The Camino 2017 Starts

We arrived Madrid early Tues (5/16) to start our Camino.  Chris Jones and I had been here last May and 5 days into our walk he had what I feared was a stroke and spent 3 days in the Hospital in Pamplona.  Luckily it was just a reaction to some med's and after getting fully vetted by his Dr's he is back with me this year to pick up where we left off.  Our journey will start in Puente La Reina (1 days walk from Pamplona) and end in Santiago.  We hope to cover around 425 miles over the course of 30 days.  

From Madrid we took the train to Pamplona (3 hours) and walked the 1.5 miles to the city center.  Lots of memories here from our last trip and I got to know the city pretty well.   In early July it will be crazy with the running of the bulls...but it always has energy.   We ran into some Pilgrims and caught up on their walks over a few beers - an artist from Australia celebrating her 50th birthday with her daughter and a young brewery worker from Richmond, VA hiking with his Dad - an Anglican priest.  The people always are the treasures of this walk.  Later we check out the Cathedral for the Pilgrims Mass and enjoy our first Pilgrims dinner (appetizer, entry, desert & wine for $10 euros).  Sleep is difficult tonight with the combo of jet lag and excitement and it will be a few days before that changes.  

The following morning we bused to Puente La Reina and the walk started.   We walked about 4 hours  - a short day 1.  Along the way we meet Marina, a jewelry designer from San Diego - she has taken a fall in her first few days and is pretty banged up - but still focused on getting to Santiago in the weeks ahead.  We also met a Mom and daughter from Cincinnati.  The daughter is doing a GAP year and has just finished the Appalachian Trail (AT) and is now doing the Camino.  

Our evening is spent at Albergue Casa Magica in Villatuerta. We grab a shower, do some laundry and settle in on the back patio with a few San Miguel's.   Over the next few hours another dozen guests join us and we have new friends from Germany, the U.K., Spain, Italy, France, Holland and of course the USA.   A fun way to spend our first happy hour.  Later we share a communal meal of paella with about 30 - the extra large pan of paella is a work of art.  I enjoy dining like this and the wine and conversation flows.  A French couple at my table is on their third Camino - each time starting from major cities in France.  Their current walk will be 2,000 KM's or about 1250 miles.  Not bad considering she is 73 and he is 77.  Wow.   

Our room has 5 beds - so fairly private for an Albergue - and no bunk beds.  I sleep better tonight but when awake the orchestra of international snoring is impressive.  

A good first day of walking - and Casa Magica lived up to its name.  A longer day ahead tomorrow- and the forecast is rain all day.  We discuss resting and not walking but decide we are here to walk and will test the conditions.    More to come...