April 27th-Roncevalles to Larrasoana

Here we have 2 opposites, The accommodation in Roncevalles is about as good as you can get, I have no idea how much money has been spent on converting the old monestery but its money well spent, It really is the gold standard in pilgrim living, On the other hand the Aubergue in Larrasoana is a bit of a basic dump, Steel bunk beds and plastic covered matteress and pillow-Yuck
Our journey from Roncevalles started early, Dark and grey as we headed out into a wet morning, I grabbed a mars bar out of the machine as breakfast and walked with Francis for about 45 minutes until we found a small cafe where i had a cafe con leche which is basically a coffee with milk and a croissant, The walk was another tough one, Lots and lots of steep inclines and descents, One of the descents was 2 miles down, Slippery rock,shale and mud, I know a few people fell, I felt pretty good but that last 2 miles seemed to go on forever, My feet and legs were tired but worst of all i had a touch of monkey butt, People always go on about their feet/legs/back but like cyclists and runners you can get a chaffed botty, I was very uncomfortable when i arrived and soon had a shower and lube, Today i am glad to say its gone, The actual town of Larrasoana is beautiful, Quaint and incredibly clean, The aubergue we stayed in had about 20 beds, It was another night with little sleep, Snorers and farters ruled the night as well as a lot of people getting up to use the bathroom at all hours, Life on the Camino can be testing to say the least, The food has been very good and always with a bottle of cheap red wine thrown in, I like the Spanish beer, Not strong but it hits the spot, So 17 miles with all the hills made it a tough day

 Remember this from the movie where Jost had a Joint

 Roncevalles Monastery,

 Evening Mass

Crossing a stream

Our accommodation was set back

 My accommodation,

Off to Pamplona next where they run with the Bulls

 Dave

April 26th, Over the Pyrennes

I am so glad that i stopped over at Orisson, Firstly its a steep trek there and still about 5hrs to Roncelvalles, It is one hell of a walk even for fit people, We set off from Orisson around 7.45 and crossed some of the most beautiful countryside i have ever seen, I teamed up with Francis the Canadian as we have a similar speed and was in Roncevalles in Spain around 1pm, It was another steep walk and coming down the last 3 miles was dicey to say the least, A few people fell!! and i was not surprised, I felt good and my confidence was high and even higher after a couple of Spanish beers, I managed to stop and get plenty of photos and reminded myself that i was walking in the footsteps of Napoleon and Roland, The scenery kept changing from open hill tops to deep Beech forests, I have read that this is the nicest part of the Journey and i can why, No blisters and just a small back ache, You cannot over train for this if you live like me in flat ground, We topped at over 1400m,
Griffin Vultures zoom overhead

The long and winding road

 Gorse covers a lot of the hills adding some colour

 These feet were made for walking

 When nobody else is around you get a sefie

Auberge Orisson, A sight for sore eyes after the climb

 The place to be to rest and replenish

 Basque Beer-Delish

Enjoying the views

 Early Pilgrim

View from my bed

 5 images stitched into a panorama over the Pyrennes

 Can you think of a better place to relax

 Francis with the Yuma Duo

Wild Orchids

 A nice place to stop

 Some wild horses, The trail goes up behind if you look in the distance on the left

 Steep going

 Near the summit

 Still away to go

 Rolands Fountain

 Now in Spain

 Enchanted Forest

 The long steep descent down to Roncevalles

I hope the pictures tell the story

Dave