We were woken by the hotel at 7:00am. Outside, Madrid still seemed to be sleeping in the darkness. James and I hit the streets to find a cafe con leche, but everywhere was closed. At 7:30, things seemed to begin opening and we had a coffee with churros at El Brilliante. The coffee was hot, no doubt made that way as it was still freezing outside.
Back to our hotel to pack and then off to Madrid Atocha to catch our train to Pamplona at 9:35.
We raced along in sunshine, the forecast of snow in Pamplona seemingly off the mark. The further north we travelled though, the thicker the snow was on distant mountains. Then we saw it on hills nearby. Then right next to the track. The last 30 minutes into Pamplona was through a winter wonderland.
At the station, we met Mary Ann and Greg from Fort Worth, Texas. They had contacted me through Ivar’s Camino forum when I posted about the taxi that we had booked. They were a lovely couple and we enjoyed the drive up into ever thicker snow in the Pyrenees.
We knew even before we arrived at the Pilgrim’s office in St Jean that the Napoleon Route would be closed. Apart from the snow, we saw dozens of pilgrims on the road walking the Valcarlos Route to Roncesvalles.
As we descended to St Jean, the snow thinned and then disappeared. The village sits in a beautiful green valley, the Pyrenees in the distance. We wished Mary Ann and Greg a Buen Camino, they weren’t starting until Monday, we start tomorrow.
Early afternoon and the Pilgrim’s office was quiet. James and I received our first sello, we are now officially Pilgrims. Pierre gave us some helpful advice and wished us a Buen Camino. We walked down the Rue de Citadel and checked into Maison Simonenia, a beautiful little accomodation.
Before dinner we visit the Cathedral – Notre-Dame du Bout du Pont Church, first built around 1212, raised and then rebuilt. We both lit a candle of prayer & gratitude.
Dinner was at a local restaurant, Cafe Ttipia. James enjoyed local sausages in a lovely thick sauce. Grant had local pork with a divine, creamy mushroom risotto. With a Burgundy, it was sublime. We also tried a local delicacy, canneles. Crispy, sweet burnt exterior, soft, juicy sweet interior. How do they think of such delights?
Now, after another long day of travel, we’re ready for sleep. Tomorrow we tackle the Pyrenees, the hardest day on the Camino.
The Long Camino 