Los Arcos

Shorter walk today, only 21 kms. The surfaces were better than yesterday (a lot of 2000 year old Roman road - what did the Romans ever do for us- and concrete yesterday). Got to the albergue about 11.30 am and it opened at 12. This one´s run by a German I´ve nicknamed him the fuehrer´. He made us line our packs up and then get into a line ourselves, then he gave us his blurb in mediocre Spanish. He then called for Number 1, every one pointed at Ray and I, he gave us a distrustfull look and again called for Number 1. Eventally he had to accept we were number 1. He asked our nationality I said Australian but that I speak Spanish (better than his) from then he will only talk to me in English and I will only talk to him in Spanish! We were than allowed through the door one at a time while he stood guarding the door and his henchman, Sargeant Shultz led us inside. I kept imagining Pete here doing his famed German impersonation, goose step and all ("don´t mention the war"). Once we booked in we had a shower and a short siesta, woke about 4 forgetting that everything closes until 6-6.30.

Will look for a bar soon. yesterday in Estrella we found a nice little bar, lined up tapas and beers and played cards amongst the locals for a couple of hours!

Keep the messages coming, which reminds me - Ray and I do not endorse the use of offensive national stereotyping eg " cheese eating, surrender monkeys" to describe the French (Ben?), in fact -... les belles filles Frances son le chemin tien courage y fromage!!!

Tommorrow we leave Navarra and enter the wine region of La Rioja! It will be a tough day - 32 km - and our feet have not toughened quickly enough. Rays still getting blisters but his knees improving ( many people have strapped knees - I´d say that the oldies are doing better than younger walkers, many of which we´ve left behind.´my feet hurt at the end of the day but so far no blisters (the camino does not reward hubris!)

My Spanish improves daily, in fact twice today I was approached by Germans who asked if I spoke German and I replied only Spanish and a little English. Yesterday a Spaniard asked me to translate into English to two women and when I explained in English what he was saying they looked at me blankly - didn´t understand a word (i think they were French). We have strange multi-linguial discussions. The main languages are French (they won´t try anything else), Italian (they´ll try anything) and German (they usually have some english). It´s all getting friendlier as people get to know one another. my dollars running out, next post tommorrow. (photos tom. hopefully.

Estella (pronounced esteya) in basque it´s lazzaro!

Another short walk today only 21 km, but our feet are still finding the final 5-6 km hard. Undulating country through many vineyards - the wines of Navarra are very good (we´ll soon hit La Rioja - the Borrossa of Spain). Ray just read what I wrote and thought it should read "another killer walk today" (what a woos).
About 10am Ray got on his knees and praised the lord, no it wasn´t a religious conversion he´d just found out you can buy San Miguel Especial in large cans for about $A1!! and it´s (5.4% proof - not like your nancy aussie beer) - he can´t wait to get back to queensland and spread the Word (I´m trying to discourage him, the camino will turn into the biggest pub crawl in the world!).

The Albergues get better as we go along, the ones run by the municipality are great. This one costs E5.50 (about $A8.50 and that includes breakfast). The rooms include about 10 bunks and two showers, communal kichen and laundry, gardens etc. One thing about the camino there´s no room for false modesty, if you can´t handel stripping down to your undies in front of strangers and sharing showers with men and women (with no locks on doors) you may find it hard - it all gets very relaxed after a while.

last night we ate at a lovely little bar in Puente de La Reina and shared a good bottle of Navaras best red. Puente de... like most of the towns and cities around here are hotbeds of Basque nationalism, irrikunas (the basque flag) and posters calling for self -determination are everywhere. The people are very friendly and helpfull if you can speak Spanish and will go out of there way to assist (if they know your basque even better).

We keep meeting up with many of the same people all the time We got in to this albergue about half an hour ago and showered, washed some clothes and are now relaxing. Later we´ll go out for a meal. I´m still waking about 4am which is a nuisance.

The camino is many ways a metaphor for life and it teaches many lessons. Here´s the first two of Ruben´s camino lessons-
1. Buy most of your beer, wine and spirits at supermarkets you´ll save a fortune.
2. Travel light, most possessions are just an unnecessary burden (I´ve lost my shampoo, a pair of undies my sleeping bag liner etc and I done well without them) . In fact Ray came without a towel ("towels are for wankers!). That´s all for now folks.
ps saw our first menhirs today (look it up!)

PS Rays knees getting better but he is having some trouble with blisters, a German guy (looks a bit like the big beared guy in Harry Potter) sleeping on the next bed happens to be a doctor and has offered to work on his feet. Denise those clip on cloths have come in very handy - we´ve sent thanks many times (I´m noy sure if our telepathic powers have reached you). Keep sending messages people, it´s good to hear from you.

onwards to Pamplona and puente de la reina

I´ve lost track of the days, I thought it was Thursday and was just told it was Saturday!! Days and hours are meaningless on the camino. Yesterday was a bid day again about 30 km and a lot of it downhill. The little villages and larger towns of Navarra are spotlessly clean and the houses are lovely - all are two storey with the first usually of stone and the second storey always whitewashed a brilliant white. The doorways and windows are framed with large square cut stone and flanked by wooden shutters. Not a rusty car body anywhere - all this without a tidy town scheme!

