La Gran Aventura Day 113: Zubiri to Pamplona

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

It’s becoming more and more difficult to write anything of substance in this journal. The days are so long and difficult. This morning we got a very late start on the day because we waited for the pharmacy to open. Anahi and Alicia weren’t super happy about that, and they had kind of a moment with Betty, but things got smoothed out later. We are learning how to communicate.

It turned out to be a mistake to wait for the pharmacy, because the lady wouldn’t accept our prescription, and she wasn’t very friendly about it. So we didn’t leave Zubiri until around 11am. The nearest pharmacy to Zubiri is in Villava, which is basically in Pamplona. So we knew we had to get all the way here.

Things were made doubly hard because we didn’t take any food for us on the way, and all of the restaurants were closed. So we walked nearly the entire 15 miles with nothing but a breakfast pastry in our bellies. It was really tough, but the kids did a great job with it. The biggest blessing we had was finding a guy named Jon who was selling food along the Camino. I gave him 10 euros and he gave us some mandarin oranges, a banana, an apple, and some peanuts. It was enough to keep us going and a huge tender mercy. He was kind of odd and showed us some strange videos of him dancing on TikTok. He was really proud to have almost 500 followers :)

River has been a pill and decided that she simply does not want to walk. So I’ve been carrying her on my shoulders nearly the entire time over the past three days. It also doesn’t help that we feel like we want to move a faster pace than she is able. So rather than fight her, I’ve just decided to carry her. I have had some moments of real agony, but I’m also learning how to just keep going when I’m so exhausted.

Today we walked 24km, 15 miles, in 8 hours. We got to the albergue at 7pm which is super late for pilgrims. Then I made a huge salad for everyone, and we ate dinner, took showers, and threw in some laundry. Now it’s 11pm, and I’m exhausted.

Today was hard, but it was also awesome. I especially loved a conversation that Betty and I had about her hike today. We keep getting passed by these Spaniards wearing fast packs. They are all adults, and they look like they are having the time of their lives. Their packs are light, and everything looks easy for them. Betty said that at times today it made her envious to see them. She was thinking “Here I am doing this super hard spiritual journey, and they look like they are having the time of their lives. Why can’t my journey be more like theirs?” Our conversation moved towards the purpose of life, and I think we both learned something valuable. The thing is, the purpose of life is not to relax or have fun or even just be “happy.” The purpose of life is to grow to become more like God. And growth requires effort and discomfort. I have read a lot about the Camino and pilgrimage in general, and it seems to me that true pilgrimage should be difficult. It should cost us something.

It reminds of the contrasting Youtube videos I showed in my class last semester. In one, a couple arrives in Santiago after walking the Camino, and it’s all anticlimactic for them. They feel a bit hollow. In the other, a young woman arrives in Santiago in tears. The experience is transcendent. Then I showed my students the rest of their videos. When the Camino got too hard for the first couple, they hopped on a bus to Madrid and partied for a few days, then went back to the Camino but after skipping the toughest parts. In the second video the girl really put her soul into the Camino. It was very tough for her, and on a number of occasions she had considered backing out. There are a hundred different ways of doing the Camino, but I think for it to have the most powerful impact on people -- it should cost something. And perhaps the higher the price paid, the greater the reward. I hope that’s the case for us, because we are paying a high price.

Distance hiked: 15 miles / 24km

Total distance on the Camino 38 miles / 60 km

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La Gran Aventura Day 112: Roncesvalles to Zubiri

Monday, April 1, 2024

This morning we got off to bit earlier start, but it still feels like it takes forever to pack. The night went pretty well. My biggest concern in these hostels is that Ian has a habit of snorting (yes, snorting) really loudly at random times in the night, and Kimball has central sleep apnea, which causes him to moan. Thankfully, they both did a good job last night. And there were some real world class snorers in the albergue (hostel) last night, so they would have fit in anyway.

Betty is feeling really sick today with a bladder infection. We got her a prescription, but I couldn’t find an open pharmacy all day. I hope she gets feeling better soon. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable this must be for her.

