Distance to go: 789.1 Kms
We had a great night sleep. The extra money was worth it to give us a really good start both physically and mentally. We ate a good breakfast and set off at 9am for the first stop at the Orisson refuge 8 Kms away. The owner and Fiji her Golden Retriever bid us farewell and after a brief stop at the town gate we set off.
The distance is not so great but there is a climb of around 800 metres to get there. It starts with a steep climb away from St Jean. No easing into this at all. My legs complained but Debbie kept me going. Actually I was surprised how I coped. Yes the leg muscles ached and yes my breathing was heavy but I was really rather pleased that the knees held up.
The Pilgrims set out!
The views from the Way are simply stunning and we watched red kites raptors thermalling in the gentle airs. Truly magnificent. I had to stop to catch my breath a few times but all in all I am happy with day one. Despite my training on the ship this was hard going.
A breather to admire the view.
On a hill a young Australian was lying on the grass verge so we stopped to see if he was ok. He was enjoying a cigarette and taking a breather. I liked Angus. He is my type of guy. We were to see him later.
We stopped at various points to take in the view and chat with a couple of Irish ladies doing a 3 day walk to Pamplona and a Belgian man that had walked 60 days already from his home. He was super fit.
So I leave you with a few photos of the day.
Simply stunning.
Home for the night.
I was really glad to walk around the corner and see home for the night. All in all it was only a 3 hour walk albeit uphill. We will ease into this gently. Dont want any niggly injuries at this early stage.
Fiji.
Finally this photo is for my son Leo who is dog mad. This is Fiji, the Owners dog.
Distance walked today: 8.0 Kms