious day of walking as I stepped out from the refuge at Orisson on the 10th of June:

It was a difficult day, so hard that I decided that if I got to Roncesvalles that day without collapsing, or freezing, I would be able to do the Camino. And it was oh! so beautiful!!!:

Fortunately, I walked with three lovely German girls: Cecilia, Monica and Gerte, and Herman, who were very strong and brave, and willed me to keep going. I so wish I had taken their photos; and in the end I did get to Roncesvalles, on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees....

And today is June the 9th, and I am still on the Camino, but in Leon, where I am waiting for my glasses to be repaired! I hope to get to Santiago at the latest by the 25th of June....how? I don´t know yet.... according to my book, it is 326.1 km away :-) Some people can walk 25 to 30 km a day easily, but it is a little harder for me....my old ankle gets very sore and swollen after about 18 km, and needs ibuprofen, a rest and a lot of coaxing to get it going the next day!

Until the next blog which may be quite a while away.... it depends on whether the small towns have fast enough internet and more than one computer you see.

Love to all,

Clarisa Peregrina