From Roncesvalles to Viskarret

We decided to take it easy today given the toll yesterday's 10 1/2 hour walk took on our bodies.  Also one of Marty's knees has started giving her trouble, and she doesn't want to cripple herself in the first few days.  Marty is a good check on my tendency to overdo and overestimate my endurance.  The morning's walk was over varied terrain, some ups and downs but nothing to taxing -- except, of course, for the fact that we are now carrying 16 - 20 pound packs. 

So we walked about 7 1/2 miles today in about 4 hours and stopped in a little village called Viskarret.  We are in a old hotel called La Posada Nueva -- a nice little room with shared bath, sheer luxury after last night.  It is a quiet tiny Basque pueblo with 1 store, a couple of cafés, 2 hotels and a couple of Casa Rurals.

Photo above is of last night's Rufugio.  Correction on yesterday's stats:  the walk over the Pyrenees was 25.1 km or 15.5 miles.

It seemed miraculous to me this morning that I woke up feeling well rested and not very sore!  I had read so many horror stories about pilgrims who had terrible blisters and injuries, I feared that maybe when I tried to get out of bed ( fortunately a lower bunk ) I wouldn't be able to move.  The night before when we went to dinner I did feel pretty crippled.  Amazing what a good night's sleep will do, even with 200 other people.