hike day 24: hounto

upon awakening, i peered out the window at the sunrise and thought ¨paradise is exactly where i am right now¨. however, when i waxed lyrical to the innkeeper, she replied that her paradise would be in montreal. happiness truly is a state of mind. paradise then, really can be exactly where you are...right now.

i set out on a gorgeous sunny day with a good wind at my back. the higher i climbed, the more magical the panoramas. layers of hills and vales silhouetted each other while the morning fog floated far below. many were the new pilgrims rushing by, oblivious to the enormity of their good fortune in the weather department, anxious only to get some mileage on their hiking boots. i consciously slowed my pace, eager to savour every second, not caring to participate in the foot race. roncesvalles would materialize soon enough. this very same crossing last september was still painfully etched in my memory: horizontal freezing rain, a sea of mud, drenched to the core...i couldn´t wait for it to be over. what a difference perfect weather makes.

this path has been travelled by pilgrims dating back as far as the 9th century after saint james´bones were allegedly discovered in santiago. pilgrims in those times had no topo maps or gps, technical gear and often travelled in the company of a mule. they were frequently victims of brigands so they rarely carried anything of value except letters of passage from their land owners. the road was gradually refined to what it is today as western passages required crossing deep rivers while to the east the mountain passes were higher, snowier and posed a greater danger.

while the pyrenees pass is a much easier and safer endeavour today, its beauty has not diminished over the centuries. the great italian artist frangelico was known to paint sensuous landscapes of his native corsica which look very similar to the pyrenees. when asked about the source of his inspiration, he replied that the mountain tops were reminiscent of a woman´s curves. viewed through that lens, i was suddenly detecting a bottom here, a facial profile there...i could even make out a sleeping giant´s body laid out with a foot so detailed and perfect it surely must have been sculpted by master rodin himself. osme of the breathtaking vistas left me feeling so humbled, i was literally moved to tears. such beauty...i am so lucky to be able to witness it.

last night i indulged in an excellent confit de canard dinner with a dozen pilgrims. hans the german had undergone heart bypass surgery a mere 4 months earlier and was looking forward to his first hiking day over the pyrenees with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. he was taking it very slowly this morning. as i passed him, i smiled and uttered some words of encouragement. i am putting out good vibes in hopes he didn´t find it too grueling.

then there was handsome playboy cedric from marseille around whom there always appeared to be a drone of giggling girls. and of course jacques - always distinct in an aussie akubra - who lives right on le chemin de compostelle in aubrac who watched thousands of pilgrims march past his home before he decided one day to experience it first hand. we may have been perfect strangers a week ago but the camino has a way of bringing people together. earlier, the three of us stared in disbelief as 50 or so enormous eagles glided effortlessly above, paying tribute to the statue of the virgin of biakorri. i will always remember this moment and they will always be part of it with me. in this way, we shall remain forever bonded.