SJPP to Valcarlos

First, a recollection of the last time I was in SJPP: I was walking around town looking at the shops. I started chatting to a couple of women who were about my age. One of them was wearing a skort: a garment I had wanted to buy but could never find. She told me it had come from a golf shop. Now, it turns out that this same woman (Sally) has recently moved into my apartment block at Burswood. We both remembered this conversation even though we had forgotten each other’s faces. Amazing!

Back to the present.  My room at Izalpea had a skylight and I could hear rain falling on the glass all night long. This photo is my version of the famous bridge at St Jean, showing the height of the swollen river after all the rain. When I have time I’ll look for another pic in normal times, for comparison:

We heard that the Napoleon Route was closed and this sign confirmed it. However, many pilgrims were taking no notice and going that way. It was apparently very windy on top, with snow flurries.

I sent my backpack with Express Bourricot. It cost 2 x €8 but worth it to me. When I arrived in Valcarlos it was there waiting for me at Mendiola:

I couldn’t check in till 2.00 pm, but the Senora advised me to go and have lunch in the bar up the road, and then to buy a few provisions from the supermarket as everything in town is closed in the evenings. The bar served me with a slice of tortilla with green capsicum and a glass of red. Other people were having tiramisu so I had to order that as well. At the supermarket 1 got bread and cheese, a small bottle of Mateus and some fruit. This will have to last me till Roncesvalles as there is nothing else on the way tomorrow.

By the time I got into my small apartment at Mendiola, I was pretty wet through. My top quality Rohan jacket,  Rainbird waterproof trousers and Ecco boots were no match for the constant downpour of today. How pleased I was to find the place had 4 radiators and a heated towel rail! I switched everything on high, put on my down jacket and went to bed for a siesta. I was tired but not exhausted. However, I wouldn’t have wanted to walk over to Roncesvalles all in one day as most people seemed to be doing.