In Pamplona

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Hello all,
Today I walked into Pamplona which was lovely. I will recap our trip as I have more time to type. We left London and speed through to Paris on the Euro Star so now I can say I have gone under the Channel. We arrieved in Paris with what we thought was 30 minutes to spare not a lot of time to take a metro ride of 20 minutes and find our next connecting train. There had been a bomb threat that day and delays were happening everywhere, so with not knowing where to go, slow purchasing tickets (God Bless the Frenchman who helped us and the Brit who told us where to go and to run and run we did. We flew past the guard and said Bayonne with a responce of "Qui" we jumped on the first class carriage and slowly made our way down to #19 as the train left the station. The first workout of our trip.
Lovely fast ride through the French countryside and into Bayonne - what a lovely town so we celebrated with a glass of wine like the locals were doing. Then onto a rather lovely rickett train up into the mountains to St Jean du Pied the train was full of other like minded pilgrims as we are called. The evening was not too bad till Will Helens son had a fall, he fell hard on his butt as he was descending wooden circular stairs I think he bounced at least 3 or 4 times, fell on his knee and knocked up his elbow. Not good when he was to be our emergence packhorse.
We tucked up 8 of us to a room no bigger than 10 by 10 bunk beds and two really good women snorers, no fire regulations here. Ah the fun began. Left in the morning to kill the hill a 1,400 meter gain in elevation over a distance of 27 kilometers. We tucked up on water and food and away we went - ordering food is tough with out a bit of Spanish. The first third of this mountain was a challenge wondered if I could do it. My mantra was mind over matter and the matter my lungs and my legs were not listening to my mind. We made it to Orission took a break and there Will buckled up in pain he had spasams going down his back. They ended up taking down the mountain in an ambluance. Helen went with him took some of my gear and sent me on my way up and over. I was greatful for an Aussie man telling me the worst was over and it was. This kind man also took Helen,s number and later gave me a message at 8pm at that stage I had no idea what was up. I loved the high Alpine pastures and i studied the grass really well as at times that is all i had energy for. If I am reencarnated I hope it is not a cow in France as I could not stand having a bell around my neck and ringing all the time but the sound is very reassuring to a walker.
One my descent i meet a fellow from Nanimo and two lovely Brits who want to have me return to the practise of Catholic Faith. They are convince by the time i get there it will have happened. I made the trip in about 7 and a half hours it was lovely to see the monestary and the refugo. So i booked in and looked for Helen and Will no luck. I asked other travellers who were really kind. Meet up with my Aussie and he gave me the messsage - at that news i had a beer. Sleeping in a Refugo with about 130 other smelly tired travellers is interesting more on that later. Dinner was great my first meal with salad - greens and fruit are not as common as chesse and bread. i will look like a baggette by the time i am back in Canada. Next day Helen and i walked and walked and talked and walked through farm yards across fields up hills and through small villages. It was bliss at times and stinking hot at others. But we are both holding up pretty well. Will taxied to the next stop and meet us there with a smile and a lovely room for the night the refugo was full.
Will is going to head home just working out the details, Helen and he came into Town by Taxi and i walked part of this was along a road, I was supposed to go 1 kilometer and then find the trail. It was more like 4 kilometers and some kind redirection from a passing cyclist and I found those welcoming symbols the Shells they make the way along with yellow arrows. They are even painted on tress. It is very helpful and comforting. I have decided that a Spainish kilometer is not to be trusted they are short and long depending on if the bussiness community wants you to come through and spend your Euros. Helen and I saw 3 signs that said 2 kilometers to the same town each followed the other.
The people that do this trip are from every country of the world some are very pious - the man that slept next to my bunk and it was that close I could hear him breathing was up at 6am and prayed for at least 1 hour. Some are just doing it as a challenge, they are from Japan, Austria and all over the continant. Meeting them adds a dimension that i had not anticipated. I am so glad Helen can speak some Spanish it helps alot.
We are in Pamplona today and it is beautiful, cool buildings and high fashion and large plazzas - so European.
Well Ciao for now, love the emails from home will up date as i go along. Walking tomorrow

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