June 1st

We headed out this morning from a Casa Rural, which is a private home with rented rooms.  Everything they had was upstairs but we just carried Deb upstairs and went to bed.  We had gotten in pretty late in the day and were exhausted.  It had rained during the night and the roads were pretty wet, but Hayden was with us and that helps, sometimes he goes ahead and lets us know if we can make it.  We bounce from the Camino to bike paths to roads to highways.  We probably get to see a different Camino than a lot of people but that is fine by us, we never did do things like others.

This was where we first met the French Ladies, Dominique Claudio and her mother Germy.  We really enjoyed them they were so sweet, Germy always kisses on both cheeks and Deb really likes her.  She has to be in her eighties and they are out here hiking, doing even better than me.  It seems like a lot of the Europeans are in better shape than us.  I don’t know if that is just us or if everyone is just healthier than most Americans.  We met them while walking up in some mountains and we stumbled onto a food truck in the middle of nowhere.  This happens a lot up here, you’ll be out of water or needing just a pick me up and around a corner you’ll hit someone either with a truck or even just a tent selling fruit, bread, soda, coffee or water.  The Camino will Provide. (TCWP).

When we got into Larrasoana we found a little cafe, they call them mostly bars over here.  We had fried fish, potatoes and meatballs, very tasty and the food all seems fresh.  What I liked best about the bar was the banyos (restrooms)  no words just pictures on the doors. 

We found all the albergues we could get into were full so once again we were in a Casa Rural.  The cost of these would be prohibitive long term but they are much more quiet than the Municipals.  We met the owner name Hareman and we talked through the translators on our phones for about an hour.  He was very nice and I noticed that the Spanish know more about our politics and history than we know of theirs.  In my defense I don’t know much about my own politics and history either.  Deb does the mental I do the physical.  Hareman also called ahead and reserved a room for us at a hotel in Pamplona just in case.  The first part of the Camino is usually crowded until the Pilgrims thin out due to injury or other reasons.  He said after Pamplona it will slow down until Sarria.  That is the 100 mile mark that you must complete to receive your Compostella.  It will be very crowded there he said.