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Just ahead stood the concrete border marker between France and Spain, and I was excited to enter a new country. Although I had never expected a border guard or someone to stamp my passport, it felt odd to simply walk into Spain. If I ever tried walking from Canada into the United States in a rural or mountainous area wearing a backpack, I would have helicopters, the National Guard, and a pack of foxhounds hunting me down. There was not a “Welcome to Spain” sign, but the marker simply stated the region – “Navarra” and “Nafarroa” in Basque. From Page 31, Camino de Santiago In 20 Days.

Now, I’ll continue my journey on the Camino de Santiago. If you have my book, I’m in the chapter, Day 1: Having Flesh Torn From My Body By A Pack of Wild Dogs. Even if you don’t have my book, you can still enjoy this post, and learn more about walking the French Way or Camino Francés (map from Wikipedia Commons). I left my last post, On the Camino de Santiago: St. Jean Pied de Port to the Pyrenees, near the base of the Pic de Leizar Atheka. From this point on, there would be no pavement until Roncesvalles, about 12 kilometres away.

From the Pic de Leizar Atheka, the Camino flattens out. The hand-painted French flags and yellow arrows show the way.

The border marker between France and Spain.

The group of pilgrims in the background are at the Fontaine de Roland, which is named for Knight Roland, who most notably led the rearguard of King Charlemagne’s army that was defeated in the area by the Basques, the Moors, or some unknown faction in the 778 Battle of Roncevaux Pass.

The typical landscape along this stretch of the Camino. This was one of the early markers, or waymarks, mounted on a short concrete post. Compared to earlier, this section had only a few pilgrims.

The Col de Lepoeder was the height of land for the Camino in the Pyrenees. The climb of over 1,400 meters from St. Jean Pied de Port was over.

At the Col de Lepoeder, there was the option of two routes to Roncesvalles. I chose the more direct one to the left, staying on the French Way.

Most pilgrims who began in St. Jean stayed in Roncesvalles for the night. The large albergue or pilgrim hostel has over 100 beds and has been an important stop since the 12th century. I had a brief break on an outside patio, and contemplated the remainder of my day. There were no albergues until Zubiri, about 22 kilometers away. However, it was too early for me to stop and I continued. The church and monastery, Real Colegiata, wasn’t that extravagant from the exterior — at least not from this early view.

As I exited Roncesvalles, a highway sign showed 790 kilometers to Santiago de Compostela. The early signs showing distances to Santiago could be intimidating.

After an easy three kilometer walk from Roncesvalles, I arrived in Burguete. The village was in the midst of siesta, and the streets were nearly deserted.

Outside the Hotel Burguete. On page 34, I wrote, “…one of author Ernest Hemingway’s favorite places to stay in Spain. Hemingway loved Navarra and often wrote about the people, landscape, villages, and of course, Pamplona. Part of his 1926 book, The Sun Also Rises, involves the characters spending time fishing and relaxing around Burguete.”

The church in Burguete was of a very different style of architecture than the ones I had seen in France.

A stream outside Burguete. I had only seen two pilgrims since Roncesvalles, and it seemed odd to be suddenly alone.

Espinal was another quiet village, in the midst of siesta. After a quick break, I resumed my walk. Finally, I met up with another pilgrim and we talked briefly before I took off, only to miss a turn for the Camino. By now, I was tired and climbing even a small hill was more difficult than the earlier climb through the Pyrenees. I wanted to arrive in Zubiri before dark, and had to keep moving. A storm was approaching and I didn’t want to be walking in the rain.

The peaceful beech forest outside Espinal.

Sections of the path had recently been covered with stone; I assumed there was once a problem with mud. The stone was smooth and I had to be careful with my footing on the hills.

Typical whitewashed houses in the village of Gerendiain. Did you know that for centuries, homes such as these, housed farm animals on the lower level and people lived upstairs? This was especially beneficial in the winter as the body heat from the animals rose to help warm the upper levels of the homes. I got this fact from Guernica, A Novel by Dave Boling.

The medieval stone bridge over the Río Arga and the village of Zubiri.

I hope you enjoyed this post. For most, Roncesvalles is a formidable destination for the first day. For me, it was a long and tiring, but satisfying day. On my next post, On the Camino de Santiago: Zubiri to Pamplona, Spain, I left Zubiri and followed the Arga Valley toward Pamplona, a city I had long anticipated visiting. Please join me.

If you have my book, Camino de Santiago In 20 Days, or have ordered it, I really appreciate your support. It’s also out on Kindle. My Goodreads page has reviews and more information. Please share this post, and thanks for your time.
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About Randall St. Germain

Randall St. Germain, author of Camino de Santiago In 20 Days, is a middle-aged Canadian Boy who is passionate about nature, photography, hiking, music, and self-improvement. After the death of his mother, he chose to walk the famous pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago, across the north of Spain, despite knowing little about it. He certainly didn’t plan to write a book until the latter days of his Camino. Similar to walking the Camino, writing and publishing a book was a learning experience. It was also very rewarding, and part of his ongoing journey. Please join him as he takes you along on his journey in Camino de Santiago In 20 Days, and on his blog Camino My Way.

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