Well, we did it! We did not walk or carry 60lb backpacks and we did it backwards, but we travelled the Camino de Santiago from end to beginning! We drove over the mountains to St Jean Pied de Port in France then to Roncevalles in Spain, the traditional starting points for the Camino. The fog did not lift until quite late down here in the Valle del Baztan so it was a bit of a late start. Up at the border pass of Izpegui they said it had been beautiful since early morning, but I would not have fancied driving in the thick fog all the way up as most of the way was little than a single path road although it had a middle dividing line which was a joke at best! Again, the weather is perfect. I think Paul drove over about 5 mountain passes today, and some of the roads were only one lane, which was a little hair-raising at times. (If one had hair that is!) Once again, stunning mountain views and blue skies. We found the signpost for Santigao at 790 kilometers and took pictures to match the photo that Paul had put on the blog page before we began. We had lunch in Roncevalles and visited the church which was originally built in 12th century but collapsed in 1600 as a result of the weight of snow that had piled up and was rebuilt in 17th century. This is some pretty impressive stuff! We all felt a great sense of accomplishment, I think; we have visited many of the cities en route and can only marvel at the persistence of these ancient pilgrims. We had driven so many miles this trip that we put in our third tank of diesel with each tank covering at least 750 kilometers each. 61 liters of diesel at 62 euros; we cannot complain back in the USA over our prices.
Dave, Joyce and Carol went to Hondarribia today and they are not yet back. Paul is taking a well deserved nap and I am going to read and relax for a while, maybe more later. Wednesday is a national fiesta day of no work in Spain, it is to celebrate the patron saint of the Guardia Civil. Dave, Joyce and Carol were a little upset after their trip to Hondarrabia as the usually bustling harbor was empty. Normally the jetty is a hive of activity, with nets being mended, trucks delivering and picking up fish, boats being unload etc. There were only two fishing boats moored out in the bay. Things it seems are really bad everywhere. They have 20% unemployment here in Spain though at times you would not believe it, as people are still out walking in the evening socializing and enjoying themselves.
Last night it was pretty funny, I guess people had trouble falling asleep, like I said it is a bit like camp for seniors , heads kept on popping out saying “What’s going on?”
Very hazy again this AM. David has gone down to book a table for lunch, as today is Fiesta day and everyone will be out eating and enjoying themselves.
More later.
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