I’m sorry but this will be short and sweet. Today was nothing like we had imagined. Moody is an accountant, great numbers guy and had stated that today’s walk would be 150’ of elevation gain. Sweet, that’s the best day ever. The problem with that was, Georges watch at the end of the day said we actually climbed 1560’! That’s ten times more. Hmm, and I’m going with that. We climbed 150’ the first quarter mile. It’s just another day on the trail!

We had a lot of uphill as soon as we stepped foot this morning. By 9am, I was a sweaty mess. But boy oh boy, we had some incredible views. The Frances is a trail where you can see for miles and miles! It’s breathtaking. The farther we walked, the more beautiful the Camino became. Rolling hills, huge plateaus and long vistas with wildflowers, colorful villas and gorgeous expansive views. I would compare it to the difference between the mountain tops of the Sierras and the green tunnels of the Appalachian. It is God’s wonderful imagination and His splendid glory. I love Spain.

We stopped a few too many times but that’s really not a problem unless, you want to get to your final destination in a short period of time and beat the heat. My true complaint is, it’s flipping hot! We made the command decision, as a group of four, to leave earlier. If we could be on trail by 6am instead of 8am, that would make a huge difference. We’ll see. Easier said than done.

The towns we passed through today like Manaru, Ciraqui and Lorca were dazzling. There’s something special about old wooden doors of the past mixed with modern frames of the future. The colors are virtually the same from town to town, brown, tans, shades of white and beige. The CCR’s must enforce color palettes in Spain. Whatever it is, it sure looks stunning.

We had lunch in Lorca at a tiny Cafe along the way. All I wanted was fruit and salad. Being it’s Mothers Day, the sweet Lord must have heard my petition because I had the best lunch ever. A Mista Salad and a Fruit Smoothie. It just doesn’t get any better than that. George had the same, Mel joined us and had a Smoothie and Moody, Vegetable Soup. We drank the entire blender and licked our salad bowl clean.

Our last few miles were going through fields of wheat and small towns that were virtually vacant. It’s like a Ghost Town around here. Moody is really having a hard dilemma as he just can’t figure out what these people do for a living? How can they have such tasteful homes, nice cars without a source of income? It is a great question and honestly, I have no answer. I think tourism is a big part, maybe grain production and olives, but there must be more cash flow. It’s really inexpensive here so you don’t have to make an enormous amount of money to live. The jury is still out. Moody will start pounding on doors if he can’t get an answer soon. Being a numbers guy, this is a big deal to him.

We arrived at B&B Zaldu. It is a lavish home run by an incredibly kind couple, Pablo and his wife. We checked in exhausted and they showed us around. George and I took the 2nd Floor and M&M were directly below us. All I could do was jump in the shower and cooldown. Pablo and George talked for quite sometime and I chilled out.

Later we all headed to town, had some Tapas, Beer and Wine, then made our way to dinner. For $18 you receive a Starter, Main, Dessert, Wine or Beer. It’s quite the deal. We all had plenty and headed back to our humble abodes.

Another day on The Camino. We had a long, hot day but when it was all done, we looked back and are grateful for the memories of a day well walked. That’s my perfect rendition of a Mother’s Day.

Welcome to the Camino Moody & Mel, aka M&M. And what a day it was. No easy break-in, just strap your boots on and get ready to climb. But let’s start with breakfast because who doesn’t like a full-on mouth watering eat all you can eat, gourmet first meal! This was the Hyatt on steroids. I’ll just tell you, think of any fruit market, meat counter, pastry shop, and you’ll have a great start. Then throw in a full on Honey Comb, and Espresso Machine and bam, breakfast is served.

We waddled out and after turning around a few times in front of the Hotel, we were well on our way. The morning stroll went through the city streets, which were being buffed, washed down and cleaned after last night “Just Friday Night Party.” Eventually we made it to the University, took a couple of courses, no we didn’t but we could’ve. Then out to the rolling hills of Pamplona.

This area, like many of the other areas I walked through is so lush and green. There were wild red poppy’s that lined the trail, along with waves of wheat grain. Understand this, the wheat here is not polluted or stunted like our US Frankenwheat! It is like the Super Model of Wheat, sender green stalks, worthy of chewing on with perfectly grown heads. Beside the wheat, is a field of sweet peas, tender, juicy and pretty darn tasty. It was unequivocally the Garden of Eden on the Camino.

