I think I now know what Dante meant about the 7 circles of hell. Yesterday was the first, today the 2nd. My feet and legs were still sore from the first day, and yet I had to go even further today. Granted, it was only about 1 km further, but still. I was making awesome time in the beginning - I got nearly 15 km in 3 hours. It all went to scheit after that, though. I started at 6, got in at 2. Another full 8 hours.
I´ve met some awesome people by passing back and forth, though. Managed to snap a picture of them today while we were waiting for dinner. Fernando from Germany, who I actually met on the bus to St. Jean, James from Australia, Kyle from Canada, Jess from Iowa and Aishling from Ireland. They are all really good people, who have amazing outlooks. It makes me a little sad that I can´t surround myself with them all the time. In fact, tomorrow during the walk will probably be the last day that I ever see them, since they are all planning on stopping in Pamplona for the night and I am going further. I´ve got less time to finish this silly thing.
I´m hoping and praying that my feet stop aching soon. They felt like they were going to start cramping at any moment once I got to the albergue and had a chance to lie down. Actually couldn´t sleep for a nap, they hurt so much. Thank God I don´t have blisters, though. James and Jess both do. I honestly don´t know how they´ve made it even this far.
Pamplona should be neat to see tomorrow. If I have the energy I´m planning on stopping to see the Toros Plaza, where the Running of the Bulls begins. I have to keep reminding myself that it truly is about the journey, and not just the destination. It´s hard not to try to hurry, though, when all you can think about is getting off your feet and lying down for a nap.
I saw several versions of my pet slug today, though none of them were nearly as big as Slugger. He was the King of Them All.
I also had a buddy today for about 2 km. I named him Frederico. Good Spanish name, I thought. He was a cute dog, who saw me slip and fall into some rushing water and stuck by my side until I reached the next town (don´t worry, mom, I was fine. Just got wet.). Got a picture of him, too.
It´s amazing, but today it was actually too hot to eat. I ate a banana at a little before 6, just before I stepped on the road, then ate an "omelete" and pineapple juice at 9, then didn´t eat anything until dinner was served at 7. I noticed a little hunger after passing through Zubiri at noonish, but it quickly vanished. And apparently tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter. They´re estimating it reaching 38. It´s hard for me to do the mental calculation to Farenheit in my head, but I guess it only reached 32 today. So that´s quite a big difference. :0
It´s after 9, which means it´s late for me. Probably going to get up at 5 tomorrow to try to beat the heat.
G´night!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Holy Smokes, I Made It!
I actually made it into Roncesvalles!! There were so many times when I simply wasn´t sure how much farther I would be able to go. And to be perfectly honest, I was on the verge of tears for the entire final 3.6 km. That was the point when I finally made it OVER the Pyrinees, and could see the town in the distance. I was certain at that point in time that I was nearly there, only 1 km left, 2 max. Nope - 3.6, and I would argue that they were perhaps the hardest in the journey today. They were downhill. Unlike any downhill adventure I´ve experienced to date, SO steep. My legs were shaking, my feet were aching, and my knees started hurting. My poles saved my life 3 distict times, keeping me from tumbling down the mountainside. And unfortunately, there are two bigger drops tomorrow. I´m hoping that they´re longer, yes, but perhaps not as steep. Time will tell.
The views were unbelievable. A helicopter passed BELOW, there were wild horses passing by 3 feet away. There were also dozens of gigantic birds, that at first I thought were huge bald eagles. Remembered hearing that they´re a type of buzzard that can have a wingspan up to 18 ft. I was joking to myself that they were circling in wait of me, that they knew I was passing through and it was only a matter of time before I dropped.
I´ve passed through a couple episodes of despair today, when all I could see were mountains and it seemed the climbing would never end. But I came to realize that sometimes all it takes to lift you out is a short pause to look at the peaks and valleys, the magnificent surroundings.
Oh - I want to correct one thing I posted earlier - there ARE craggy, rocky parts to these mountains (like any other, I suppose). I simply wasn´t high enough to see them before. I climbed 1450 meters (nearly a mile) up. UP.
I saw a mountain-sized slug today. He was black, and his back parts were wavy, and he was the size of a chipmunk. Seriously. I took a picture.
