I got very tired on the 3rd day. I prayed through the whole way. I don’t know if it’s kind to our Lord when we say our prayers without counting, but it gives me strength. I can not listen to music our loud books, because the earphones are so uncomfortable. I arrived to Pamplona late, around 5 pm. The town was crowded so as every pilgrim’s accomodation. Thanks to that and some extra money I got a two double room, where I could pamper myself with a bathtube. The town was gorgeous, but I did not have the strenght to play tourist. I went to the night mass at the Virgin Mary Church.
By the way churches are amazingly beautiful here. The next morning it was hard to take my first steps. I started rosary very early because I knew there were some steep mountains ahead. Then everything changed on the top! I got very emotional when I saw those metal statues, I could hardly believe I did it, I was really there! That gave me such strenght and drive that I almost flew into Puente la Reina. There I had another good experience. The nice old receptionist treated me and 2 other young hungarian girls with special kindness. We got the only four bed room he had, with the 4th very nice lady. Later when I had a word with him, he told me he loves Budapest and that hungarian pilgrims are always nice! It felt good to be hungarian then and there, and not only because of the treatment.
The destination of next day was Estella with a prayer will kind to me. It is hard to start the mornings. I start my rosary when I face the first bigger affliction. That day in the early afternoon it was very difficult to walk. I brought to The Way my mother’s rosary which has unbeliviable strenght. I felt her so close to me and it gave me unutterable strenght. Like this I got to Estella very fast. I went to a donativo accomodation run by volunteers. Just accross the street there was a church. After the night mass, the priest asked all the pilgrims to come near the altar. He asked our names and gave each of us a nice card with a pilgrim’s prayer and a picture of a saint.
On the 6th day Los Arcos was my destination. After the always difficult start, taking Gabor’s advice I skipped the Villamayor. Lot of pilgrims have their feets in very bad shape. One of them who was following me was very happy to realize there was no need to climb another mountain. The weather was hot, the road was empty without any shadow or water. People are good! It happened 2 times today that locals helped the pilgrims. In the morning I saw a basket full of figs in front of a house with a drawn „manual” on how to eat it. At noon there was a man in a caravan who was giving away free tea, biscuits and spagetti to the pilgrims. It was almost 4 pm when I arrived to Los Arcos.
I have learned a lot in the past few days. On one part my body is slowly getting used to the hard work and on the other part I realize how good feeling it is to spend most of my days with praying. There is still a long way to go I know, my thoughts are mostly around fisical difficulties and pain, but it is so great to stop sometimes , look around and admire the beautiful world created by our Good God. I try to do this more often, it is too easy to just pass by this wonders each day not realizing how wonderful they are.
