Wed 16 Sep - Day 2: Roncesvalles to Zubiri 22km

47km walked, 738km left to walk after today. 

The second day of the Camino was nowhere as dramatic as day 1. 

At 6am, the lights suddenly went on and 4 Hospitaleros arrived in a row chanting and singing and wishing the pilgrim good morning in a variety of languages. 

Apart from the usual suspect languages, I picked up the Polish gin dobre or dzien dobry as it is spelt. 

Breakfast at 7am was a cup of tea or coffee, half a glass of orange juice and one piece of toast. Not worth the trouble. 

At 8 am I was on my way on day 2. 

A pattern is developing already. Albergues locked up / lights out by 10pm. A brutal wake up call at 6am and all pilgrims to leave by 8am. 

This sign outside the albergue may look familiar to those of you who have seen the movie "The Way". The sign is just outside the monastery in Roncesvalles. 

By the way, 790km is the road distance. The walking distance from here is around 760km. 

Now the Camino took me through some pretty villages. Note the open water channel on the right. We saw something similar in Freiburg, Germany but not anywhere else. 

A cute little house, set back from the street. 

Glorious lush landscapes. 

A rainbow. It is a sign!!!

This could have been a fire trail in Australia. 

Of course, the Camino attracts oddballs as well. Like this woman in the middle who was pulling a piece of luggage on wheels along the Camino. As you do. 

I arrived in Zubiri at 2pm and took myself to a brand new albergue after an entrepreneurial bloke handed out pamphlets at one point. 

I didn't have to wait for too long before 2 Koreans I had seen on the trail arrived.  Soon thereafter arrived Fiona, who I walked with parts of yesterday, and Daina, who stayed in the same hostel and room as me in St Jean Pied de Port. 

The Camino community is small. Or is it perhaps that we are all walking the same way and direction the same day perhaps. 

Afternoon was first spent having a shower, use of wifi, chatting to the other guests and chilling. The albergue provided all pilgrims with a cold welcome beer and that went down very nicely. 

Later we were sitting outside at the back of the albergue, writing in journals / diaries, communicating with home wherever in the world home is, exchanging emails and photos of each other.  

I feel very lazy and relaxed, don't want to go out anywhere. The albergue includes breakfast in its bed price with dinner as an extra. Spag Bol is 6€. That works.  

I am already getting tired of late 3 course meals. One meal, served at a reasonable hour, is perfect. Fries de Maison as they call it in France and whatever they call it in Spain seems to be served with all standard pilgrim meals. Not very good for you, nor very tasty outside very occasionally.  

A funny discussion about shortened expressions followed. The Americans did not know what the expression Mod Cons meant. When I later told them that I ordered Spag Bol for dinner, I was met with blank eyes. 

Perhaps you need to spell it out for the Americans... ;-). Brekkie anyone?

Dinner arrived and it was quantity. Not sure about quality though. The Bol part tasted and looked like the contents of a can. Nevertheless, the hungry pilgrims tucked in with Bon appetite. And yes, it was served, optionally, with a glass of wine. Rose wine. There was no other wine available. Hmmm as they say, interesting.

The evening was just finished off chilling and hanging in the salón comedor. 

Over and out.