Burguette to Zubiri (Sat 7 Sep 2013)

After a nice breakfast at our comfy Casa Rural, (B&B), we walked a short distance to the main road to rejoin the Camino and were startled to encounter a traffic jam -- of people.  A steady stream from Roncesvalles, where many Spaniards Camino start their Camino.  There's no breakfast available in Roncesvalles, so everyone treks to Burguette to fuel up.  What had been almost a ghost town yesterday as we strolled the streets and ate lamb's liver, was packed with people walking, eating breakfast and queued up for a coffee.

Joining the throng was like stepping onto a moving sidewalk.  It was so busy, but gradually thinned out.  

Some pix along the way today:

Trucks squeezing past each other:

Sides of lamb roasting over an open fire:

Clever footbridge over a stream that regularly floods across this road.

There were two small towns within a days walk of Roncesvalles: Zubiri (pop 500) and Larrasoana (pop 200).  But rumours spread that Larrasoana was hosting a music festival right now and and most accomodation was booked out, so everyone pulled up in Zubiri for the night.  The municipal Albergue where we're staying is in an old school.  Two main dorm rooms with over 20 people per room.  The bunks filled up quickly, then the overflow dorm upstairs filled.  Pilgrims kept streaming in, so they set out mats in the school gym.  Still more people arrived.  By this time, a thunderstorm was underway and rain poured down.   These late arrivals were offered the bare gym floor - a concrete floor.  Some had sleeping mats so were grateful for anything.  Others went away looking stunned, wet and cold.  ALL other beds in town were full -- even the expensive hotel in town.  So people were forced to call taxis to take them to the another town.  

The "Municipal" Albergue in Zubiri -- our home for the night.  Municipal Albergues are the most basic types.  Often run by volunteers, they are low price (6 Euros per person here), and usually have big dorms (22 in bunks in our room).  But they offer the true Camino experience.  Lots of opportunity to meet people, reunite with people you've met before, building on your Camino "family".

When people arrive, they check in, get assigned a bed, then the first order of business is to shower, put on fresh clothes, handwash today's clothes, then hang them on the line, hoping they'll dry by nightfall:

The pilgrims arriving here are sporting the classic Camino rainwear: Ponchos.  I don't quite understand the appeal.  We brought rain coats, rain pants ... and umbrellas!

Overflow space -- the luckiest ones got mats -- others made do with the bare floor.

.

One of the pilgrims to arrive during the thunderstorm was Mike, the 91 yr old gent from Florida.  I was telling an Aussie his story just before Mike walked in.  The Aussie had an empty bunk beside him, had told staff, but they never did place anyone there.  So, he called Mike over and offered him the spot, saving Mike from a night on the concrete floor.  It was a top bunk and a little tough for Mike to climb up, so the woman below swapped bunks with him, then someone offered him a blanket. Nice to see the kindness of people showered on this fellow.

Us after cleaning up for the day and ready for dinner:

For dinner we went to a private Albergue for the pilgrim dinner.  Excellent.  Everyone is served at the same time, and family style.  We shared a table with Jane and Paul from Indiana, who we met in our dorm.  Real nice folks and we had a great evening, although we had the second seating for dinner (first sold out), starting at 8:30, and by the time we were finished (about 10:20) the hostel lights were out and people already snoring.   We tiptoed in and climbed into our beds as quietly as possible.