I spent a lot of my time thinking about what I would post here, or write in my journal, in order to not think about pain. I thought about all of you, and what you might be doing, and how it would have been great to have any of you here to have someone to talk to. I like doing this on my own for many reasons - I don´t have to worry about holding anyone back with my frequent few second-stops, I get to really notice the small things I pass along the way - but I´m sure the time would have gone much faster had someone been keeping my attention by blabbering away. I came across many very friendly people, but most of them didn´t speak English at all. The ones that did were already in a group, and moved at a different pace.
Time´s almost up, and it´s also almost time for the pilgrim dinner. I think I overheard we´re having fish, but whatever. I´m in Spain, for goodness sake! :)
The views were unbelievable. A helicopter passed BELOW, there were wild horses passing by 3 feet away. There were also dozens of gigantic birds, that at first I thought were huge bald eagles. Remembered hearing that they´re a type of buzzard that can have a wingspan up to 18 ft. I was joking to myself that they were circling in wait of me, that they knew I was passing through and it was only a matter of time before I dropped.
I´ve passed through a couple episodes of despair today, when all I could see were mountains and it seemed the climbing would never end. But I came to realize that sometimes all it takes to lift you out is a short pause to look at the peaks and valleys, the magnificent surroundings.
Oh - I want to correct one thing I posted earlier - there ARE craggy, rocky parts to these mountains (like any other, I suppose). I simply wasn´t high enough to see them before. I climbed 1450 meters (nearly a mile) up. UP.
I saw a mountain-sized slug today. He was black, and his back parts were wavy, and he was the size of a chipmunk. Seriously. I took a picture.
I spent a lot of my time thinking about what I would post here, or write in my journal, in order to not think about pain. I thought about all of you, and what you might be doing, and how it would have been great to have any of you here to have someone to talk to. I like doing this on my own for many reasons - I don´t have to worry about holding anyone back with my frequent few second-stops, I get to really notice the small things I pass along the way - but I´m sure the time would have gone much faster had someone been keeping my attention by blabbering away. I came across many very friendly people, but most of them didn´t speak English at all. The ones that did were already in a group, and moved at a different pace.
Time´s almost up, and it´s also almost time for the pilgrim dinner. I think I overheard we´re having fish, but whatever. I´m in Spain, for goodness sake! :)
Monday, June 28, 2010
St Jean Pied de Port
OH MY GOD! The Pyrinees have got to be the most gorgeous mountains I have ever seen. But more on that later.
I have been scolded for not posting more (up until today my days have consisted of almost nothing but traveling, and the train stations do not have computers for public use), so I thought I would post what I've been writing in the amazing journal Matt got for me.
6/24 2:21pm Gare Paris de Austerlitz (one of the train stations in Paris)
Just saw a pigeon with a club foot.
The French use baguettes for EVERYTHING. And if it's not on a baguette, it's in a crepe. :)
6/24 9:58pm Somewhere along France's southern coast
Finally on my way to Cannes. Slept in the train sitting in the station that I was originally supposed to take there last night. Lots of cancellations due to massive strikes. Then I was supposed to take a train that left at 7:46 this morning, but that was also cancelled. So here I am.
My feet hate my shoes. Not a good sign at all. Foreboding, even?
Met two really nice girls today, with accents. English? Austrailian? Couldn't tell. Their trip totals 7 weeks, and they're halfway through it. Also met a nice American couple. She's from LA, he's from San Fran. He's a cute little Granola. They're stopping in Cannes as well. We all literally ran through the station to get onto the train, as it was due to hold 3 trains' worth of people from the strikes.
6/25 10:23am Hotel Balladins, Cannes, France
Couldn't find a hotel with an open room last night. Congress in session. Had to take a cab to this one 5km outside the city. During my search I ran into a couple I had remembered from the train station in Paris. I stopped to talk to them, and an Albanian kid joined us. He asked if he could look for a hotel with me, and he seemed harmless enough, so he tagged along. He got very annoying and made me feel a little ill at ease when he started talking about how there's a kidnapper running loose around town. He kept touching my stuff, too. ¨What's that?¨ ¨My knife.¨ ¨Knife!!? . . . What's that?¨ ¨My hiking poles.¨ ¨What?¨ Finally I ditched him for the cab.
Had an interesting breakfast. Baguette, no surprise, some applesauce-like substance (not bad), hot milk (don't think I'll pick that again. It came out of a machine, I was hoping it would be cold, but it was frothy and steaming), and watered down orange juice. To the beach for a bit, and walking to the train station.
