The day dawned bright and clear and the mountain fog lifted enough for us get an absolutely spectacular view of the valley. Very appropriately, today was the feast of the Visitation, commemorating Mary’s pilgrimage into the hill country to visit Elizabeth. (Isabella’s name, of course is derived from Elizabeth.) So, we continued our pilgrimage today as far as Roncesvalles. This is an extremely difficult part, with a climb in elevation from 810 meters to 1450 meters, then an even more difficult descent to 950 meters. We appreciated the fact that we did not try this yesterday. We are weary, but very excited to continue tomorrow. We had another fantastic 3-course dinner and attended another pilgrim mass. It was a beautiful liturgy with 4 concelebrating priests and including a pilgrim blessing in several languages. The albergue is modern and comfortable and we plan to sleep well tonight.
Day #2
Roncesvalles
Population 30 / Elevation 950 meters
Albergue Colegiata
Distance walked today 15.8 km.
Weather cool and bright, perfect for hiking.