Day 2

Temperature: Rainy

Mood: Disappointed at first then elated

Well, I woke up this morning thinking, Oh Boy, I´m going to start the day at 6:30 and begin my first day of this journey with the other pilgrims. Instead, pouring down rain. And other pilgrims were taking off anyway! Of course, they brought rain gear. Thinking of only sunny Spain I failed to bring along rain jackets, etc. I felt like a tourist in San Francisco during the summer!

So..... off to the owner of the hostal I went, asking to stay another night. He and I spoke the night before with a couple of other pilgrims and the importance of starting the journey with optimistism. He informed that the pension was ¨completo¨no other rooms. But he had an idea.

He´d lend me his rain jacket (a very expensive one indeed) and that I can walk to the next town and buy a new one (no stores in Roncesvalles) and hand it off at his mother´s house. How nice of him! So I started off on my journey (although all on my own - all the other pilgrims had left by then). Found his mom´s place, dropped off his jacket and bought a rather costly windbreaker at the local ferretaria (plumbing store - yeah, I know).

Its interesting being in rural Spain on your own. On one hand, I felt a bit vulnerable but on the other way proud of myself. Plus I talked to God a whole lot which does so much for the soul.

I walked about 12 miles or so in total and got into another small village and found another hostal. I´m hoping to gain some ground and find the major stop on the pilgrimage route and stay with other pilgrims tomorrow night.

Hasta pronto.
Andrea

P.S. Still can´t find a computer with a usb port. I hope to download pics very soon.