I offered her a taxi a bunch of times, but she insisted on walking, so we walked. At times it was really slow going, but she just kept walking, and we made it.

The path today was rocky and had lots of ascent and descent. The descent into Zubiri is notoriously murderous. Steep and really rocky. It lives up to its reputation. At one point Betty looked at me with tears in her eyes and asked “Why are we here? What’s the point in all this?”

That got me thinking. What is the point?

And that thought reminded me of the scripture in 2 Corinthians 12 that says:

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

In think in this way pilgrimage is like fasting. It doesn’t really make any sense. Why make ourselves hungry? The point is that when we are in a weakened state, it helps facilitate our turning our thoughts to God. In that way a pilgrimage is like a really long and intense fast.

Tonight everyone is really sore. I carried River on my shoulders essentially the entire 24k. It’s more than I had anticipated carrying her, but I don’t know what else to do. It’s too rocky and steep for a stroller, and if I have a child carrier backpack I can’t carry my own stuff. So this is the way. It’s a challenge, but it’s doable. So that’s what we will do.

Tomorrow we’ve got to get Betty some antibiotics. That will likely mean getting a really late start on the day. So we will just have to do the best that we can.

Distance hiked: 15 miles / 24km

Total distance on the Camino 23 miles / 37 km

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La Gran Aventura Day 111: St Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles

Sunday, March 31, 2024

Today was an interesting day. We started by walking about 6 miles to a town called Valcarlos, where we had been told we could take a bus to skip the nastiest part of the Camino. When we got there we started asking around for the bus stop. It was raining and getting cold and everyone told us there is no bus stop in that town. The policeman even told us that it’s illegal for busses to stop in that town. So we found a hostel, but the guy there said he wasn’t sure if he had room. I just kept feeling like things would work out. Betty was feeling tired and cold. The kids were not feeling great, but they kept a pretty good attitude.

Then the bus drove through in the opposite direction and the cop flagged it down and asked if it would stop for us on the way back through town. The driver said yes. And he came back about 30 min later and picked us up. Betty was in tears she was so grateful.

Now we are here in Roncesvalles, taking warm showers and resting.

It’s also Easter Sunday. I want to make it special. I’m not entirely sure how, but I am sure the Lord will provide.

River did a pretty good job walking. She walked about 2.5 miles at the beginning, then I just threw her on my shoulders for about 4 km, and then she walked a bit more, and then I carried her for the last long and very steep ascent into Valcarlos.

I think she maybe walked 3 or 3.5 of the 8 miles today.

It’s good to be back in Roncesvalles. It’s a beautiful little spot, and so full of history. There was a legendary battle here that in the year 778. The battle is memorialized and fictionalized in an epic medieval poem called The Song of Roland, which is one of the oldest pieces of French literature. It’s inspiring, even if the facts are mostly changed. It’s basically a story of self-sacrifice and honorable death.

It’s a good place to rest.

Distance hiked: 8.1 miles / 13 km

Total distance on the Camino 8 miles / 13 km

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La Gran Aventura Day 110: Pamplona to St Jean Pied de Port

Saturday, March 30, 2024

This morning we were up pretty early and packing for the Camino. It was so good to spend time with Gorka and Miren. They are great people, and Betty and the kids and I just had a great time visiting with them. We will miss them for sure.

I have had quite a lot of anxiety related to these first few moments on the Camino. Basically, they boiled down to a couple of things. First of all, I had this recurring thought that in the pilgrim’s office they would turn us away because we had River with us. Or at least I worried they would try to tell me I was crazy.

That fear turned out to be totally unfounded. The woman who attended us, Margarethe, was super nice, and she was great with the kids. She didn’t seemed bothered at all that we were doing this. I was so grateful I could have cried.

My second fear was that we wouldn’t be able to find a place to stay the night. The first place Margarethe recommended was the municipal albergue (hostel), which had been my plan all along. We ended up getting our own room with five beds in it. Alicia and River are going to share, and Ian and I will. Our accommodations are about as good as I could have hoped for.

