Day 2
Roncenvalles –> Zubiri (about 21 km)
3:15 AM: Woken up by snoring
5:50 AM: Woken up by monks singing
I had hoped to sleep until 6:30 today since today’s distance was shorter than yesterday and I made it in less than six hours yesterday. I knew the albergue turned the lights on at 6 AM, but I was prepared with my sleep mask. However, I was not prepared for the choir songs at 5:50.
People were rustling around and rushing to the bathroom, ready to start their day. I laid around a little bit longer, but I was out of bed by 6:10. Since I’m going without make-up and just throwing my hair back in a bun, it doesn’t take long for me to get ready now.
I think by 6:30 or 6:45, I was out the door of the albergue and heading toward Zubiri. For breakfast, I delighted myself with a peanut butter cliff bar since the albergue breakfast was sub-par. The next town over, Burguete, came pretty quickly and people started going off to get some coffee. I thought I’d just keep going.
The pathway was very green today. It was much sunnier than yesterday, but many times the trees provided shade. I passed through a few small towns with super cute designs. I felt a bit awkward though, like a big-city girl gawking at small-town life.
About 9:30, I came upon a small town. As I entered, there was a little bar where I stopped for a café con leche and a tortilla de patata. -chef kiss- I realized I was making good timing. If I kept at that pace, I’d reach Zubiri before noon. Because of that l, I decided to spend a little more time just sitting there and enjoying the day.
Before long, I was off again, walking amongst the quaint villages and trees. Although the path was easier today, there were still some steep climbs and descents. It was a bit like a roller coaster, constantly going up and down.
I had been listening to my podcasts during the morning, but then I ran into the girl I had met on my way from the airport in Biarritz. She’s also American, so we just talked about whatever. She was so thirsty and had run out of water. After a while, we came across a little stand that sold drinks and watermelon. We stopped their for a bit, talking to a Korean girl and an Italian girl. They left and almost immediately after were followed by an Australian guy and a Slovenian guy. We talked to them for a while and then finished the final 3 kilometers to Zubiri.
The path there was almost entirely downhill. For me, it wasn’t too bad, but many other people were complaining about their knees. It also wasn’t a smooth surface. We were constantly shuffling around, trying to navigate the rough terrain.
We arrived in Zubiri just before 1 PM. The city was so sleepy and quiet. Luckily, I was able to check into my albergue and get comfortable. I ventured outside and found the people I had finished my walk with. We ate some snacks and had some drinks. There isn’t much to do or see here in Zubiri, but it was just good to soak up the sun, dip our feet in the water, and relax.
Right now, I’m relaxing in my albergue bed. There’s a mom and daughter from New Zealand in my room with me. In a few hours, I’ll wander out again and hopefully buy a new pair of socks (the pair I wore yesterday had a divorce, so one is MIA) and have a pilgrim dinner.
Maybe the slow style of today was good, as tomorrow I’m heading to Pamplona. Oh, did I mention it’s San Fermines, aka the Running of the Bulls? It’s going to be insane when I arrive there tomorrow. Who know? Maybe I’ll see someone get gored by a bull. I hope not.