Saturday, May 4, 2024

At 5:00 we rise for coffee and fruit. As the kitchen becomes busy, conversation fills the room. A final gear check is made. The watch is fully charged. I head out for this first day of my Camino experience into the Pyrenees Mountains with three people sharing the room of the Albergue I was lucky to have slept in last night. The morning is early enough to be dark and cool. I would see the sun climb into the morning, bringing with it clarity and warmth, lighting the way up towards the heights of this intriguing mountain range. About two hours into the walk I settle into my stride. From here, I walk alone, through wind gusts and switchbacks. I feel good. Many photos and video clips are taken.

Impossibly exquisite perspectives stretching kilometres into the distance are offered around each bend in the road. My arrival at Roncesvalles is made in the early afternoon. I would meet the first people on the Camino with whom I would walk for days. I had no reservations—I would walk for days without them. I found them to be an incumbrance, distractions. I preferred walking without making such plans. I don’t need to rely on tech for this walk: I can do the work. I walk fast, I walk strong, and I walk far. Arriving early at albergues based on my strength and ability is how I will complete this walk. A wonderful dinner is enjoyed among a tableful of Canadians who laugh loudly and enjoy having fun. A deep but distracted sleep is settled into afterwards in which I wake several times

Today’s distance walked: 32.71 km    |    Total distance walked: 32.71 km