Stopped at a little town (Varla) for a couple of cafes con leche and a rest before walking into Pamplona. Spent a few hours in Pamplona, got off the beaten track and went to the Plaza Castillana (and old local took us there personally and we had a good chat on the way - great for my Spanish which gets better every day). We had drinks and lunch at the Rincon de Hemingway (Hemingways corner - he spent a lot of time here) Patatas al aleoli, calamares renellos en su tinta (exquisite) and bocadillo de lomo all washed down with too many Mahou beers!! (we got a bit lost after this but eventually found our way back to the route and to an albergue at Cruz Menur. This albergue was run by the Knights of Malta (Templars ?). Our host was a German that spoke fluent Spanish, English, French and Italian. He puffed cigars, drank wine, cursed well in Spanish and sang Kenny Rogers and Chris Kristopherson- a nice guy (Ray grabbed a guitar and put on a show with him). Shared a room with Lyn from Cairns (in fact with Ray and I their were 4 aussies in the hostel that night), a Spaniard and a young Japanese guy, Hiro, (he has legs like tree trunks and fitness to match) who was walking because he need time to think about his future.

Left C M at 6am heading for Puerte de la Reina. Stopped after Monte de Perdon for breakie at a wonderfull private albergue/cafe where we had 1ft boccadillos filled with bacon and fried green peppers and spanish omellete washed down with a couple of great coffees. The 3 more km to the hostel. It´s the nicest hostel yet and only 5 euros. HERE, I´M GOING TO SAY IT ¨JOE WAS RIGHT¨´ You can get cheaper food and drink if you get off the beaten path (that was painfull). Not able to put any photos on here.

laseroaena

Hola a todos! After 32 kilometres yesterday we completed another 30 or so today. We were awake at 3.30 so we decided to get going early. The first suprise was that we felt pretty good, we were expecting major soreness! Last night was pretty crowded, 120 people in one area (an old monastery - with a room full of bunkbeds), two showers for the males resulted in queus for the shower. Shared supper with Italians, Germans, French (fine people the French!) and Dutch (the young Dutchman cycled from Holland). Todays walk was easier than yesterday but not much - Rays knee is giving him a little trouble so he is walking there backwards (just downhill - we have some easier days coming up so it should get a chance to heal.

We walked through forests of Chestnut, Beech and Oak yesterday, today it´s more conifers.

Eating was simple today, sheeps milk cheese, anchovies, olives, tomatoes and bread washed down with fresh milk. Got to the albergue (hostel) about 2,30 and had to waite until 3 for it to open. Ray used the time to wash his clothes in the creek. Had a shower and siesta, a beer. more bread cheese and chorizo and that´s it for today - looking forward to a well earned sleep. Only 20 km tomorrow and pretty level.

roncesvalles

We finally made it to Roncesvalles!!! So much to report. we arrived in Madrid 2 nights ago (it feels like two weeks), after a gruelling 24 hr flight. We caught the metro from the airport and no sooner had we got on a train than Ray felt a hand in his pocket, belonging to a young women (no it wasn´t a local welcome!) she grabbed his wallet and phone, luckily Ray grabbed her before damage was done. We found the hotel easily and went out on the town getting back about 1 am - we had 4 hrs sleep making it 4 hours in 3 days!!, we got the train to Pamplona and enjoyed a 3 hour train trip through northern Spain. at Pampona the taxi failed to meet us (the French! don´t get me started!!). We teamed up with Juan and his wife who were walking from Roncesvalles, we shared the cost, so all worked out well, St Jean de Pied Port is picture postcard beautiful, lovely bars and restaurants- pity about the rude French Basques (don´t get me started!!). Enjoyed drinking Axi - "the beer of the Basques and the food was wonderfull, pity about the French owners and waitresses (the French, don´t get me started!!)

Today we started early (about 6.30) and walked through the most picturesque pyrenean country side. it was great to get to the spanish border and leave the French behind (don´t get me started!). the last couple of hours to roncesvalles was gruelling but we made it, the toughest day is behind us and we´re still standing (just!!). We have to get our beds organised, so I´ll sign off. Our best to all!!

about to board the flight to Hong Kong. Through customs with only a body search (Ruben)!

Great 'going away' do at Robbie Burns. Leave for Madrid Sunday night.

Tuesday 18th. Ray arrives in Melbourne tommorrow and we leave on Sunday!

There are a few 'caminos' we are walking the 'camino frances' follow the brown line. Click on map to enlarge.

test post

This is the first post, just testing. It should be the first of many. We leave in 14 days! Planes, trains,taxis and hotels (first two days) are all booked. Hopefully we can keep everyone posted on a regular basis so you can see/hear how it's all going. We will add photos as we go. Wish us luck!