6/26 3:53pm Rocamadour, France
Sitting on a little balcony at my hotel. Spent the whole afternoon walking ¨downtown¨Rocamadour. It's HOT, and steep, so I'm rather exhausted. I think I may run a bath after this.
This place is everything I was hoping for. Medieval town built on a cliffside - I can't think of a better place to visit. Some locals still use horses for transportation! :)
My hotel abutts up to a campground, which by the looks of it is pretty popular. It's about a km from the center of Rocamadour, and 3km from the SNCF station. The walk this morning was super - very peaceful, through farmland. I was following little wooden signs with a hiker painted on and 2 little green waves. At a T in the gravel path the post was there, but the signs were gone. I wasn't sure what to do at that point, and just when I was about to guess, along came a cute old man on a 4-wheeler with his dog trotting beside him. We communicated w/ hand guestures and I was on my way. (I would have guessed correctly, by the way.)
Got to see Cannes for the 1.5 hours it took me to walk the beach from my hotel to the train station. It was nice enough, but reminded me of Virginia Beach. Definitely a beach town. I'd go back if someone else wanted to, but I'm not sure I'd pick it on my own. So far, Rocamadour is my favorite.
I saw a wedding procession today. That was fun. They came through the town in their cars and were cheering and honking their horns. Everyone in the street started clapping their hands and cheering back.
The churches/chapels here frighten me. I stepped in one below the main square of the castle and there was a nun inside. I'm pretty sure I jumped. Maybe it's because it's so like stepping back in time?
I ordered a meal in a restaurant for the first time today. I've been buying from vendors, as it's so much cheaper. I had no idea what I was ordering, but it turned out to be chicken breast with a delicious cream sauce on top, and fettucini on the side. Gobble gobble. Okay, bath time!!
5 minutes later
:( I'm going to have to settle for a shower.
6/26 11:27pm Rocamadour, France
Some things I've been forgetting to mention:
I have been scolded for not posting more (up until today my days have consisted of almost nothing but traveling, and the train stations do not have computers for public use), so I thought I would post what I've been writing in the amazing journal Matt got for me.
6/24 2:21pm Gare Paris de Austerlitz (one of the train stations in Paris)
Just saw a pigeon with a club foot.
The French use baguettes for EVERYTHING. And if it's not on a baguette, it's in a crepe. :)
6/24 9:58pm Somewhere along France's southern coast
Finally on my way to Cannes. Slept in the train sitting in the station that I was originally supposed to take there last night. Lots of cancellations due to massive strikes. Then I was supposed to take a train that left at 7:46 this morning, but that was also cancelled. So here I am.
My feet hate my shoes. Not a good sign at all. Foreboding, even?
Met two really nice girls today, with accents. English? Austrailian? Couldn't tell. Their trip totals 7 weeks, and they're halfway through it. Also met a nice American couple. She's from LA, he's from San Fran. He's a cute little Granola. They're stopping in Cannes as well. We all literally ran through the station to get onto the train, as it was due to hold 3 trains' worth of people from the strikes.
6/25 10:23am Hotel Balladins, Cannes, France
Couldn't find a hotel with an open room last night. Congress in session. Had to take a cab to this one 5km outside the city. During my search I ran into a couple I had remembered from the train station in Paris. I stopped to talk to them, and an Albanian kid joined us. He asked if he could look for a hotel with me, and he seemed harmless enough, so he tagged along. He got very annoying and made me feel a little ill at ease when he started talking about how there's a kidnapper running loose around town. He kept touching my stuff, too. ¨What's that?¨ ¨My knife.¨ ¨Knife!!? . . . What's that?¨ ¨My hiking poles.¨ ¨What?¨ Finally I ditched him for the cab.
Had an interesting breakfast. Baguette, no surprise, some applesauce-like substance (not bad), hot milk (don't think I'll pick that again. It came out of a machine, I was hoping it would be cold, but it was frothy and steaming), and watered down orange juice. To the beach for a bit, and walking to the train station.
6/26 3:53pm Rocamadour, France
Sitting on a little balcony at my hotel. Spent the whole afternoon walking ¨downtown¨Rocamadour. It's HOT, and steep, so I'm rather exhausted. I think I may run a bath after this.
