I slept late in Burguete after 2 grueling days, and started my hike a little after 9:30. While not as strenuous as the first two days, there were plenty of hilly challenges, both up and down. Everything I’ve read says that the body takes about a week to acclimate to walking long distances daily. So, I’m trying to be patient with my body and power through the discomfort. The good news is that the knees are holding up really well!! (It’s just all the other moving parts that hurt).

The day was segmented nicely by stopping at two beautiful little cafes that cater to peregrinos. One for breakfast (where I learned that in Spain, a “tostada” is simply an open faced sandwich), and one for a snack. Also, the ham “jamon” is dried and thinly sliced. So delicious!!

The descent into Zubiri is perhaps the most dangerous because of its steepness and jagged rocks. Add to that the fact that it was at the end of the day when most people are already fatigued, and I was feeling worried about it. I decided that I was going to call for transport for those last 3.5 kilometers (2 miles). The only problem is that I wasn’t sure how to make this happen logistically. Enter a Camino miracle. There’s a saying out here: “The Camino provides”. And it did. I met Even, a young woman from Seattle, and mentioned my taxi plan to her, and she agreed that it was the smart decision. And the best part was that she was fluent in Spanish! She called her albergue where she was staying that night, and they gave her the name of a taxi service. 20 minutes later we were in the taxi on the way to Zubiri. Don’t judge…😉 it was only 2 miles, and it preserved my knees for the rest of the journey.

Dinner was at a little sports bar down the street where I had a great time chatting with Gloria and Gina, 2 sisters from Texas who I run into multiple times daily. I had pasta bolognese, steak, fries, bread, roasted peppers, dessert, and unlimited “vino tinto” (red wine). Yes, I was hungry!

All in all a good day!