We arrived at the Spanish gate at a around me 8:45 and began our trek up into the mountains with a Super Hero pose… As we learned in Grey’s Anatomy, when you need to do a superhuman job, you need to think and act like a superhero!

 

 

       The trek was arduous, but well within our limits.  We have half the climb behind us, having arrived at our Orisson Refuge at around 12:30.  Just in time for lunch and a lovely Basque beer for our reward!  At our table are our new friends Gjertrud, and Anastasia from Russia…

  

  Laura… Only 14,000 steps so far, but the equivalent of 210 floors!  With time to explore with a nice afternoon walk. 

Our first taste of a refuge is a lovely mountain building with one room fitting 14 of us.  We are looking forward to the evening meal when we will meet and dine with our new friends.  So far we have met Sandra from Scotland, Francesco from Italy and Sobue from Japan… Along with our friend G from Norway…we are all sitting on our front stoop talking about our experiences…and of course, our homes. 

 

At the dinner there were 50 of us, all hungry and talkative after there hike half way up the mountain pass.  At the end of the meal, our hostess invited us to introduce ourselves and why we were doing the Camino…there were 16 nationalities there… After that was our first night of group sleeping!  What an orchestra!!! Glad I brought my earplugs!