20 mar

Walked another 26 kilometres, from SJPDP to Roncesvalles, right over the Pyrenees, making a total of 672 kilometres.
And what a day to pass these mountains. In her morning weather briefing, after her first cigarette, Julie informed me it was going to be a scorcher. ‘Not a cloud in the sky. A thin layer of fog, but that’l burn off in a half hour.’
And it did. I’ve been reading all these books about the Camino and all of them start with this really awful walk through the Pyrenees with thick layers of fog and unending climbs and blisters and suffering.
My experience was nothing like that. Of course there was a lot of climbing, but I had anticipated worse. People often suffer most from the suffering they fear, as is known. So I had had plenty of suffering in advance, but the actual experience was different. It was really magnificent.
Going up the hills with every turn I was constantly expecting this dramatic view of the mountain giants that I had to go and conquer. They never appeared. And why should they. This is an ancient route through these mountains. Why would they put that route over the highest mountain tops?
After one and a half hour of climbing in the mornin – quite steep – and me feeling the climb everywhere, there was a point where you could look back. All those strenuous hills I just walked up loooked like they had been ironed over. Very unsatisfying, this panorama view. And then to think that this was only at about 600 metres, while I still had to go to 1430 metres and had been coming from 200 metres.
But after that the climb became more gradual. It was even fun, except maybe for the last hundred metres of climbing. They went through melting snow which is a little bit like chewing gum.
Arrived at Roncesvalles after about 6 hours walking. On this whole walk I met no-one. This was not what I expected. I could see some footsteps in the snow, but wasn’t really sure if they were yesterday’s or if they were from the people whose cars I’d seen parked at a point where people could go and take circular walks.
After arriving in Roncesvalles I found out that most walkers had been sent over the (easier) valley route, while I had insisted on walking the mountain route, the Route Napoleon. When we met for a beer after the walk, everyone seemed a little jealous. And for a good reason. If there was one day to enjoy the Pyrenees, this had been it. I could see kilometres far. While having lunch I enjoyed a good look at all the different birds. Could see them circling down in the valleys. It’s not so often that you see flying birds from above. The sunlight lit the top of their wings. Recognized only the vultures. With a wingsize of about 1 metre, they are the kings of the sky. They fly so graciously, only flapping their wings once a minute or so. Otherwise they just float there, shifting directions with just moving a little feather, it seems. Looking for creatures that they could vulture on. Not me, not a chance, I was more alive than ever, almost bursting from enthusiasm. Which, if that would have happened, would have made the vultures happy too, I suppose.
Without a single doubt this has been the most beautiful walk I have ever made. Could it be the highpoint of this trip. I wonder. 751 kilometres to find out.