First Pilgrimage Mass email, sent June 23rd
News from Roncesvalles (that´s in Spain)
Hello All!
I´ve wasted most of my internet time making the list of all of your email addresses (by the way, if you want off this list, let me know), but now that I´ve gone to all that trouble, I wanted to send a short email letting everyone know that we´re here, safe and sound, having already walked about 30km. But not just any 30km--we walked over the Pyrenes and into Spain! (note: the Pyrenes are very steep due to being about a mile high. or more.).
A short summary:
We left on Tuesday night and took a redeye to London, where we changed planes and took a short flight to Paris. We got into Paris about 3:00, and had several hours to kill before our overnight train ride to the south of France, where we were set to start the pilgrimage. I whipped out my (very) rusty French skills to get us from DeGaulle into Paris, and we had dinner there (more rusty French skills adventures).
We left Paris on Wednesday night and arrived in St Jean Pied'de'Port at 9 or so Thursday morning. We found the pilgrim´s office there, got our pilgrim´s passports, and decided to start walking that very day, to a hostel (Orisson) that was only about 10 km away. It was a heckuva steep 10 km--our very first steps were up a steep hill and it only got steeper. We stayed in a tent that night in thick, thick mist, and set out at 7 the next morning (this morning, actually) still walking through the fog and still walking up, up, up.
All the up and the fog became worth it, however, when after about 4 km of being able to see only a few metres ahead of us, we walked (still up) OUT OF the fog and found ourselves above the clouds, a sea of clouds as far as the eye could see with tops of mountains sticking up like islands in various places. You probably had to be there, but it was the most amazing experience. Pictures and further descriptions to follow.
Anyway, long story short, more up and up and a lot of grazing cows and goats later, we got to the top, then walked four km down (down is harder on the legs, but we like it because you can sing since you aren´t so out of breath) to where we currently are, Roncesvalles. We found a hostel, and some expensive internet, which is about to run out just in time for the 8:00 mass blessing the pilgrims. Tomorrow, up early again, and some more kms under our belts.
Some notes before my time runs out:
- Lilah and other under-6 crowd: shortly into Spain, we saw a large white bovine person who we thought might be Ferdinand. No luck--he had an udder. We will keep searching. ;)
- CLC folks, we plan to send a letter for the messenger sometime before Tuesday--watch for it.
- jugglers, I got to pass with random French guys in front of Notre Dame--SO FUN!
Love to all,
Sylvia & Carolina
Hello All!
I´ve wasted most of my internet time making the list of all of your email addresses (by the way, if you want off this list, let me know), but now that I´ve gone to all that trouble, I wanted to send a short email letting everyone know that we´re here, safe and sound, having already walked about 30km. But not just any 30km--we walked over the Pyrenes and into Spain! (note: the Pyrenes are very steep due to being about a mile high. or more.).
A short summary:
We left on Tuesday night and took a redeye to London, where we changed planes and took a short flight to Paris. We got into Paris about 3:00, and had several hours to kill before our overnight train ride to the south of France, where we were set to start the pilgrimage. I whipped out my (very) rusty French skills to get us from DeGaulle into Paris, and we had dinner there (more rusty French skills adventures).
We left Paris on Wednesday night and arrived in St Jean Pied'de'Port at 9 or so Thursday morning. We found the pilgrim´s office there, got our pilgrim´s passports, and decided to start walking that very day, to a hostel (Orisson) that was only about 10 km away. It was a heckuva steep 10 km--our very first steps were up a steep hill and it only got steeper. We stayed in a tent that night in thick, thick mist, and set out at 7 the next morning (this morning, actually) still walking through the fog and still walking up, up, up.
All the up and the fog became worth it, however, when after about 4 km of being able to see only a few metres ahead of us, we walked (still up) OUT OF the fog and found ourselves above the clouds, a sea of clouds as far as the eye could see with tops of mountains sticking up like islands in various places. You probably had to be there, but it was the most amazing experience. Pictures and further descriptions to follow.
Anyway, long story short, more up and up and a lot of grazing cows and goats later, we got to the top, then walked four km down (down is harder on the legs, but we like it because you can sing since you aren´t so out of breath) to where we currently are, Roncesvalles. We found a hostel, and some expensive internet, which is about to run out just in time for the 8:00 mass blessing the pilgrims. Tomorrow, up early again, and some more kms under our belts.
Some notes before my time runs out:
- Lilah and other under-6 crowd: shortly into Spain, we saw a large white bovine person who we thought might be Ferdinand. No luck--he had an udder. We will keep searching. ;)
- CLC folks, we plan to send a letter for the messenger sometime before Tuesday--watch for it.
- jugglers, I got to pass with random French guys in front of Notre Dame--SO FUN!
Love to all,
Sylvia & Carolina