Mud.

We walked nine miles today, but it was much more challenging than we had anticipated, mostly due to recent frequent and heavy rains.

After a simple breakfast of coffee and toast we dawdled and didn’t leave our pension until around 10 AM. It was misty and chilly but thankfully not raining heavily, and aside from a few light showers the rest of the day was damp but bright, with occasional cool winds. I figure next month, when the sun should be hot and unrelenting, I'll be craving such days.

The first six miles took us through a lush moss-floored forest, sometimes with views of the surrounding mountains and fields and sometimes under a canopy of trees, but most of the time we had to keep our eyes on the path. The downhill stretches were particularly treacherous, dangerously slick with mud. We made our way inch by inch, trying to keep our balance with unfamiliar backpacks, and fighting off visions of tumbling down a wet, rocky hillside.

We finally arrived at the town of Zubiri in early afternoon and crossed the triple-arched medieval stone bridge into the main square. (The bridge's name, Puente de la Rabia, comes from an ancient legend claiming that any animal led three times around its central arch will be cured of rabies.) In town we found a bar bustling with pilgrims and we were very happy to take off our packs. Lunch was simple, and after being hungry for hours, particularly delicious; ham and cheese sandwiched between potato and onion pancakes, water, coffee, and a shared apple torte.

Leaving Zubiri we had a long steady climb past a huge concrete factory and then through gentle farmlands and hills with flocks of sheep, grazing horses, and dilapidated crumbling stone structures. The walking was easier than in the morning, with fewer downhill stretches. We passed through a couple of tiny villages and finally made it to our pension--a room in a private home--in Larrasoana, an attractive, well-kept town. It took us nearly six hours to walk the nine miles, and now we're lying prone.