Day 2: Roncesvalles to Zubiri

Day 2: 06 Oct 2024

Distance (kms): 21.5

Elevation gain/loss (m): 399/812

Started the day at around 7.40 am from Roncesvalles, with a mile marker reminding me how far I have to go:


The distances are specific to how one gets to Santiago. This sign must for the distance to Santiago by road. The official walking distance from St. Jean to Santiago is 779 kms.

It was a relatively easy and flat walk to Burguete where I stopped for breakfast:


Just so I don’t bore you to death with this information, let me say this just once. The Spanish aren’t big on breakfast so to load up calories for the walk the standard is to get Cafe con leche and what they call a tortilla, which is like a frittata with potatoes and eggs at a minimum and whatever else they feel like adding. The coffee is almost always excellent since they use an espresso machine and by some national standard Cafe con leche is 1.40€ pretty much anywhere. A wedge of tortilla and coffee is never more than 5€. Food in general is very cheap in Spain. 

By the way the towns all seem to have two names. Castellano/Spanish (big letters above) and one is Basque. Did I already say Spain is very regional? Beautiful creeper on a building in Burguete: 

 

The next town is Espinal where I stopped to get some bread and other things for lunch:




A baguette that is significantly more than a foot long was only 0.80€. Indulge me here. Can’t get over how cheap food is…

Picturesque meadows and fields all along the way: 


The last 4 or so kms were very tricky since the path was extremely rock with sharp serrated edges: 



Oh and I forgot to say that there was half-marathon going along the Camino. It was hard enough to walk but there were runners for part of the way! Zubiri is reached by a Roman stone bridge. A poorly shot video of the river and bridge:



Finally got to do my laundry. The pilgrims meal at the Albergue was great. Three course meal with wine and bread:



One of plazas and other sights in Zubiri:






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