A fairly steep climb out of Estella,
which runs by this very quaint chapel.
Wheat field overlooking beautiful cliffs to the north.
All of a sudden, a balloon sails above us!
And I mean above us.
Like, it landed on Mike's head.
(Or maybe he just got a brilliant idea!)
Seemed like it might crash, but it lands in an open
field, trades passengers, and heads upward again.
Cool trail marker resembles the mountain
castle in the distant background.
We lit a candle in the Basilica del Puy. The chapel sits
high above Estella and looks down upon the city.
Distant cliffs and wheat fields are the order of the day.
Flowers are beginning to bloom right along the trail.
Still in the mountains, we give our feet a break and our
bellies a banana. (Such a refreshing taste in the morning!)
Another rest stop with trailer, grill, and iced drinks.
Fanta for Mike, Coke Zero for Dave.
Meet "New York Dan" on the left. He hails from NYC and
SF. Dave is his twinner. Same pack, same shoes, same knife.
The trail stretches out for miles, with pilgrims headed
west to several destinations. Like us, many will go
all the way to Santiago. Forward Ho!
Mike is ready for orange Fanta or an ice cream bar.
(Do you sense a pattern here?)
Arrived at our Los Arcos hotel for the night.
It's Hotel Monaco, and a nearby bell tolls, often.
(Some would say far too often, especially
now that we are trying to sleep!)
Ask not for whom the bell tolls,
it tolls for thee!
Full frontal shot of Dave's buddy, Dan. Identical Vargas
hiking shoes and Gregory backpacks. REI shoppers!
Time to soak those tired little puppies.
Feels good, Mike! Only 4 Euros. (Dave)
13.3 miles today, up 1,475' and down 1,400'...a pleasant,
relatively level hike through what fields and vineyards.
Tomorrow, we set out for Viana.
A story from Mike:
Below are two ladies from New Zealand who are staying in our hotel in Los Arcos. We ate dinner next to each other tonight. The lady in pink is Marge. She has had Parkinson's disease for ten years, and her companion (Linda) is her personal trainer. Like us, they are six days into the Camino.
Marge is a testimony of the will to overcome; her being here at all is a miracle. She was told she couldn't do the Camino, so she set out to prove them wrong...and it looks like she is succeeding! Linda helps with many things Marge can't do (she can't cut her own dinner or write letters, for instance), but her attitude is higher than a kite. There are so many inspirational people like Marge on the Camino.
As it happens, the four of us arrive in Santiago on the same day, June 23rd. We made plans to meet them with their husbands in the main square, and it turns out we are booked in the same hotel. Looking forward to that day and celebrating Marge's success! Buen Camino.
Click below to support mental health services
and read more about the cause Mike and Dave
are supporting with their walk.
No comments:
Post a Comment