07.00am The alarm for us this morning was one of the Dutch ” Hospitaleros” ( the volunteers who run the Refugios ) walking through the dorm singing a hymn. I didn’t need waking as I had been kept awake most of the night by The European Snoring Championships which took place in adjoining bunks. Spain and Germany were in the final. Spain won but it was a close call. Hey ho.
Looks like we’ll be stopping for breakfast at Burguete , which is where Ernest Hemingway used to hang out when he wasn’t annoying the bulls in Pamplona. More later.
7.30pm Arrived in Larrasoana at 4.30pm today after an 8.00am start. Not surprisingly after a night of no sleep I missed the yellow arrows that point the route and wandered off in the wrong direction out of Burguete. Fortunately a lovely old lady spotted this dazed and delerious specimen and pointed me back on to the Camino. The daily routine for the “Peregrinos” is to stop off for breakfast , lunch, removal of boots , running repairs or foot massage at one of the little villages on the route. The faces at every pitstop are beginning to become familiar now. Many of the Pilgrims are walking only sections of The Camino for maybe a week or two. The Irish girls I walked with yesterday are doing 5 days and intend to come back and do the remaining sections in years to come.
I walked part of the way today with Bridget, a retired English teacher from St Malo who had set off on her own from Bayonne. She got lost crossing the mountains on the way to St Jean and was wandering about for hours on a hot day , arriving with heatstroke at her destination after dark. She laughed about this as if it was all part of the fun. I would guess she is in her late 60’s. She had ” couchsurfed ” a place to stay in Bayonne at the start of her walk. She’s just about the coolest Grannie I’ve ever met.
We descended from 950m to 505m over the course of the day, mainly through woodland trails. Everyone was feeling it today after the ascent over The Pyrenees yesterday. After the two long days of walking , the sleep deprivation and the effect of my over- enthusiastic Japanese stretching ( I think I’ve done myself some lasting damage trying to stretch the unstretchable ) I was pretty well done in when I reached Larrasoana. I am staying at a small hotel in the village named ” Hotel Akorreta”. Apparently some of the scenes in the film ” The Way ” were filmed here.
Thanks for all your good wishes and the very amusing comments. And please no more mentions of Blackburn Rovers , I’m suffering enough as it is.
;
iwouldwalk500mls 
Sounds like you’ve had a great start! Glad to hear you’ve done a bit of suffering which strikes me it’s a bit more in the spirit of the thing! Looks a great experience. Martin
Danny. Hope you’re not going to try any bull bothering – not to be recommended (so I am told by others I hasten to add). A bit disappointed – would’ve thought you’d be nearing LEON by now. Get some of those go faster tablets down you. As for the snoring, didn’t you read the Camino tips and advice? The first piece of advice is “TAKE EARPLUGS” to combat the snoring!
Don’t worry Tony , I won’t be bothering any of the livestock. Yes earplugs and large doses of Rioja are definitely what’s needed from now on
So first day….5 girls from Dublin, 1 from Nottingham and a contortionist from Japan…..yo may well need the vaseline!
Just in case you are not picking up your e-mails:
Not to lure you off the straight and narrow, but: http://www.salmonatlas.com/atlanticsalmon/spain/mapspain.html
Five female walking companions. Geishas helping you stretch. All in the first day’s walking. What does Jane really think about this spiritual exercise?
cheers
Cam
Ha ha , the ” Geisha” has me crippled with those exercises ! Didn’t know there were any salmon rivers in Spain . Next stop the tackle shop in Pamplona !
Cam , you will not believe this. I’ve met a guy called Conor Corcoran , originally from Crossmolina , whose Dad owned a business in Bangor Erris. He says his Dad caught the first ever salmon on the fly from Carrowmore and Conor has the plaque awarded to him in honour of this achievement from Bangor Erris Angljng Club. I sense a wind up of Seamus Henry is on the cards : ) . He’s going to send me a picture of the plaque.
Have lost count of the girls you have run into so far. You are such a tart.
Still amazed by your progress-we’re still all counting on you!!
Ha ha , never tire of ” Airplane ” lines : ) .
Went to the Collie yesterday lunchtime for the post-All-Ireland inquest discussions. I overheard this bar-room conversation between two locals:
“What time did you leave on Sunday?”
“I dunno. I woke up in Charlestown, early hours Monday. Why – what time did you leave?”
“I dunno.”
“So – did I see you on Sunday?”
“I think so.”
The Irish really know how to celebrate big sporting events.
Ha ha , brilliant ! I was really sad to hear The Green and Red had been beaten again , thought they might have done it this time around. I´m sure mighty craic was had whatever. Did you watch it in the Collie ? I was wondering if the Tourlestrane gang were for Mayo or Donegal .
Reading this really cheered me up Ged. Now you are living in Aclare and a ” Collie ” regular I am a little concerned about the long term prospects for your liver ( and your driving licence ). Hope that we can share a few jars in the ” Collie ” next year.
Messages from back home…….Fishing is looking pretty good at the Saddle by Kwik Fit – salmon seen in the squall by the Ambulance station. Not sure if a permit is needed, but we are running coaches the short distance from Miry Lane to cope with the demand…….
Ha ha , oh that that was true !