Day 3 Packing it to Zubiri( from www.stjames2stjames.blogspot.com)

Ernest hemmingway lived in this town just out of Roncevalles

Forward 1/11/2009 : I remember that I was so tired from this day after crossing the Pyranees that I posted this on the wrong blog...so here it stays

After the blessing at the Roncevalles Church the night before , we thought that this would be good for the 25km with the packs. The pilgrim office said there were many ups and downs and she was really right...probably more ups then downs really.

The country though was again beautiful despite the early cold.

We have met some interesting people.

There was an irishman in a full kilt. ¨"Bad for the midges" he said. " And you have some irish in you haven´t you?" to which I had to agree.

There are two Australians from Canberra walking with us or we are running into each day. They have been good company and it´s good to share some experiences with them and also share info

each day

We have made friends with a group of Canadian women. They re going to Logrono and some are having their bags carried which seems good to us.

Couple of policeman on motorbikes

Bike riders who seem to have trail bikes as it is really hard country

We struggled into Zabiri after what seemed an etrnity of down. Nice refugio and after a hot shower the world seemed very good again.

We have Pamplona in our sights

BLOGGING OFF

We are just about on the camino and i will blog on thIS site for the journey.

http://www.stjames2stjames.blogspot.com/

BUEN CAMINO

EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY

As we get ready for what is a long journey and run into all sorts of problems, it pales against the efforts of Jessica Watson as she sets out on a solo voyage around the world.

Bon Voyage/Buen Camino

Report from the Brisbane Daily "The Courier Mail"
A 16-YEAR-OLD schoolgirl has set sail in the preliminary stage of her bid to become the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world.
Jessica Watson left Mooloolaba on Queensland's Sunshine Coast today on a 10-day solo journey to Sydney in her 10.4m sloop Ella's Pink Lady.
In-depth: Jessica Watson's amazing voyage

She will set off from Sydney on a date to be set when her preparations are complete and the weather is favourable.

In 1999, Jesse Martin became a household name and entered the record books at 18 by covering 27,000 nautical miles in 328 days by himself.
His record was broken last month by 17-year-old Briton Mike Perham.

But Watson, who has been sailing since she was eight, believes she can break the record by completing the journey by April 2010.
She said in her online blog the Sydney trip would be a good test.
"I plan on taking around 10 days to sail down to Sydney so that I get plenty of time on the water to test all the systems and give Ella's Pink Lady a good run-in," she said.
"Then there'll be time in Sydney to make any last minute changes before departing and heading out into the Tasman Sea."

Her mum Julie said she was relieved to see her daughter head out of Mooloolaba today.
"I'm feeling so happy we've got to the start line," she told ABC radio.
"Preparations have gone so well and she's in the right space."

http://www.youngestround.com/

DOWN THE SLOPES with packs

(web photo)

Overlooking Brisbane is Mt Cootha a small range which links up with the Aguilar Ranges of the Brisbane Forest Park. Three large TV towers and stations have been part of the Brisbane skyline for 50years.

It has also some good walking tracks about 15 minutes from the city centre.

From the Western side there are a number of tracks dropping steeply into the valley. One track has been renamed in recent years the Kokoda Track in memory of the infamous and legendary World War II New Guinea Track on which the advancing Japanese Army was defeated.

It is a good fitness track and we were fully packed again in a brief Sunday walk up and down the nearby Jacksonia Track. At last we are getting used to the packs and getting the weights down as far as possible.

Not long to go now.