All our flights were on time and went well. Although my hopes that American Airlines would up the awesome by showing Transformers on the flight to Paris were crushed, the trip overseas was all right, save for the lack of sleep. When we arrived in Paris we were somehow able to make our way to the train station and took the TGV to Bayonne (a restful five hours.) We then joined several other pilgrims on the smaller, regional train to St. Jean. We stayed the night at a pretty nice little hotel.
The first day through the Pyrenees was gruelling. It was about 80% up-hill, and fairly steep at that. Some whining went on, but I won´t say by whom. The scenery was breathtaking, though. The mountains here aren´t quite like the Appalachians or the Rockies because they´re covered not in trees but in grass, so they look really smooth. We got lots of good pictures (most taken by me, surprisingly enough), so hopefully we´ll be able to share them soon. We saw hundreds of sheep and some cattle and some pretty horses and ponies. Our pace was a bit below the signs´ and guidebook´s estimate, so we arrived very late at Roncevalles. The receptionist at the Albergue we slept in was nice enough to watch our packs while we got dinner, and then showed us to our dorm. The facilities were nice, but less private than a hotel.
Today, we descended from the Pyrenees, which was tough on our knees but a little easier than the ascent. We met an English couple in their sixties, Robin and Claire, and bumped in to them several times throughout the day, each encounter a very amusing one. Both of them are full of personality and fun to talk to. About half-way to Zubiri, Mom/Helen and Dad/Wick´s knees couldn´t handle the strain, so while we were taking a break at a sandwich shop, we tried to figure out a way to hire a taxi or some transportation. Providentially, the cute young couple (Oscar and Sandra, who were taking a week-long bike trip) who were sharing a table outside with us were glad to help and called a taxi agency for us. I walked the rest of the way, more fully able to entertain myself with my brain, pray, and consider some of the big decisions that await me at home. I must admit that I was wishing for a taxi near the end, because my feet were killing. I think God was trying to distract me from the pain, though, much like a parent making funny faces to get a baby to stop crying, because He really pulled out all the stops on the scenery (that´s the reason for the title of this blog, for those of you who were wondering.) Today was overcast, but the clouds on the mountains were beautiful.
When I got to Zubiri, Mom/Helen and Dad/Wick had already gotten a couple rooms in one of the hotels, so I took a bath while I waited for them to return from their exploration of the town. After that my memory´s a bit fuzzy, which makes me think I took a nap. We had a hearty supper at our hotel, which is run by a very helpful man, and that pretty much brings us up to the present. Tomorrow we make for Pamplona, and we have a few things to mail to Santiago when we get there!
We feel so blessed to be here. Although the walking has been tough, we´re having a great time. We´re thankful to God that just about everyone we´ve met has been really helpful, even in France. We´re especially thankful for those angels in disguise, Oscar and Sandra. We are keeping you all in our prayers, and we ask that you would do the same for us. Stay tuned for some life lessons from Dad/Wick!
In Him,
Hunter
Stubble Update: About the same as it usually is on Saturdays, when it´s been almost a week since the last shave. Slightly patchy with the promise of improvement. I think the itchy phase is about to begin, and I´m hoping it won´t last too long.
