Day 3 Camino: laundry

We are in a Pension, a private place where we have our own room and bathroom. It took a lot of negotiation to get three of us in this room. From now on, I told Monica and Vincente that they needed to say they are married to make our lives easier. Just like Ray and I did in India.

We've had three days of walking: hard, harder, hardest. Could be the cumulative effect. I'm sure that's part of it, but honestly, day 1 for me wasn't too bad. Day2, hard steeper climbs, and a long downhill. I said I'd do the longer, harder downhill, but once I stared down, and we were told this was the harder but more beautiful way, straight down, I wasn't climbing back up only 10 feet that I'd just come down. No way. I was in for the ride.

My reward, an incredible old growth beech forest. My nemesis, my knees. I spent some time walking with a 76 year old woman. She's walking with her daughter and granddaughter. It was inspirational  walking for a short time with her.

We started SJPP, Regugio d'Orisson: day 1; day 2 - orisson to Roncevalles; today, Roncevalles to Zubiri!

I have no blisters so far, but after todays 820 meter downhill, my knees have had it. It was an all rocky downhill, with several previous steep but shorter than yesterday's climbs.

I wasn't expecting these uphills. I did run out of water about 2/3 of the way, but was saved by a stand selling drinks and snacks.

The evening is cool compated to the 80º heat that shattered us today. We started happy with a lovely woodland walk. Lots of woodland walks today. 91% on natural ground, but the downhill was brutal on us all.

We whined a bit about doing this, but later whe we'd had a litle rest, shower, nice room and drinks and a meal, we all think we've made a great decision.

We will see tomorrow as wewalk to Pamplona, the town of Hemingway's"The Sun Also Rises" and the running of the bulls. We will have 2 nights here, as we need to rest our bodies for another hard up and down the following day.

Now, a little drawing of our laundry and, "GOODNIGHT SWEET PRINCE."