Walking in a Winter Wonderland – 3 April 2022

We both slept well at Maison Simonenia, waking before our 7:00am alarm. After a nervous pack, we were down for breakfast at 7:30. We enjoyed lovely coffee, bread and condiments. As we were finishing up, we met a lovely pilgrim from Seattle, Dorothy Ann. She was walking alone, only aiming for Valcarlos today.

The streets of St Jean we’re quiet apart from the ocasional pilgrim. The sky was clear, a frost coated the ground and a thin fog sat low in the valley. The sun illuminated the snow covered peaks. Birds sang in the trees and the animals stretched as the landscape yawned and readied for a new day. It was perfect.

With the Napoleon Route closed, we made our way slowly through the valley towards the sweet little village of Valcarlos. We followed small rural roads past farms and vineyards. Though the air temperature was around 2 degrees, our bodies were warm from the climbs. When we descended into the shaded vales, we would freeze and reach for our gloves. At Valcarlos we stopped for a fizzy drink and a rest in the sun. The locals were friendly, asking where we had come from (oh my, such a long way!), talking to James and wishing us a Buen Camino. From Valcarlos, the route follows the main road over the pass.

The Way from Valcarlos is brutal. We walked on the road with dozens of other pilgrims, slowly making our way to the Col d’Ibaneta at 1,040m. it takes a few hours of grinding away to make your way up the mountain. Near the top, the route branches off the road. In the thick snow we could see that other pilgrims had walked this route. I looked at James. “This is an adventure, dad, let’s do it”. He was right, of course. It was slow, cold and hard, but to escape the road into this winter wonderland was divine.

But it was a hell of a slog through the snow and I had to stop frequently to rest as we climbed closer to the pass. Then the clouds parted, the sun shone and we emerged at the chapel of the Col.

From there it was a nice 1.5 km downhill to Roncesvalles. We met a couple from Estonia and chatted about the world and how it has changed and how it hasn’t changed at all.

And the monastery at Roncesvalles emerged through the trees. Our tired and sore bodies were so relieved. We checked in with the friendly Hospitalero and then headed upstairs to dump our gear and have a shower. The pilgrim dinner at La Posada was at 7. We enjoyed dinnner with Belgians, English, Italians and Danish. We enjoyed a lovely meal and great conversation.

Now we’re exhausted and ready for a good sleep. Except James and I are both on top bunks. Argh! The pain. What an amazing first day on the Camino. What a gift.