We took the bus and arrived in Pamplona on March 15 from Valladolid via Vittoria-Gastiez. Arrived at around 8:30 pm and began looking for the Pilgrim´s Albergue. We bought our bus tickets to Roncesvalles right away as we were at the bus station already. After asking around in the city of Pamplona, we found our Peregrino´s Alberge for $7 Euros per person. Very basic but comfortable. This is my very first experience with lodgings of this form. As we had arrived late, we tried our best to be quiet while getting ready for bed. No showers for this night as it was too late. I slept in the clothes I was wearing. It was quite cold but manageable. I did not want to sleep smelly in my sleeping bag so it stayed in my backpack. We got up early and started conversations with the people around us. Speaking with Don and Megan, a couple in their sixties from US, we found out that there was heavy snow in Roncesvalles and that it is very dangerous there. Deep snow and very cold. They also had originally wanted to start from there too. We decided not to start from Roncesvalles given the information. We will begin from Pamplona instead. We sold our Roncesvalles tickets for half price to a young couple who wanted to go Roncesvalles regardless of the information.

As it was our first days of the Camino. The going from Pamplona will be difficult due to the high elevation on some parts of the camino. This first day is around 17 kms, greater than what we originally intended. We poured intensely over our guidebook and decided that we will stop in Uterga for our first night. We do not want to overdo it for our first day. The backpack taxi is a great idea. Only $7 per bag but it will help us tremendously as we have a tough climb ahead of us.

And so we begin. There is snow on the route but not as bad as Roncevalles. Marybel is a faster walker than I am so she is always ahead of me. This works fine for me as it allowed me to be engrossed in my meditation walk in silence.

There was a strange incident on this trip. I walked over a small impasse with a small water lane going across my path. I heard a child´s voice speaking to me in Spanish but there was no one in sight. None. It was a girl´s voice asking me something but I have no understanding of what was said. Marybel was way ahead. The child laughed and cried but I could not locate the owner of the voice. I asked Marybel if she heard the voice as she passed the lane but she said no. Eerie but not threatening so I let it go. Perhaps a village child playing tricks on passing by pilgrims and hiding in the drain beneath the lane to scare them. There can be other theories for this such as past life coming in, etc. I cannot confirm anything so I will not dwell on this too much. This stretch is also where pilgrims are to ask for forgiveness for their sins. Perhaps, my sins from the past are coming up for cleansing…don´t know.

We arrived in Uterga, exhausted but glad to have finished this trek for the day. Albergue Camino Del Perdon. It was small and very comfortable. Beds were quite creaky but there were only five of us for the night. Craig Gill from Scotland and a Spanish couple, Plabo & Sonia. That was our Peregrino family on this first day.

Marybel and I shared a peregrino menu for dinner, lentil soup, beef stew and ice cream for dessert. Wine and water is always included with dinner.

What an amazing first day! Hard but fantastic views! I took some pictures but not many. All concentration was on making it safely on the route. I have a picture of me after falling in the mud which I can upload later. It was very slippery and muddy mostly. I hurt from the fall but nothing broken so all is well. Laundry for muddy clothes was required….LOL.

Super first day!

We made a decision to go to Roncesvalles and take our chances with the weather. If we have to turn back, we will. We can always come back to Cuellar and wait if conditions do not permit.

I am truly grateful to my hosts for everything. Veronica has been generous with her time, knowledge and friendship. From transportation, good food and even arranging for cell phones for emergency purposes. I could not have asked for a better start other than good weather. I hope that I can repay her in kind in the future.

She will take us once again to Valladolid to the bus station so that we may take the bus to Pamplona and then on to Roncesvalles.

Until we reach Roncesvalles, I will see if I can provide more updates as to this journey/pilgrimage.

Veronica took us to the city of Valladolid where I purchased a guidebook for accommodations on the Camino.   

She then took me to a Spanish bar where I had my first Spanish beer and my first experience of Spanish pinchos.   Quite the experience.

My first day in Madrid. We arrived at 7:40 am and cleared customs at 8:00. Veronica’s husband, Enrique was at the airport to pick us up. Veronica was not with him and he has never met Marybel. This was what he said when he picked us out from the passengers. “Not too many Chinese people so it was easy to know who Marybel was as her friend is Chino. Easy to pick out!” He embraced and kissed us on both cheeks and grabbed our bags.

