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! :)

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:

• 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.

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.

Santiago Festival

I just read on Santiago de Compostela's tourist site (santiagoturismo.com) that there's a pyrotechnic display of setting a model of the cathedral on fire, but this happens on the night of the 24th! I'll be 20km away! I like fire. . . :(
There are apparently also fireworks, so maybe I'll be able to see them from where I'll be. That would make up for missing the cathedral burning a little bit. ;)

Unexpected Supplies

I've been reading through the Camino Forums again, and someone had the brilliant idea to ask what the most unexpectedly valuable supply was that they took with them/wish they had taken. There were some ingenious ideas on there!
Some of the ones that I'll be looking to get for myself:

• a twisted clothesline - it's two thick strips of plastic that are twisted on one another, and you just stick your clothes into the little spaces. I think someone said AAA has them with suction cups so you can stick them to windows, and these require no clothespins.
• sink stopper - I have one of these. For washing clothes in the sink, for those albergues that don't have washers/have huge lines for the washers.
• reusable grocery bag - also have plenty of these. Apparently great for all sorts of things, but mostly grocery shopping - I guess most Spanish grocers expect you to bring your own sacks.
• sticky labels pre-printed with my name and email - easy and fast way to share information with wonderfully awesome people met along the way.
• knife set with corkscrew - I've been reading that a multi-purpose knife like Swiss Army or Leatherman is pretty much essential for all sorts of situations, but a couple people have said the corkscrew was their most-used utility. Super for opening a shared bottle of wine with new friends.
• spork - two, two, two utensils in one!
• needle and thread - I have a sewing kit here, so I'll just need to modify it for the trail. I've heard that polyester thread is the most useful. I'll have to look into that.
• dedicated face cloth - I'm sure we can imagine how grungy a face will get, and those that know me know I like that exfoliation feeling that just doesn't come with drying off with smooth cotton.
• diaper pins - apparently very useful for all sorts of things. Some mentioned instances - emergency clasping-together of something split, fastening wet items to the outside of my pack for last-minute, on-the-road drying.
• chamois - as swimmers know, these are fantastic little cloths for super-drying. I would think there'd be one or two at home. . .Lighter and smaller than a regular towel, and cheaper than a 'super-absorbent' travel towel.
  
• LED light - I'd originally thought about getting a headlamp, but EVERYONE gets annoyed at them, and it seems like a very newbie mistake to bring one - they are blinding to everyone else. A small handheld/lanyard LED light provides the visibility in the night to the bathrooms without the excessive brightness of the headlamp or the blinding positioning of eye level for everyone around me.
• cover-up - I have to check to see if I still have one of these. I used to for one of my old swimsuits, but I'm thinking I donated it in the last move. People use these as modesty-protectors when adding/subtracting clothes in the albergues, as a sheet on a warm night, as a ground cover, a pillowcase, flowy top or skirt in the evenings. . .

Also, I posed the question of what to do with my pack after I arrive at the albergue for the night, but want to see the town/city before bed. Everyone that responded said that they just leave their packs beside their beds and take the essentials with them - money, ID, camera! This makes me so happy. One, it means I don't have to take the huge thing around any more than necessary. Two, it shows that there's a wonderful level of trust and respect and a great sense of community. Obviously, it's not like a pack has never been stolen in the recent history of the Camino, but really, if I have what I'd need to not be trapped in a foreign country (ID and money), what can't be replaced?
I'm loving this already. I wish everyone had a chance to do something that made them as excited. I feel exceptionally lucky, and I haven't even left!

It's official!

I just booked my flights! AACK! I leave from DCA to Paris on 6/21 and arrive at IAD from Barcelona on 8/2. I managed to get these flights for less than 1100, which seems like a fairly good deal. Thank you, Kayak!
Now I just need to get flights from Columbus to Washington, but I have a free round-trip flight with United still. So that'll work.
I'm now extremely nervous.

??

What am I thinking??