My third biggest concern was the hike to Roncesvalles. We have wanted to do the Napoleonic route for a while, but it’s sixteen miles and really tough. I have worried for a long time about doing it, but wasn’t sure what the alternative would be.

Margarethe told us that at this time of year it’s impossible to get across that way. Even if it was open, which it’s not, it’s just too dangerous. So we will be taking the route through Valcarlos. But the second half of that way -- the toughest part of it -- is all along the highway, and she said she couldn’t really recommend it to us. So we are going to hike to Valcarlos (about seven miles) and then take a bus to Roncesvalles. It means our first day will be totally doable. And it’s Easter Sunday, so we will be in Roncesvalles with plenty of time to relax and worship.

The Lord really has provided the best possible first day for us.

In the afternoon we settled into our room and then walked to the store and got some food for dinner (yogurt and fruit) and lunch tomorrow (bocadillos). Then I took the kids on a sunset hike up to the citadel. It was amazing.

Now we are just trying to settle down so we can get an early start on the day tomorrow.

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La Gran Aventura Day 109: Pamplona

Friday, March 29, 2024

Today was perhaps the laziest day we have had on this trip. We slept in, and we mostly just hung around the house, visited, ate some simple but yummy food, watched a movie, the kids played video games, we all played some card games, and I had a big nap. In the evening we went for a little walk outside.

During that walk, I had the opportunity to chat with Ian. We were talking about how one of the keys to great communication and healthy relationships is trying to imagine another person’s point of view. He told me that it reminded him of a chapter in the book The Phantom Tollbooth called “It’s All in How You Look at Things.” The more talked the more I thought: I’ve got to read this book. So it’s on my reading list now.

And I bought bus tickets to St Jean Pied de Port. We will be there tomorrow afternoon.

This is all becoming very real. Alicia told me the other day that she has butterflies like when she is standing on the starting line of a race. I feel the same way. The anticipation is palpable. I’m trying not to let it cause me anxiety. I am just really excited to get things going.

This epic adventure is about to change pace quickly. We will be slowing down a lot.

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La Gran Aventura Day 108: Barcelona to Pamplona

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Last night just before bed I realized I had not yet reserved our tickets for the train today. The Eurail system is a bit weird in that for some trains you have to pay a bit to reserve your seat on a train. And sometimes you can do it online and sometimes you can’t. Well last night I couldn’t.

So this morning I woke up at 5:30am and headed into Barcelona (about a 45 min trip) to the train station to get our reservations. When I go there and said I wanted to go to Pamplona the guy said it’s going to be tough because it’s a holiday weekend. Then when I told him there are seven of us he told me that’s going to be impossible.

But after looking around we found a train from Barcelona to Zaragoza and then another from Zaragoza to Pamplona. It was a tender mercy.

I headed back to the house, and we packed up and cleaned up the house a bit, and then we headed out. I wanted to show the kids some more of the city, but Betty has already seen it. So we dropped her and River off to hang out at the train station, and I took the kids to see the Sagrada Familia. We didn’t go inside, but I was able to teach them a bit about Gaudi and some of the symbolism of the church. Then we hopped on the metro and went over to Passeig de Gracia to see La Pedrera and Casa Batlló, two of Gaudi’s best houses in the city.

And from there we went down and got some lunch at the Boquería. Just outside, on the Ramblas, the human statues were out so we went over to see. A Don Quijote statue gave the kids a jump scare we will never forget. Alicia was in tears!

After that it was back to the train station just in time for the trip out.

That was all pretty uneventful.

The weather up here is definitely different. Colder and cloudy.

We are all feeling a bit nervous about the next stage of this. Alicia had kind of a little mini breakdown as we were getting to our friends’ house this evening. She’s just tired and a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of hiking to Santiago. So she had a good cry and then we got to Gorka and Miren’s house, and she had so much fun visiting with them. They are definitely angels for us right now. We are going to take couple of days to rest, and then we will be ready to hit the trail.