They live in Cuellar, a town of 10,000 people. It was a two and half hour drive to his home. The spanish countryside is exquisite.

“I know I am not in Kansas anymore”.

They live in a flat and will be moving to a new home in a week (We visited their other home later in the day). As I had slept on the red eye into Madrid, I felt fine but Marybel was extremely tired not having slept at all on the flight. As soon as we were shown to our room, Marybel went to sleep right away. I had nothing else to do, I allowed myself to catch another two hours of rest.

Veronica and her family are extremely good hosts right from the beginning, ensuring that we had everything we needed. After our nap, it was lunch time at 2:30pm which is the normal time for the Spanish afternoon meal. They have dinner at 9pm at night. Chicken Lasagna with a light house green salad and delicious wood oven baked bread. Yes, I had to partake of meat as it was just wrong to be ungracious to my hosts. We opted not to tell them about my vegetarianism. I will take a break on this trip as being a non meat eater is totally unflexible and unforgivable of what is presented in blessed sharing. Later, we were also shown their spanish Ham (whole leg of cured pig hanging on a peg for delicate thin slicing with a fillet knife), that is commonly available in this part of Spain. It is not proschiuto and not serrano ham but was quite delicious as marbled fat and salty red meat melded together once it touched your mouth and tongue.

I took many pictures but not able to share at this time as wifi is not possible and direct internet access is not as easily available at this time.

I also met Pedro Luis whom Veronica arranged to have an info session with us. He has done the Camino twice and had some practical advice for beginners for the Camino. We had a list going such as how to pace yourself (not more than 15 kms a day for the first week), towns to stop for the night (for sight seeing interests), types of hostels and pensions to avoid and information about a taxi service for backpacks (which can come in handy when you have a difficult stretch ahead and need to be free of your pack for the walk).

We have a decision to make at this time. As there is some snow in the Pyrenees, we might have to begin our Camino at Leon instead of Roncesvalles. This is just to avoid having to walk on slippery paths and possibly freezing cold. He said that next week, the weather will be better and spring begins on March 21.

We will sleep on this tonight and will decide after some more rest and more delicious vino. 🙂

This is the rosary that Marybel obtained for me. The beads are made from rose petals and they smell so sweet.

They will probably come in handy when my deodorant wears out…lol

As you know, I leave for Madrid on March 11 and arriving March 12 at 7:30am. Marybel has a friend and a cousin in Spain. Her friend, Veronica is picking us up from the airport and allowing us to stay with her and family for two days before we set off for the Camino. She will also be arranging for us to meet two persons that she knows who has done the Camino recently.

This is Divine Providence. Marybel has some great connections that I did not know about. I am going to get picked up at the airport then be allowed to rest from Jet Lag for two days. Then I get to meet some people to get more advice on how to do the Camino well.

This is what I have learned thus far for myself. Leave it up to God and somehow he will show you & provide the way.

Later, we will meet up with Marybel’s cousin. She says that he is a fun guy to hang out with. I don’t think I could have design this better. CaminoCalgary has a life of its own and though I appear to play a part in it, I truly believe that it is playing ME. Amazing, no?

I booked my flight to Madrid today for March 11. I was to have begun my camino on March 07 but circumstances did not permit this. My best friend, Marybel, will be with me as she knows people in Spain. It will be the red eye into Madrid where I will arrive in the morning the next day. Marybel will make arrangements for us to be picked up at the airport. Then we will either take the train or bus through Pamplona onto Roncesvalles, the first leg on the camino.

Though I have a bare skeletal plan for this trip, it does not feel like I should do more with the planning. I do not know what I will encounter and how I will do. I just know that there are no expectations except a direction. That is all I have.

As much as I first thought that this is solely my Camino De Santiago, it appears now that it includes my best friend, Marybel. I like the idea that she is there for support but she can also be a minor distraction from my desire for inner alone reflection. We will both be doing the Camino for our own very different reasons. Perhaps, the lesson here is “inclusion”. The Yin And Yang of everything. I must include it all to understand it all. I am not sure how this will play out. I trust it well enough that it is as it should be and will unfold naturally.

I am all ready to start my Camino De Santiago. I followed the advice of many bloggers and got everything that I need to fit into the backpack. So this is how the bag looks before the journey. I am pretty sure that it won’t look like this when I am done. I will take another picture again at the end of the journey so that I may have a “before” and “after”.

Buen Camino…