Today we´re in Zubiri, about a 13-mile trek from Roncesvalle. Last night in the alberge was interesting--about 100 people on old iron bunk beds in one large room. Earplugs continue to come in very, very handy.

We walked all of today with a young man (Emlyn´s age) from Holland, with whom we also had dinner last night. He´s here walking on his own, so it was great fun to connect and walk together. He unfortunately is undertaking his first backpacking trek, and came in leather boots that are not yet broken in, so he´s been suffering with a variety of aches and pains. But while a bit of the day was spent talking about those (his and ours), most of it was in conversation about faith and spiritual journeying, and a lot of banter and laughter. Emlyn pulled out the old game Marty and I used to play with the kids, "I´m going on a backpacking trip, and in my pack I will take...." (add an item working through the alphabet, with each person having to recite the entire list). That was a hoot, and kept us going for quite a while. TJ did an admirable job in a language that´s not native, and then challenged us to a Dutch version. We made it to F, with words that are similar in English and Dutch--and then we pretty much wore out.

The day was a bit more of a challenge than we anticipated--a series of pretty steep ascents and descents that really kept us sweating. Sunny and warm, it was beautiful, but a very strenuous hike! We stopped at cafes for both breakfast and lunch. Over lunch I met a woman from Ireland who knew my friend Maurice Lennon from the Stockton´s Wing days, when she was a huge fan. We very much enjoyed chatting over that, having come together on the Camino and finding this unexpected connection.

We had hoped to get a bit farther today, but with the blisters and aches and pains, we decided to stop here today, in a lovely town situated on a clear-running brook, complete with stone bridge. Soaking our feet in the cold water felt like heaven, and Emlyn and TJ spent a fair amount of time catching crayfish and watching the fish.

I shared dinner this evening with Hank, a gentleman about my age also from Holland, we spent a good deal of time talking about our churches, the culture where we live, and what we hope for for our kids. It´s amazing the depth of conversation one comes to quickly and easily here; there is an almost immediate sense of trust and shared experience, even when you only see folks now and then along the trail.

The Camino continues to be fairly sparsely populated; most of the pilgrims definitely seem to have gone before us. It´s a huge relief to find plenty of beds available wherever we stop, and just enough people to talk to along the way. Lots of mutual encouragment and support, and laughter for the journey!

My pack is probably at least 5 pounds heavier than it should be, and perhaps more, but it has been no trouble at all, for which I´m grateful! At the end of the trail, it´s about 7 pounds lighter than when I start out, since the water bladder weighs about that much full. But it hasn´t been a problem that any of us have noticed. Although, as I said, the hike is still pretty tough in spots.

We are in Spain now (did I mention that yesterday), so Em is showing her Spanish chops getting us aspirin and bandages in the pharmacy. She and Niles headed out with TJ for dinner and are sitting outside with a group of young people, although at 10:00 it´s probably past bedtime for all of us. We may try to get up at about 4:30 or 5:00 to get a very early start into Pamplona tomorrow, but we´ll see how that goes.

Again, a challenging day, but one full of surprising blessings. And my feet are holding up better than I thought, so I´ll keep thinking happy thoughts and hope it continues. Looking forward to a more level trek tomorrow, and hopefully some time to sightsee in Pamplona.

Blessings on your journies!