Along the River in Estella

 

After a day of walking almost 22 kilometers, a clean river in which to soak one's feet is a welcome sight. There were only a few other people and two dogs doing the same thing when I arrived in Estella, so I felt the river was mine. The river in Estella seemed to have standing room only, as there weren't many rocks to sit and relax on. Zubiri is the best foot-soaking river along the Camino de Santiago. The weather in late August was perfect for perching on one of the copious rocks for a foot bath, and even for swimming for those who packed a swimsuit into their minimalist Camino backpacks. Oil on 12" x 16" stretched linen.

The Road to Carrion de los Condes

 

Though the walk from Fromista to Carrion de los Condes didn't have as many kilometers as other days on the Camino de Santiago, the walk seemed to take forever in the rain. Finally, toward the end, the clouds broke and allowed the sun to shine through. There was some foreshadowing of this earlier in the day when a rainbow appeared. Oil on 16" x 20" stretched Linen.

The Way to Fromista

 

The landscape varies a lot between Castrojeriz and Fromista along the Camino de Santiago in Spain. You start by walking up a huge hill that looks across a valley to the castle that seems to be at the same height. Then, you descend the hill toward a stark, yellow valley. I felt extra fortunate to see dramatic clouds that added dimension to the minimalist landscape. Later, some trees and villages appear, as depicted in this painting. Fromista has a quaint square and churches that keep one from resting even after walking 19 kilometers. Oil on 16" x 20" stretched linen. 

Saint Jean Pied de Port

 

This is a view from one of the stone bridges in Saint Jean Pied de Port, France. It is a popular place to start the Camino Frances variant of the Camino de Santiago. This town can be tricky to get to. I bussed there from San Sebastian and felt lucky to have made it alive and unharmed. Maybe it sounds a bit dramatic, but the bus wound along high, narrow, curvy roads. Many cyclists share the road, and it is a law that vehicles passing bikes must cross over the center line, or so I was told. This is terrifying because the driver has to trust that there are no other vehicles, especially equally large and difficult-to-stop vehicles, coming the other way behind the cliffs. And, of course, all vehicles on the road traveled at top speed. I made peace with the idea that I might not make it because I would have at least been doing something I loved. But, I made it. The scary road delivered me to this pretty town that began a physically and mentally tough adventure that is still not over.

SJPDP looks a bit like the Shire from Lord of the Rings. I couldn't tell if its festive feeling was a celebration of a new beginning or a memorial of our last day of comfort. People excitedly loaded up on French food to provide energy for the next day's hike over the Pyrenees and took the opportunity to purchase supplies for the walk that they may have forgotten at home. I bought a spork and took advantage of the cakes and ice cream that provided carbs for the walk to Roncesvalles. 

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