puenta de la reina

We have spent 2 very interesting nights.....one at lassarsoana and the other at pampalona.......we had the last beds available in the first place and three beds in a 110 bed hostel in pampalona.......lots of kms in between and a lot of it up hill and down hill......but the weather has been kind and the bodies are adjusting to the kms walked each day.....and a cerveza at the end of the day helps........things are going along even though we haven´t reached km number 100 yet.....unfortuanately we don´t seem to be able to add photos to this blog because of the computer here at the hostel......still having fun.

we are over the pyrennes

last stop before St. Jean Pied de Port

These are photos we have taken so far.....starting in the train station in Bayonne waiting for the train to St jean pied de port. We stayed at a hostel at orisson which was 8 kms straight uphill from st jean and then made it to roncevalles in Spain the next day about 20 kms over the pyrennes....hard work.....the scenery was spectacular....the wind was howling.....but no rain and no mist......walked the 20 kms today in about 6 hrs.....saw raptures, horses, sheep, and cows......heard cow bells.....the old abbey has been renovated here in Roncevalles and is very nice and organized.....think the really hard part is over even though we have a long way to go. Today is September lst and if the rest of the walk is easier than today and it is supposed to be ....then we are in for a wonderful adventure and should be physically okay.....and it is really fun to connect with Sue again.

outside hotel leaving St. Jean....

on our way up to Orisson

Refuge Orisson

view from our room at Orisson refuge over the mountains

sitting enjoying a bottle of vino blanco

the road over the Pyrennes

at the Virgin of Orisson statue

780 kms to go

through the forest down to Roncevalles

the long road up

almost there

heather blooming

one more sleep

card from well-wishers

before

before

One more night - and we do hope we can sleep - and we are off at sparrow's via Toronto and Paris to St Jean Pied de Port.  Packed....but have been packed for weeks.  Hair cuts should last till we return.  Tanned legs, white feet that we hope are tough enough to "actually walk it".  Thanks for all the good wishes from friends and family. Nos gusta un reto.

Website of and about the Camino de Santiago

www.santiago-compostela.net/frances/index_cf_en.html

Two weeks to go

these boots were made for walking...

Two weeks to go before we leave to start the Camino.....have done a few uphill/downhill walks including one down to Mackenzie Bight.
This past weekend did a 5 1/2 hr walk up Mount Tolmie, down the other side, up Mount Douglas, down Mount Douglas and over Mount Tolmie again......two days in a row.  Feet okay but have to unload some of the stuff in the backpack!  Our friend Sue in England is busy practicing and we will meet her in St Jean Pied de Port on the 30th Aug.  Getting excited.

ready to go

same here

Mt Doug hike - August 7, 2011

view of Victoria from top of mt.doug

ready for our walk

Hiked up and down mt. doug - warm hot day - walked up the road and down a rocky steep path - thank goodness for the walking poles...made it easier to negotiate the way down.  Cool through the huge douglas fir trees.  Had our snack on the beach....the packs were about what we will experience on the Camino...around 15lbs.  This wasn't as long a hike as the one we did the past weekend when we walked from our friend's place on Sayward Road along the Lockside Trail to Sidney where we had lunch and then walked back....that was an 8 hour walk.

Uphill training

Yesterday we put some weight in our backpacks (approx. 10 lbs.) and went for a 5 hr hike up Mount Tolmie and down the other side... on to Mount Douglas, up the road and down the Irvine Trail which was quite rocky & steep....the hiking poles were very useful.  Luckily there was a breeze to cool us off and a pit stop for an ice cream at the 7-eleven helped as well. Every hour or so we stopped, took the packs off, and took our shoes & socks off to air our feet, changed into dry socks.  No bad after effects today & slept well last night.