Day 3, Sunday, August 25th, 2019: Espinal to Larrasoaña

Aug 27

Aug 27 Day 3, Sunday, August 25th, 2019: Espinal to Larrasoaña

We decided to leave before sunrise, so at 0630, headlamp and flashlight in hands, we stepped off from the hostel in Espinal. Guess what? The kids were still partying in the streets! We headed up into the forest in the dark and, compared to the two previous days, while there were still many up-hill treks, they were not nearly as difficult to maneuver. That is until we got to Zubiri. Then, late in the day, no shade, and already 12 miles in, we struggled to make it to Larrasoaña.

The thing about struggle is it teaches you to find ways to adapt. Whether by taking more frequent stops, breathing deeper, or just getting your self-talk right, deciding that quitting is not an option and having to find the answer within yourself is a lesson taught repeatedly on The Camino. And when you cannot find the answer within yourself, remembering you are not alone on The Camino is another important lesson.

We arrived to the lovely Albergue San Nicolas and the owner Luis Jesus welcomed us. We were shown to our room of 6 and treated to a lovely pilgrim dinner with some new friends. Katarina from Sicily was doing a portion of The Camino and had started in Lourdes. Kathy and Yani, from New Jersey, are pizza restauranteurs and are walking most of the way to Santiago. Michelle from Queens, NY was walking for the second time, this time all alone as she wanted to challenge herself. Gabriel is from Montreal, Quebec, and a former Army supply officer. Quiet and shy, he is looking for answers to many questions. Kathleen and Betty from South Africa seem to be having a lot of fun as well.

Luis fixed an amazing “Pilgrim’s Dinner” of vegetable soup, peppers and sliced pork, with a wonderful red wine and finished with an excellent flan. We were so well taken care of!

Then it was off to pack for the next day and the next challenge!