Day 14 - 08.07.2020

We start early in the morning on the way, when it is still dark, so we can cover the 15 km to O Cebreiro.

It is said that it is the queen stage, it remains imprinted in your mind because it has the hardest climb of the French Way, on the territory of Spain. 12 kilometres of continuous ascent with a level difference of 660 meters altitude does not seem like much, but in the last part of 5.7 km from Herrerias to Laguna de Castilla is a level difference of 480 meters.

The climb from my point of view was torturous due to the fact that you have nowhere to buy water in the villages on the route, and the taps had warnings of non-potable water. Only in Laguna de Castilla we find a bar open and we manage to buy water. With small and very small steps we follow the difficult route, trying to encourage each other.

My hands hurt a lot, Vasi can barely breathe, but we don't give up. From birch to the next curve, from certain flowers to the next oak, somehow we manage to reach the plateau. The view heals and the beautiful mountain village is enchanting.

It's lunch time, we sit on the terrace of a restaurant, eat pinchos and then combined dishes and a mixture of embutidos, we enjoy our coffees and set off again. The municipal albergue in O Cebreiro is closed, so we made a reservation in Fonfria.

Because we were very tired, we went on the bike path, to make our descent easier.

At an intersection where we had to turn right, we didn't notice the marking because a motorcycle seating exactly on it, where two boys were working. Unbeknownst to us, we go on about 2 km until a lady in a taxi stops to tell us that we are going in the wrong direction and we have to turn around. Astonished, we believe we are in a nightmare, because we had come down, which meant we had to go back up. Slowly we reach the initial marking, where we notice with difficulty the almost erased arrow on the road.

Tired, with water running out, again, we climb drowisly el Alto de San Roque and el Alto do Poio. We arrive in Fonfria and to our surprise we are the only pilgrims in the huge albergue. For the first time at dinner we take the pilgrim's menu.

Day 1- 25.06.2020- Pamplona, Spain

Where were we? Ah yes, after too many hours on the bus, one day in Zaragoza and again on the bus, to Pamplona now, ​​we officially became pilgrims after obtaining the first stamp on the credencial in the cathedral of Pamplona.

Credencial-Pamplona

    So many feelings! God, I relive that moment every day and I wonder how have we succeeded to make it to that day. But let's move on with our story, after receiving the stamp we decided not to linger too long in the city and start the Camino in the same afternoon, but wait a sec!? Trying to get out of the twisted old center of Pamplona, impossible for us in that moment, ​​we lost sight of the signs of the route (the specific markings of the Camino, which I leave the picture of below), we lost precious time, but we succeed in the end. We left the city crossing parks, many streets, we passed the huge university campus and slowly, slowly we head towards Alto del Perdon, without realizing what awaits.

Specific signs of Camino

After a short break in Cizur Menor and a run to the pharmacy to get magnesium, heart and muscle support, we head to a more filled with mountains terrains that culminates with Alto del Perdon itself, without knowing and without anyone telling us that we will meet a rocky road, so of course we hardly advance on the stony road that crosses the vast fields of cereals.

    But it seems that nature opposed us from the beginning: a monstrous storm coming out of nowhere caught us close to the summit. Three hours under a walnut tree without the possibility of advancing or return, wet, cold and scared of course, we advance to Zariquiegui to spend the night, but unfortunately the 2 albergue (shelters for pilgrims) were closed due to Covid -19. Without the possibility of a roof above our heads, we look for a place in the following villages, we a sigh with relief when we find an open hostel in Uterga. The problem was the 5 km we had to travel to get there, you have to keep in mind that it was still raining and it was already 9 in the evening, but salvation came to us, the host, the owner of the hostel that would welcome us had called us a taxi. And so, dear readers, we ended the first day of the Camino, a hard day, full of adventures and emotions, I can not tell you how many times we wondered what we actually got into and if it makes any sense to continue. One thing I noticed from the first day of the Camino, from the perspective of 2 people with not much exercise, is to listen to your body and heart, can it handle more? To pay attention to the advice received from the locals (we had received warnings from the village elders that a storm was coming, but the signs were contradictory so we ignored the warnings) and certainly the more water, the better.

    From the perspective pf a person with disabilities, although I used a hand bike and prepared myself somewhat mentally and physically for exercise, it does not compare to what you encounter in the day-to-day life, every stone was against me and of course climbing a mountain exceeded my physical exercises at home, but if I learned something that day, it certainly was to never give up.

    So darlings, we will soon continue with the second day of our adventure. Until next time, peace of mind and body!

Y buen camino, peregrino!

Pamplona Cathedral

Pamplona

Sweet Christmas

       It's monday and I woke up blinded by white. While sleeping, a fine layer of fluffy snow laid itself quite majestically on the, until then, green field. Christmas is around the corner and I can't stop myself thinking about distinct dishes, sweet bread and mulled wine or for those who want something stronger, palinka.

The loudness is unbelievable this morning in our house, our children's excitement making them especially loud and my husband's patience ran thin but even so I couldn't stop my mind from savoring memories of my favourites: cookies and chocolate.


And if we are already talking about Christmas let me tell you more about our habits of this holiday, here in this Transylvania Land and maybe you will think  about joining us.

From every house are not missed some soupe or borsch (for the quests who mind their calories), aperitives whith bacon and home-made sausages, sarmale and all sorts a meat delicacies and if you are vegan, fear not, as we already dropped the idea of meat.

To our home now it begins with salads and different sea-food, fish and other numerous ingredients I don't remember.

Cake and sweet bread whith nuts, cinnamon and vanilla, hazelnut and almonds, these are my favourite part of my Christmas, oh and the fruits also, of course!

On every small street in the villages waits are wishing you a Merry Christmas with their charols.

So as they say :

 Hai la Maramu!