Well back again, finally a bit better.I ate dinner tonight with some enthusiasm after 8 days of not wanting to eat. I probably look Fabulous!
Well except for the saucer sized bruise on my elbow and another same size on my butt- after slipping and falling down slippery carpeted stairs in Amiens.
Yesterday I struggled all day to manage my 4 trains, with the connections between stations and platforms,I felt so unwell was very worried whether I could even get to my destination, Arrived late after 10.30pm to a dark station but thankfully Margaret had organized a pick up for me. I slept badly and still felt rotten this AM. I separated my packs leaving the big one at the hotel to pick up in 5 weeks. My little one was still ridiculously heavy ( maybe 10 kgs) so I extravagantly paid to have most of it transported to our next place - here!
And still.struggled today!
We had 6 hrs + of walking uphill , up the Pyrenees for 18 kms then along and finally down- total 27 kms.
It was expected to rain but did not luckily but visibility was 10 m in places and after a stop at lunchtime we were frozen and had to put on jackets, beanies and gloves.
We got lost at one stage and had to backtrack to find the route . Scary!
Not as many people around as I expected to see but about 50 tonight for dinner.we are not in the Pilgrims Hostel but a posher place, tomorrow will go to a hostel. This town only has 2 pub/ hotels and the hostel. The hostel used to be a hospital for the pilgrims, and has been here since 1100' s!!
Charlemange had a big battle and 20,000 died! The church in the hostel was amazingly old and detailed,
We had the dinner provided for the walkers- about $12. Big plate of pasta , then fresh fish and chips( I ate Margarets chips she ate my fish.Then we got yoghurt. Red wine provided too.
Now we're in bed at 8.30 pm tired. It is very cold here as we are at 789 m.

27th Another day of 27 kms so we are not up to the necessary 30+ a day yet. I had another poor night of sleep and get unwell again. No breakfast available so we walked 3 kms down the road, had a nice cup of tea but again only a bread roll available. I know that is all a continental breakfast is, but walkers need more than that, like eggs or cereal - weird how they think bread 3 times a day is ok. I felt better by lunchtime so got - bread - and a banana. Very pretty walking past paddocks very understocked with animals.we saw sheep with lambs, horses with foals and a few cattle but nothing for the size of the place. There's lots of beech forests, lots of rivers and creeks , small villages with big churches. The houses are boxy shape with very small windows with shutters. Not sure whether that is to keep the heat in or out.
We keep seeing the same people mostly European not many English speaking natives.
Another nice dinner tonight so we are getting 1 meal a day !
Tomorrow is to and thru Pamplona so a long day probably.
28th.Yes we went up a long road and thru magnificent city walls into old Pamplona, nearly all pediastrian only, very nice. Cathedral closed-of course- but nice things to see. We kept going , checked out a 2€ junk shop looking for those red and blue striped bags to put the gear in we are forwarding every day- no luck. Supposed to be a wifi area at the Citadel so I could sent this blog but there wasn't.
We sat in the Uni grounds and had an orange for afternoon tea ( had walked over 3 hrs in the AM until we could get food, we want to sue whoever said food was easy to get !!) thinking we had 5-6 kms to go but it was maybe 2,actually not far enough but what the heck! Had a shower,washed the clothes then found a pub and had a drink and another nice meal - steamed Vegas, weird cut of chops with chips( or fish) and cheesecake. Late to bed at nearly 9 pm!
29th day 4. Long day of probably 33 kms, don't trust my pedometer, and their signs and distances are c--p. Sometimes they get longer the more you walk!
We walked for 2 hrs then had our stale rolls( first day in 10 days I felt ok) climbed a hill under some wind turbines, walked thru pretty villages,the usual old locked church, everything in sight concreted, no grass or gardens.
And not a person in sight, weird.
We went down a path that was a 1000 yr old Roman road with the same stones there. We crossed some lovely arched bridges, there are rivers everywhere. Finally got here after 9 hrs, not a good hrly rate of walking, think the packs slow us down, and M walks slower than me- but that' s ok.
She had trouble with sore feet today, I said she can whinge away but has to keep walking !
We had another nice Pilgrims dinner- beautiful salad, spaghetti Bol and yoghurt and strawberries. Yum.
Now in bed before 9pm! Getting up at 6.15 for a 28 km day.
It is all very interesting and I am enjoying it but fail to see why people would do it multiple times.
Ok, that is it for now. This can go next time I find wifi.
Keep up the texts on the travelsim please- but put your name! I have some anonymous messages!!!
Carol