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La Gran Aventura Day 107: Claudia and Carlos

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

This morning I woke up with just one thought: I need to make my pack much lighter. Everyone does.

So we all packed up our bags and decided to send away our air mattresses. On the Camino we will be in hostels or hotels, so we will have beds. I also sent my camera bag. It takes up a lot of room in my backpack. And some weight. It ended up being about 15 combined pounds. I’m feeling better. Betty can really tell a difference in her pack.

Other than that we spent the morning kind of resting and straightening out the house.

In the afternoon we went to visit Betty’s dear friend, Claudia. They were church friends in Mexico, and now Claudia lives here with her husband Carlos. They are both awesome people, and we had a great time visiting with them and their little girls. They also have a big park in front of their house, and we went and spent some time there so the kids could run around. It was really fun.

I was fascinated watching the Pakistani and other immigrants playing cricket. It’s something I’d never seen in person and never for sure in Spain.

We spent quite a bit of time with Carlos and Claudia, and we ate well. They made hamburgers, which made Ian very happy. It was a really lovely evening, and a great way to spend a rest day.

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La Gran Aventura Day 106: Barcelona

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

This morning I woke up pretty early and got to work fixing up the blog. I ran some calculations and found some interesting stats.

Since this trip began we have driven over 6,400 miles in a car. We have flown over 4,700 miles, and we have traveled over 3,400 miles in train. That’s a total of over 14,500 miles.

We have visited 8 different LDS wards and 15 temples -- six in Europe. We’ve done all of this while sleeping in 13 different houses and spending only two nights in hotels -- those were driving back and forth from Michigan to Utah. We have slept one night in temple housing and two nights in a Catholic Church in Rome. It will take some time after it’s all said and done for everything to sink in.

Today I had the great blessing of showing my kids one of my most favorite cities: Barcelona. We took a train in from Sant Boi to Drassanes. It’s the same journey I took for a month when I was studying Catalan here 16 years ago. We saw the Columbus statue and I gave the kids a crash course on Catalan history. Then we walked up the Ramblas, a beautiful walking street filled with street vendors of all kinds: artists, jewelers, flower sellers, etc. Our first main stop was the Boqueria -- one of Europes oldest and best markets. We took maybe an hour walking through all of the stalls and taking in the different sights and sounds and even smells. In the end we got some fresh juice and candy for the kids. River loves gummy candies so we took a few minutes to give her birthday a little extra celebration.

Then we just went for a nice walk up the Ramblas to Plaça de Catalunya and then down through the Barri Gotic by the Palau de la Música Catalana and then to the Cathedral, the Plaça de Sant Jaume, and then to the Roman Temple d’August. And finally to my favorite church in Barcelona: Santa Maria del Mar, which we went inside and were even able to climb up to the roof.

We finished everything off with patates braves (spicy potatoes) and pa amb tomaquet (bread with olive oil and tomatoes) and croquetes. It was a great day.

We headed back to the house where we relaxed, talked, watched tv, and had a great seminary lesson.

We read the verse in Mosiah that says that if we keep the commandments we are blessed in ALL things, both temporal and spiritual. And then we talked about the interesting questions that scripture brings up.

We know that there are people who have kept the commandments of God and it does not appear they are blessed in all things. They may be sick or struggle financially. Or they might have a child leave the covenant path. So either one of three things is going on.

  1. Those people with challenges in their lives are not keeping the commandments.

  2. The scripture is simply not true.

  3. We misunderstand what it means to be blessed in all things.

For me there is only possible answer.

So we talked about what it might mean to be blessed in all things. That led us to talk about how the purpose of life is to grow to become more like God. And growth only happens when we are challenged. So the greatest blessing God could give us would not be comfort, but opportunities to grow. And when we keep the commandments, he gives us opportunities to grow in all areas of our life. It’s similar to what we discussed when we talked about the Liahona. It leads us to growth, not comfort.

It was a good talk for us to have because honestly we are all panicking a bit about this last stage of our journey. It’s going to be an intense opportunity to grow.

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