The morning was spent climbing and climbing. Many of you know the metal sculptures on the peak, Camino Frances arrives at Alto de Perdón, the Mount of Forgiveness. It shares the peak with over 40 Wind Turbines. Between my shortness of breath and the wind created from the turning wind generating power plants lies an incredible piece of artwork.

It took us most the day to reach it, but in the end we arrived at this magnificent place. There were many Pilgrims, watching, contemplating and just taking in this beautiful view that was constructed in the late 1990’s, not long ago. But the rest of the story tells the history behind this piece of art.

“The sculpture exhibits a small history of pilgrims and the pilgrimage…through various stages of development, from the beginning in the Middle Ages up to the present day, in the form of a procession. Of the twelve pilgrims, the first pilgrim appears to be searching for the route and symbolizes the beginning of interest in the pilgrimage. Next is a group of three that depicts the growth or rise in popularity of the Camino. These three are followed by another group depicted as merchants or tradesmen on horseback that symbolize the medieval era of merchants hawking their wares to the pilgrims.

Spaced away from them is a solitary figure that characterizes the decline in pilgrimages due to political, religious, and social unrests from the mid-fourteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries. At the very end of the procession are two modern-day figures depicted to show the renewed interest and rise in popularity of the pilgrimage in the late twentieth century.”

How truly spectacular the history of this sought after place. I had no idea the meaning of these silhouettes until I researched it myself. Such a deeper meaning of time that has passed and the journeys that many have taken before me. It truly is enough to make you pause.

On the other side was a rock monument that is a memorial, symbolizes the recognition and reparation for the 92 people assassinated in 1936 and 1937 by the Francoist repressive regime, after the coup d’état against the government of the republic, in Sierra del Perdón.

This is a tribute to the victims and their families who were kiled for fighting for their ideals of social justice and democracy in Navarra. These people were killed without a triai, deprived of their homes by force and buried in mass graves in this land. All of them forgotten and silenced for 81 years. What a sober reminder of what these people fought for!

After we took in this sacred space, we slowly made our way down. The trail is mostly loose gravel and larger rocks with hard-panned dirt. It was probably the easiest path of the day. The sun was beating down and we still had a good 5-6 miles to go. There were several benches along the way and a water crossing or two. This helped to cool us down as you can soak your head or hat in the creek.

Mid-afternoon we located another watering hole called a Bar! That was a much needed stop to cool things down and give us the extra carbs to finish up our daily slog. After a beer we meandered back on the route and finished the afternoon in Puente de Reine. I won’t get into the gory details of how I almost lost my cool, but let’s just say that there were a few hoops I needed to jump through to gain access into our Apartment for the evening.

Once we opened the door and crossed the threshold, I collapsed. Hot weather is my nemesis. Mel took a shower first, then me and the boys figured out the days affairs, our mileage and tomorrow’s schedule. Once cleaned up, we headed out to a Saturday night on the town. I tell you, these people in Spain know how to have a good time. We got a recommendation for good food at the Blue Door Restaurant. We ordered drinks, George impressed upon the waitress that we needed to eat soon and she did her very best to accommodate us. Moody and I had Cod, also known as Bochalo and George and Mel had Cheese Pizza.

Such an incredibly rewarding day with lots of beautiful scenery, good food and great company. M&M have been a great addition to our dynamic duo! Mel can hike like a well-oiled machine and Moody is keeping George company in the rear. I’m thinking the next ten days will be nothing but fun, laughter and a lot of entertainment. Thank you Lord for fellowship coming in the form of M&M.

Today I was able to spend some time on the trail with Greg & Rachel, and Hannah. They are a family from Australia and traveling their 21 year old daughter who has some challenges. What a gift they are, such kind people and endearing parents. Their patience and love is priceless. Hannah and I had some laughs together, over water on the trail, hay that can be picked and sprinkled on each other and just looking at the sky. Did you know that three planes leaving one airport are on the same flight path? Contrails will never look the same. Thank you Lord for introducing me to your kindness through the lens of this precious girl.

