29 April 2009 (776kms to go)
I can´t upload photos from here, but OH MY GOD this is a beautiful city. I´ll add them ASAP.
Slept in then reorganised backpacks. It´s one thing packing them at home where it´s all theory... it´s another thing using them during travel. With a top-loading backpack, the thing you need always seems to be at the bottom. The advantage though is that we can get absolutely drenched, and not have a single drop of water come through.
We already have a short-list of items to send back home... and we haven´t even started yet. It´s mostly power adapters that don´t quite fit the sockets here, and that sort of stuff.
Spent the say roaming around the city. Climbed loooooooong steeeeeeeeeep muuuuuuddy staircase to Citadelle Vaubon. Fantastic views over city & countryside. The clouds separated for the first time all day illuminating some of the fields. Not all though... just enough to make it even more scenic. :)
Preparing to spend first night in shared accommodation -- talking to another pilgrim about it wondering how it´ll go. It´s a room with 6 people: Hannah & myself, a South African woman, a Canadian-Aussie woman, and two Italian guys. Comparing backpack weights. I´m carrying around 14kgs (plus water), Hannah has about 12kgs plus water. The two woman have around 7kgs, and the two other guys have about 15~16kgs. There are a few guys in the room next door carrying about 20kgs. We´ll see how their knees are in a fortnight. ;)
There are two possible routes for tomorrow. There is the Route de Napoleon that climbs from 200m to 1400m then back to 1050m at the destination (that´s a Big Friggin´Hill). It´s currenly under 20cm of snow, so we´ll wait for a weather update tomorrow if we want to do this. The other way is the Valcarlos Route, which is a slow steady climb uphill... until the last few kms where it get crazily steep.
I´m 99% sure we´ll head the latter route, as we´re not keen on heading into the snow with our hiking shoes (not boots) on. I love our shoes... but they´re not show shoes.
Overnight people are quite restless, with one reading a magazine (crinkle crinkle), and the others getting up for bathroom breaks. I´m actually writing this in my diary at 3:30am (later to be typed into the interwebz) after being woken at about 2:30am.
Highlights:
* Exploring Citadelle Vaubon
* Watching in awe as Hannah converses in French organising the Pilgrim´s Passports, accommodation, directions, suggestions, chit-chat, etc. Is there nothing this woman can´t do???
I can´t upload photos from here, but OH MY GOD this is a beautiful city. I´ll add them ASAP.
Slept in then reorganised backpacks. It´s one thing packing them at home where it´s all theory... it´s another thing using them during travel. With a top-loading backpack, the thing you need always seems to be at the bottom. The advantage though is that we can get absolutely drenched, and not have a single drop of water come through.
We already have a short-list of items to send back home... and we haven´t even started yet. It´s mostly power adapters that don´t quite fit the sockets here, and that sort of stuff.
Spent the say roaming around the city. Climbed loooooooong steeeeeeeeeep muuuuuuddy staircase to Citadelle Vaubon. Fantastic views over city & countryside. The clouds separated for the first time all day illuminating some of the fields. Not all though... just enough to make it even more scenic. :)
Preparing to spend first night in shared accommodation -- talking to another pilgrim about it wondering how it´ll go. It´s a room with 6 people: Hannah & myself, a South African woman, a Canadian-Aussie woman, and two Italian guys. Comparing backpack weights. I´m carrying around 14kgs (plus water), Hannah has about 12kgs plus water. The two woman have around 7kgs, and the two other guys have about 15~16kgs. There are a few guys in the room next door carrying about 20kgs. We´ll see how their knees are in a fortnight. ;)
There are two possible routes for tomorrow. There is the Route de Napoleon that climbs from 200m to 1400m then back to 1050m at the destination (that´s a Big Friggin´Hill). It´s currenly under 20cm of snow, so we´ll wait for a weather update tomorrow if we want to do this. The other way is the Valcarlos Route, which is a slow steady climb uphill... until the last few kms where it get crazily steep.
I´m 99% sure we´ll head the latter route, as we´re not keen on heading into the snow with our hiking shoes (not boots) on. I love our shoes... but they´re not show shoes.
Overnight people are quite restless, with one reading a magazine (crinkle crinkle), and the others getting up for bathroom breaks. I´m actually writing this in my diary at 3:30am (later to be typed into the interwebz) after being woken at about 2:30am.
Highlights:
* Exploring Citadelle Vaubon
* Watching in awe as Hannah converses in French organising the Pilgrim´s Passports, accommodation, directions, suggestions, chit-chat, etc. Is there nothing this woman can´t do???
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