Day 3 – Burguete to Akerreta

May 9th – Looking  out the window I can see gray clouds hanging in the sky but no rain yet.  I hurry out onto the street with my backpack and poles heading to a cafe only a few doors away where I’ll grab a cup of coffee and breakfast pastry before continuing on the path.  I have about 15 miles to cover today.

On my way out of the cafe I see some of my pilgrim friends from Orisson who are arriving in Burguete from Roncesvalles.  Everyone wants to share their mountain pass story from yesterday and asks about mine.  Everyone struggled and told me about how they ended up on their knees.  They said that the winds had been 120 kilometers per hour according to some weather reports they had seen on tv.  I told them about how the wind had lifted me off my feet and was blowing me to the right and off the path to the drop off on that side when I felt someone grab my right arm and pull me forward and back to safety.  It was one of our pilgrims from Orisson, a French man who spoke little English and I no French.  I saw him later on the still difficult downhill and thanked him profusely to which he said, “It was my pleasure”.

Today the path is rolling hills filled with ups and downs with only one steep climb at the end.  Today is also the first day I will be walking from town to town as the path weaves in and out of the woods.  Starting in Burguete I pass through Espinal – Linzosin – Zubiri – Larrasoana and in between each is stunningly lush countryside with farms and their animals.  It is visually rich and I need to pinch myself to make sure this is real.  I’m walking the Camino!

I reach my destination, Akerreta, about 2 pm.  A 1600 restored house made into a hotel about 14 years ago and seen in the movie The Way is it will be my retreat for the night.

Buen Camino!