Walking Day 2 Roncesvalles to Zubiri

Today´s another day and I feel strong and capable. Any negative thoughts from the day before have disappeared. I will set off and have breakfast in Burguette. This is where Ernest Hemingway wrote "The sun also rises." This is also the town where I originally met Pepe five years ago: he was such an engaging person with everyone he met along the way to Santiago. Will I meet people like him along the way? "Estoy estar chupao."

The day´s journey is still long with some considerable hills, but not nearly as difficult as the crossing of the Pyrenees. However, there is a long descent into the town of Zubiri and this is a strain on knees that are still not in their best condition.

I will not stay this night in the municipal Refugio but will opt instead for one that is semi-private. It´s still dormitory accommodation but it is better located: a stone building close to an old bridge crossing a fast-flowing river, overlooking a garden and very little distance from my route for tomorrow. An added bonus is that there are smaller dormitories; this one accommodates only nine. I book for dinner for a later sitting. Food after a strenuous day of outdoor adventure tastes exceptionally good. Mixed salad, a pureed soup of green vegetables and another meal of steamed cod is perfect. I have been placed at a table on my own because the other groups seem to be all friends - the advantage being that I am given a whole bottle of red wine. I will try not to consume all of it.

I do find the time to stretch muscles, especially hip flexors and hamstrings, and I feel immediately better for this. Tomorrow thunderstorms are forecast throughout the day for the walk into Pamplona. I will not entertain thoughts as to how to cope with this. I will take one day at a time and see what happens.

On the way out of Burguette

From the stone bridge of Zubiri