Another hot one. George decided to take a Zero Day. Good move on his part. We headed down for customary juice, cafe latte, meat, cheese and bread. It was nourishing enough and we were on our way. Ended up a couple from San Diego was having breakfast next to us and had already called a taxi. We jumped onboard with them and I got dropped off in Zubiri. George continued to Pamplona with his new friends from San Diego. He would eventually meet up with our friends from Roseville, Moody & Mel, who plan to walk the next 130 miles with us.

The trail today was perfect. I had wished that George walked this section with me, rather than hills of yesterday. It was fairly flat with a good trail underfoot. I would pass twelve towns today. Some were barely a blip on the radar while others provided great Cafe stops. There weren’t as many Pilgrims today. Maybe they took taxi’s too.

The morning walk was lined with wildflowers, grassy fields and many horses, cows and sheep. I can always tell when I’m approaching them from the bells that sing. Now, here’s a question that one of you followers can answer for me? I understand cows having bells, not so much goats but they also fasten them on occasionally, but why would they adhere a cow bell to a horse? That just seems odd to me. Is he a runner or wayward horse that you need to keep within bell ringing distance? I just don’t get it!

After a few hours of walking, passing a few Pilgrims along the way, I stopped at a local cafe. Gosh I love these roadside stops. I spiced it up a bit today and had a double shot of espresso over ice! It was delicious, along with an apple and banana. I’ve found that all I am craving fruits and vegetables. Whenever I get a chance, I’ll take two!

After talking with Marcela and Pedro, they introduced me to a couple from South Carolina, Sally & Baynard. Yep I spelled that right. Sally told me she had never met a Baynard before either. They are an older couple on a two week stint walking sections of the Frances. It’s like a trial run to see how they like it. So far, so good. We had a nice visit and meandered on our way.

Today was hot. So hot I pulled out my umbrella and took my hat off. I have the Chrome Dome which boasts that it reduces the heat by 10-15 degrees. It really does make a huge difference. I have clamps on my pack so I can use it hands free. I received many compliments, that if I had a few extras, I definitely could have sold them. Juan, he was selling some stuff. Perched on the side of the trail listening to Dire Straits “Tunnel of Love” and dancing on the trail, he had water, juices, sodas and fruit to offer. Heck yes, I’ll take some cold water, a mandarin and I’ll dance a jingle with you. He was an interesting character. Cross between part entrepreneur and part gypsy. I kept my pocketbook close by and understood that he couldn’t be trusted completely, but he made me laugh and I got to hear some good classic Rock & Roll. I’ve noticed American Music is truly loved throughout the world.

While walking through one of the small towns Esteribar, I came across a church built back in 1158. The Illarratz Abbey, a 12th century Romanesque church located in the heart of Esteribar Valley, was a transit area for thousands of pilgrims, travelers and neighbors. Next to this Abbey is an old public path from where centuries ago the inhabitants of this Valley and all their livestock passed. After a long legal process, this path once again belongs to the Esteribar Town Council and its entire neighborhood. I’m so impressed how the towns people hold onto their heritage and fight to preserve it. Bravo Basque people!

At the end of the day, after going up and over my final climb, I walked through the City of Burlada. This was the biggest city I have seen while on my Pilgrimage this year. I crossed the Rio Ultzama which I had been following for quite some time. Kids were swimming and jumping off the Bridge, which really freaked me out! Kids being kids. I walked through the city streets, crossing several roundabouts, entered a sketchy neighborhood that I walked really fast through and back into the woods. This was the first time in four days I felt a bit unnerved.

Before I knew it, I was walking up the path near the Walls of Pamplona. Pamplona is the capital of Navarre province in northern Spain. It’s best known for the Running of the Bulls (Feast of San Fermín) in July. During this legendary multiday festival, bulls are led through the city streets by daredevil runners. This is a major stop along the Camino and is also home to Gothic-style churches including fortresslike San Nicolás.

I arrived at the Cathedral Hotel which George has already made himself at home. He has emptied his entire Backpack wondering why it weighs so much? Could it be he has too many clothes, not really. Shaving Kit, nope or is it all his extra Ibuprofen, Sport Legs, Electrolytes and Magic Potions he is carrying? Ding, ding, ding! That’s the answer. Honestly he has what he needs and it’s truly only 20 pounds but golly, it’d be much nicer only carrying five pounds on your back. So we’ve decided Donkey Service is worth a cup of coffee a day! For $6 his backpack gets transported from hotel to hotel. That’s money well spent!

