A journey of 500 miles begins with the first step.  😊

This, our first rest day, gives me the opportunity to share the first seven stages of this adventure.  WiFi is a tad sketchy and glitchy, so please excuse typos, errors, etc. 

Stage 1:  Saint Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles (16.4 miles)

This first stage, over the Pyrenees, scared me the most when thinking about walking the Camino.  Over the Pyrenees?  Climbing a total of 5370 feet?  Stories of snow, rain, and wind?

Fortunately, we had fabulous weather!  Windy at times but no rain.  Relatively clear skies creating magnificent views.  The climb was a bit relentless and hard but not impossible.  

Wow!  It was a terrific first day!

Stage 2:  Roncesvalles to Zubiri (14.8 miles)

In some ways, Stage 2 was harder than Stage 1!  Although the elevation gain was only 1662 feet, the descent was treacherous.  Not only was there a bit of rain, we descended through deep mud and slippery rocks into Zubiri.  Thank goodness for hiking poles!

Stage 3:  Zubiri to Pamplona (15.1 miles)

A beautiful and relaxed walk through the countryside!  When we stopped for lunch – a delicious spinach frittata – my tracker stopped, so there are two shorter videos for Stage 3.

As you view the videos, you may notice a few of the many friends we have made.  Stephanie, Jill, and Lisa…plus many others…have added humor, depth, and fun to our trip.  Most days, we share a refreshing beer and tapas as we transition from walking to relaxing.

Stage 4:  Pamplona to Puente de la Reina (18 miles)

Since we didn’t see much of Pamplona when we arrived, Minke and I chose to take an early morning stroll around this beautiful walled city.  Following breakfast, we met up with Lisa and Stephanie for our walk through the countryside, observing many fields of yellow rapeseed along the way.  

After climbing Alto de Perdón, we found the Pilgrim statue where we, with other peregrinos, posed for photos.  Near the statue lies a monument to Civil War victims under Franco’s regime.

The descent from the statue and monument was quite relentless…but the views were spectacular!

Stage 5:  Puente de la Reina to Estella (17 miles)

A meandering walk through the countryside with views of Roman ruins, red poppies, and cute villages.

Stage 6:  Estella to Los Arcos (15.5 miles)

The day started with a bit of wine at the fountain in Irache.  Using my pilgrim shell, we each had a sip of wine.  Then I got stung by a bee!  I was chatting with Jackie, a Brit who now lives near Toronto, when OUCH! I felt a sting!  Jackie pulled out the stinger and gave me a sheet with antiseptic and lidocaine on it to clean the poke and take away the pain.  I now look like a chipmunk with my swollen cheek!

On the final hike up the hill before entering Los Arcos, I had this amazing endorphin rush!  I felt strong and powerful, in full flow, and started laughing while climbing.  It was incredibly cool!

Stage 7:  Los Arcos to Logroño (19.3 miles)

A long walk through wheat fields, country trails, and rolling hills.  Some of the climbs were a bit steep; one descent was at 10%!  There were many cute villages along the way, especially Viana where we stopped for lunch.