Day 2: Roncesvalles a Zubiri / 12 miles

Moving on along the road. My first night in an albergue, in Roncesvalles, was in a large room with 110 beds. Fortunately there were only about 25 people, so everyone was assigned two beds. The day started early, around 7:30a, with a photo stop at the very large sign delivering the heartbreaking news that Santiago de Compostela is 790 km away.

It had rained all through the night, which meant mud on the trail. I didn´t know there were so many kinds of mud, to be honest. I walked through suck-your-boots-off mud, fill-your-boots-with-water mud, mud-wrestling mud, and slip-and-slide mud. Day 2 was the day I realized that my most critical piece of gear are my trekking poles, also known as the portable banister.

Day 2 was also the day I met the three British ladies, Megan, Liz, and Carol. Break time at the bar, and I spouted information like a veteran. It´s a tight line to walk, sharing information; just enough to inform, but not enough to be the Camino know-it-all.