After taking a shower and washing my hair, I was ready to check out this Medieval Town. We headed to the Square with Moody and Mel, and partook in our evening cocktail. Then after solving all the worlds problems, we found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that was stupendous.

I had been craving salad and Moody wanted Paella so we were set. George went for the Special of the Day, Chop. And Mel ordered a steak. When George’s Chop came out, it was a half a side of Beef! And it was good sprinkled with Rock Salt. He shared it with Moody and me, as we also shared our incredible Paella. Dinner was the best we’ve had in Spain to date!

As we left, the streets were packed. There were people walking everywhere. Many of the young adults were sitting on the ground talking and drinking. I didn’t see a single cellphone. I told my clan I think it’s a Holiday and hence the reason everyone was out. To confirm my suspicions, I asked one of the locals what was the cause of celebration for everyone to be out? He said so matter of fact, it’s Friday, of course. Oh, that makes perfect sense!

What a great day it was. George is feeling so much better, I had an incredible day of walking, Mel & Moody are here and by golly, it’s Friday. God is good!

George and I woke up to the church bells ringing. Such a sweet way to welcome the day. Breakfast starts at 8am and we wanted to be there as soon as possible. We packed up, dropped off George’s pack for the Donkey Service to transport it. That is something we never did last year, but with him not feeling 100 percent, why not? I stashed a couple of bags inside his pack, so my load was lighter too. It’s the Camino version of Slack packing!

We had a scrumptious breakfast that never ended. Started with Fresh-Squeezed OJ and fresh berries floating on top. Then the Potato Tarta, Toasted Bread with Melted Cheese and Ham, Croissant with Apricot Preserves and my morning Espresso. That’s what I’m talking about. Now we’re ready to conquer the Camino. As we walked out the door, all the world of Pilgrims did the same.

We headed down the street, made a left turn and started our morning climb. I’m not sure but that wasn’t much of a warm-up for Georgie. I could not believe the numbers of people walking the Camino this morning. We stopped momentarily to check out the big pregnant horses and the one who already had their fouls. I’m sure there’s proper names for this, Muriel, help me out! They looked like Clydesdales or some Big-Ole Ranch Horse that could pull whatever needed to be pulled. They were more than huge in size.

Our morning climb was 1000’ of fairly upslope over the first two miles. Not exactly what we were expecting for George’s first day out. Welcome to The Camino baby, I guess it’s making up for what you missed!

We ran into the Pilgrims I had befriended and everyone greeted George like an old friend. In fact Mark had a nice pep-talk with George, easing his worries and encouraging him. This is what Camino-life is truly all about. The comradery is already happening with each of us watching over one another. It truly is something to behold.

Our day had ups and downs, litterly and George was struggling. His cold-like symptoms were still lingering and it was obvious he tried to do more than he should have. As the day progressed, I seriously considered that this was too much, too soon. Fortunately when we arrived at Zubiri, which is a tiny village at the base of the mountain. There was a lovely river running through town, with people wading in it. As we finished up the hot and sultry day, I looked to see our options to get to our resting spot. Two hours and a taxi would arrive. Seriously?!? Well the only logical thing to do is head to the local watering hole, get a beer and wait.

As we turned the corner, I saw my friend ViVi who had already beat us to beers. As soon as I was looking for a table, a taxi arrived. Hmm, is he picking up another Pilgrim or was this a God-appointed meeting? Ends up that he was looking for any Pilgrim who was in need of a ride. Thank you Lord. What perfect timing. He took my pack and poles and drove us to our Oasis on the water, Hostel Etxeberri on Embalse de Eugui. It’s a mouthful but think of Lake Comi in Italy without the high-end mansions. It’s stunning. How do I find these places?

Our Taxi Driver dropped us off at the Bar and we were done. A round of beers for everyone. Luckily that’s just me and George. We sat on the patio and ogled at the crystal clear lake. This was the best reward for a long days work and a perfect place for George to recover!