This place is everything I was hoping for. Medieval town built on a cliffside - I can't think of a better place to visit. Some locals still use horses for transportation! :)
My hotel abutts up to a campground, which by the looks of it is pretty popular. It's about a km from the center of Rocamadour, and 3km from the SNCF station. The walk this morning was super - very peaceful, through farmland. I was following little wooden signs with a hiker painted on and 2 little green waves. At a T in the gravel path the post was there, but the signs were gone. I wasn't sure what to do at that point, and just when I was about to guess, along came a cute old man on a 4-wheeler with his dog trotting beside him. We communicated w/ hand guestures and I was on my way. (I would have guessed correctly, by the way.)
Got to see Cannes for the 1.5 hours it took me to walk the beach from my hotel to the train station. It was nice enough, but reminded me of Virginia Beach. Definitely a beach town. I'd go back if someone else wanted to, but I'm not sure I'd pick it on my own. So far, Rocamadour is my favorite.
I saw a wedding procession today. That was fun. They came through the town in their cars and were cheering and honking their horns. Everyone in the street started clapping their hands and cheering back.
The churches/chapels here frighten me. I stepped in one below the main square of the castle and there was a nun inside. I'm pretty sure I jumped. Maybe it's because it's so like stepping back in time?
I ordered a meal in a restaurant for the first time today. I've been buying from vendors, as it's so much cheaper. I had no idea what I was ordering, but it turned out to be chicken breast with a delicious cream sauce on top, and fettucini on the side. Gobble gobble. Okay, bath time!!
5 minutes later
:( I'm going to have to settle for a shower.
6/26 11:27pm Rocamadour, France
Some things I've been forgetting to mention:
- The French cows are entirely white. Nearly all of them.
- I stopped in an internet cafe in Cannes because I couldn't find a street, and was there for several minutes due to mass miscommunication. Everyone thought I was asking for cocaine, due to my inability to correctly say ¨Hoche¨.
- I'm a little sad at the loss of my nameless friends.
I've met an English girl, though. Sabrina. Seems awesome, like I'd be her friend if we lived in the same town. She was my server at the Snack Post, and after she showers we're going to get a drink. Kinda just wanting to go to bed, I'm so tired, but I didn't come here to sleep.
Okay, I've used all of my allotted time on the computer. I'll come back later for more posts. But I'm looking at the mountains ahead of me wondering how I'll ever make it over them.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
HELLO FROM PARIS!!!
Sitting in a cove in the courtyard of my hostel in Paris as I write this. Have to pay per minute for internet, and the keyboard is difficult to use, so this won't be long.
It's beautiful here. The buildings are more intricate than any I've seen before. And I couldn't ask for better weather - it's actually cool!
My hostel is amazing. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it's some historic landmark and therefore gorgeous. I shared a room with 4 other girls, and the room had two sinks and a shower attached. The restroom was right across the hall. I got free breakfast of orange juice, baguette, chocolate croissant and hot chocolate, all for 30 Euros. For a night in Paris, that's a steal.
I've seen the Louvre, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe and went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I'm hoping to go in the Conciergerie today, as well as walk around Montmartre. Then I'm off to Cannes tonight on a train that leaves at around 10:20 tonight. I have a sleeper couchette in a room I'll be sharing with 5 others. I wonder if there will be a shower anywhere. . .
Bit of bad news - I don't see the cable to hook my camera up to a computer, so I don't think I'll be able to post any pictures before arriving at home. Unless someone along the way has one. This kiosk doesn't have any slots anyway, so I can't do anything at the moment anyway.
Write soon.
It's beautiful here. The buildings are more intricate than any I've seen before. And I couldn't ask for better weather - it's actually cool!
My hostel is amazing. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it's some historic landmark and therefore gorgeous. I shared a room with 4 other girls, and the room had two sinks and a shower attached. The restroom was right across the hall. I got free breakfast of orange juice, baguette, chocolate croissant and hot chocolate, all for 30 Euros. For a night in Paris, that's a steal.
I've seen the Louvre, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe and went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I'm hoping to go in the Conciergerie today, as well as walk around Montmartre. Then I'm off to Cannes tonight on a train that leaves at around 10:20 tonight. I have a sleeper couchette in a room I'll be sharing with 5 others. I wonder if there will be a shower anywhere. . .
Bit of bad news - I don't see the cable to hook my camera up to a computer, so I don't think I'll be able to post any pictures before arriving at home. Unless someone along the way has one. This kiosk doesn't have any slots anyway, so I can't do anything at the moment anyway.
Write soon.
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