Postscript from last night at Roncesvalles. La Posada served a hearty
menu del peregrino -- macaroni and excellent trout. Was in a table of
ten -- peregrinos from Canada, Germany, France. Good conversation, but
was too tired to participate much. LOts of wine, but I refrained as I
would be going to the 8 pm mass. The mass was quite elaborate -- at
Church of our Lody -- celebrant had a very good voice and sang many of
the parts in the old Gregorian (with variations of his own). Five
celebrants, they also recited vespers and compline. At the end one of
the priests gave a very elaborate blessing for pilgrims -- dating he
said from the 12th century and then said a blessing in the language of
the different countries,including Japan and Korea, but missed the
Philippines. It was very cold, had to rush back to the pension. Took a
glass of wine to warm up.
June 2
Left for Zubiri late as the staff only came in at 8:30 and they still
had my passport and I had forgotten to have my credencial stamped the
night before. Also the breakfast came with the accomodations. It was
good I waited as they served a good breakfast. Left qt 9:30 AM.
The walk to Zubiri was still quite difficult, many climbs and descents
(Zubiri is 450 meters lower than Roncesvalles) and a fair amount of
the way is through rough stony paths, where I had to watch every step
to avoid getting a sprain or falling. But not as difficult as the
first day.
Met a group from France and asked them to take my picture. A couple
from France at the place where I stopped for lunch -- a bocadillo with
chorizo. At the lunch place was a very noisy group, cyclists from
Italy and several Spanish girls.
Soon after lunch I ran into two Filipinos -- the man greeted me in
Tagalog and I responded. The girl, his niece, has been in Spain for
several years -- in Alicante. The man is in Canada -- has been there
since age 14. We passed each other several times. We met each other
again here in Zubiri -- they were looking for a pension and finally
found one. They are walking to Logroño, about a week walking which is
all the vacation he has.
I went to the Church here, many other people waiting, and though the
sign said mass on thursdays is 6 pm, there was none. Maybe they
followed the Sunday schedule at 10 AM since today is the Feast of the
Ascension.
I am staying in a small pension with just three rooms, Zubiaren Etxea.
Very new, very clean, very simple. The girl in charge, Sagrario, was
very welcoming and effusive. She said Fr. Pierre who called to make a
reservation for me some time ago said "Ben is coming from very far
away to walk the camino."
So survived second day and the challenge of carrying the full backpack
with 8 kilos or so. Shoulders ache a bit, hopefully ok. I have to
thank Tin for the exercises. Massaged my shoulders and hope they will
get used to the load.
Hope to leave early tomorrow so I can get to the Jesuit community in
Pamplona in time for noon meal, usually their main meal and usually at
2 pm. Also hope to do my laundry there and have enough time for it to
dry. They have washing machines here but no dryers.
I am grateful for blessings so far -- no blisters and manageable aches
and pains.
All the best.
menu del peregrino -- macaroni and excellent trout. Was in a table of
ten -- peregrinos from Canada, Germany, France. Good conversation, but
was too tired to participate much. LOts of wine, but I refrained as I
would be going to the 8 pm mass. The mass was quite elaborate -- at
Church of our Lody -- celebrant had a very good voice and sang many of
the parts in the old Gregorian (with variations of his own). Five
celebrants, they also recited vespers and compline. At the end one of
the priests gave a very elaborate blessing for pilgrims -- dating he
said from the 12th century and then said a blessing in the language of
the different countries,including Japan and Korea, but missed the
Philippines. It was very cold, had to rush back to the pension. Took a
glass of wine to warm up.
June 2
Left for Zubiri late as the staff only came in at 8:30 and they still
had my passport and I had forgotten to have my credencial stamped the
night before. Also the breakfast came with the accomodations. It was
good I waited as they served a good breakfast. Left qt 9:30 AM.
The walk to Zubiri was still quite difficult, many climbs and descents
(Zubiri is 450 meters lower than Roncesvalles) and a fair amount of
the way is through rough stony paths, where I had to watch every step
to avoid getting a sprain or falling. But not as difficult as the
first day.
Met a group from France and asked them to take my picture. A couple
from France at the place where I stopped for lunch -- a bocadillo with
chorizo. At the lunch place was a very noisy group, cyclists from
Italy and several Spanish girls.
Soon after lunch I ran into two Filipinos -- the man greeted me in
Tagalog and I responded. The girl, his niece, has been in Spain for
several years -- in Alicante. The man is in Canada -- has been there
since age 14. We passed each other several times. We met each other
again here in Zubiri -- they were looking for a pension and finally
found one. They are walking to Logroño, about a week walking which is
all the vacation he has.
I went to the Church here, many other people waiting, and though the
sign said mass on thursdays is 6 pm, there was none. Maybe they
followed the Sunday schedule at 10 AM since today is the Feast of the
Ascension.
I am staying in a small pension with just three rooms, Zubiaren Etxea.
Very new, very clean, very simple. The girl in charge, Sagrario, was
very welcoming and effusive. She said Fr. Pierre who called to make a
reservation for me some time ago said "Ben is coming from very far
away to walk the camino."
So survived second day and the challenge of carrying the full backpack
with 8 kilos or so. Shoulders ache a bit, hopefully ok. I have to
thank Tin for the exercises. Massaged my shoulders and hope they will
get used to the load.
Hope to leave early tomorrow so I can get to the Jesuit community in
Pamplona in time for noon meal, usually their main meal and usually at
2 pm. Also hope to do my laundry there and have enough time for it to
dry. They have washing machines here but no dryers.
I am grateful for blessings so far -- no blisters and manageable aches
and pains.
All the best.
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