One of the interesting facts of this area is due to the extreme hills and winding roads, there are many cyclists that prepare & train for the Tour de France. Sure as we were drinking our beer, a cyclist shows up and I’m sure, he’s in contention for the next big race. I snap a photo as he puts his fists in the air. This guy’s definitely the real deal!

We hung out until dinner is served and grab the last fish stew of the day. George settles for Beef Tenderloin which is closer to Pork Jerky. I think the waiteeess was trying her hardest to speak to us in English and misrepresented the menu choices. Well, there’s always breakfast in the morning, to balance things out!

Tomorrow will be another solo day for me. After today, George is definitely not fully recovered and we have hundreds of miles to cover. So he will jump ahead, meet up with some friends, who plan to join us on this journey, and George will take a Rest Day. I am reminded of this verse and know that we can only do so much in this world, but as long as we have our faith, we will be lifted again.

It was touch & go but after a two hour delay, Delta took off. Funny thing was I had been reading about how “on-time” they boasted. 100% of their flights arrived as proclaimed, except for today. What I am unsure of is, will we make our connection from Seattle to Paris?!?! After the electrical malfunction was declared fixed, we lifted off 1-1/2 hours late. We now have a tight 30 minute connection, so let’s see how those cortisone shots worked on our aging knees. Stay tuned…

As proclaimed, Delta made it happen. We landed in Seattle, and George and I sprinted across the airport. Yep, you read that right! Across the corridor, down and up countless flights of stairs and escalators from one terminal, to a train and up to another terminal. We actually arrived with 15 minutes to spare and a bit out of breath! Whether our bags make it, well that’s a wait and see game but we are on our final leg to Paris.

I haven’t flown on Delta much. But I’m sure I’ll be flying again. Pillows, blankets and drinks were promptly provided. No delays from Seattle and we were on our way. We are flying a big Air Bus-330, hopefully not the same plane that the doors came off! We have plenty of leg room in Business Class, which after last years cramped quarters, I splurged and went big. More space, which in the end didn’t cost much extra, being you get one bag checked for free. All I carried on was a shoulder bag, and George had his man purse. Thank goodness, as we had little to slow us down on our unexpected afternoon sprints.

I watched three movies, had two glasses of wine, dinner and breakfast and slept for 30 minutes tops! Flying and sleeping don’t really go hand in hand! But the Flight Attendants were accommodating and we were well taken care of.

We arrived in Paris at 1:30pm, a bit early with sunshine and a few scattered clouds. Customs was a breeze, we picked up our luggage, yes it made it and found our way to the Train Station. That was another bit of a walk, but after sitting for 12 hours on planes, it was welcomed.

Paris feels safe with the extra Police lurking around everywhere. They helped us in finding the right train, the gal at the Train Kiosk assisted with purchasing the correct tickets for our train excursion, and we were well on our way.

The Train was more of a Metro, but clean enough with many people getting off and on. We had one connection to make, which was pretty seamless. As we walked to our next and final train, it had just arrived. We found a seat and we were off to our final stop. The transportation in France, and Europe for that matter, is pretty darn efficient.

We popped up like a mole from underground, around 3:30pm, and walked a mile to our lovely home for the next week. The local market, had our keys, talked with the owner who was quite friendly and made our way to Franck’s Apartment. Thank goodness for lifts, being we are on the 7th Floor. It’s quite the view from up here! I picked this Apartment for a couple of reasons. The outdoor patio, the location and all the five-star reviews! It’s nice having a flat in Paris for a few days and taking in the sights of the city. We have arrived!

The 17th Arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 Arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, it is referred to as le dix-septième. The arrondissement, known as Batignolles-Monceau, is situated on the right bank of the River Seine. This s is where we are.

In 2019, it had a population of 166,543. It borders the inner suburbs of Neuilly-sur-Seine, Levallois-Perret and Clichy in Hauts-de-Seine to the northwest, as well as Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine in Seine-Saint-Denis to the northeast. It’s all foreign to me but I’m sure in the next couple of days, I’ll have the lay of the land, just before we leave. I can tell you one thing, we can see the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Norte Dame from our deck. I think we’ll stay for awhile!

Thank you Lord for protecting us, directing our plane safely and landing us in this incredible city. Bless the people who helped us along the way, and our steps as we travel through.