Route: Zariquiegui - Zirauki Another night of rain. Rain makes me feel nervous. I envision myself walking in the rain all day with everything getting wet. A miserable prospect. Fortunately when I woke up, the rain had stopped. Shortly after leaving the village where I spent the night we had to climb a small but relatively steep hill called "El Viento del Perdón". Under strong winds I went uphill to find that the going was very heavy. The rain had made the clay sticky. It stuck to your boots and getting it off was not easy. The sticking clay at some moments made me 1 to 2 inches taller. Heavy going. Up the hill there are a number of figures cut out of steel, personificating pilgrims. Unfortunately I did not take a photo of them. Further ... read more

Route: Roncesvalles - Aquerreta (or Akerreta in Basque) Starting the day, I am confronted with a sign that put in perspective what I am trying to accomplish: Santiago de Compostela 790 km..... Interesting is to observe how everything here in Basque country is in double language. The Basque language does not sound nor looks like spanish. Under way, fortunately everybody understands Spanish. A long day with very nice weather. I walked 29 km in about 7 hours and am now in the hotel en Akeretta where they filmed "The Way". I did not get the Martin Sheene room, but than again you can not have it all. We are staying here just 2 people: Paul Lynn (an american) and myself. A somewhat hilly territory we passed through today. Although we lowered from about 900 to 600, ... read more

My first public note in this blog. I have been thinking and about and planning this trip for quit a while; probably as long as I have been thinking about retiring.... Both occasions have arrived and I feel somewhat tense and anxious. I have been prepairing physically very hard for this trip going to the gym in the morning and in the afternoon walking with a backpack most of the days. In the weekends long walks in El Avila (12-15 km). I hope that that I am prepared. My trip officially starts on Monday the 24th when I will be traveling to Madrid and later (Tuesday) connecting to Pamplona and Roncesvalles where I will spend the night. I have chosen to stay in Roncevalles and to take a taxi to St Jean Pied de Port early ... read more