What was I thinking?

I won’t lie to you, today was the toughest day of hiking I have ever experienced in my life.

And not just the first five miles, from St Jean Pied de Port to the cafe/hostel Refuge Orrison.

A lot of people want to stay at Orrison in France to break up the trek across the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain. The alternative is hiking the entire 24 kilometers to Roncevalles where the ancient monastery houses 238 weary pilgrims every night.

Being a mountain range, the Pyrenees offer plenty of ups and downs to the unsuspecting hiker. It also provides sudden drops in temperature and rain squalls. We got it all today.

When I reached Refuge Orrison, I did a smart thing: I paid eight euros to have my backpack shipped to my final destination. I don’t think I would have made it otherwise.

I’m in a terrifically comfortable dorm room with nice private beds in cubicles. The point is, I can barely keep my eyes open. Having had my first glass of wine in nearly two years is contributing to the torpor.