The Refuge Orisson

When I walk up to the refuge off the road, I see that there is the building/restaurant/refuge on the right, and across the road is a a covered terrace/eating area that overlooks the steep cliff/drop off the mountain that I have just climbed up. At 4:30, the sun is just starting to slant down, and the light is exquisite. Even in my exhausted state, I can appreciate it, and am that much more greatful to be there, because I did NOT want to be walking after dark, even on a paved road. When I go into the restaurant area, it´s empty except for one woman who is probably the owner. She looks at me and says "Linda?" Yes, it´s me, and thanks again to my French friend who confirmed my reservation! Immediately, I pull out my pilgrim´s credential to be stamped and pay for the room. 18€ for the bed, meal, and breakfast in the morning. Wow, can´t beat that, even if it did take me all day to get here! I also tell her that I KNOW I will not be able to walk the full 21 kilometers left to Roncesvalles, Spain, tomorrow, and will need a taxi. Can she help me with that? There is no place to stop between here and there, and I do NOT want to spend the night in the woods! The woman, whose name I find out later is Natalie, says she is not sure, but she will try, and then takes me around to the back of the building, up a flight of stairs (UP again!), and into the sleeping area. As I round the corner to go in the room, who should be sitting outside in the sun but the 2 German ladies I met at the airport in Biarritz!! I am so happy to see them, and we say we will meet at dinner. Then, Natalie shows me to a big high ceilinged room with dark wood beams and 3 sets of bunk beds. They look pretty sturdy, but the ladders are so narrow. However, all the bottoms are taken (the disadvantage of getting there late) and I am not about to complain about anything. So, I heave the pack up on one of them and say thank you. She shows me where to put my boots, gives me a token for the shower, and goes back to the restaurant. Dinner will be at 8pm. Wonderful. For a little bit, I am just a bit bewildered about what to do next but figure getting up on the bunk and getting stuff out of my pack will be a good start. Fortunately, there´s no one in the room to see me try to climb, but just as I begin, the woman who´s on the bottom comes in and calls my attention to the fact that in the top of that particular bunk, there is a very low beam that were I to sit up suddenly in the night, I would surely crack my head on. So, I move to the other top bunk, and clamber up. I sigh with relief when the bed doesn´t topple over. But the narrow rungs hurt the hell out of my feet, so I know I´ll have to sleep with my sandals up here in order to go to the bathroom in the night. It´s just a given. I realize the lady is still chatting, and I recognize the lilt of Ireland. I ask her. Yes, she´s Gail from Dublin, and here with 2 other friends to do just a stage of the Camino, 170 kilometers in a little over a week. Lots of people do the Camino in stages over a period years, given time and money. These ladies are having their bags transported and are walking with just light daypacks. I wish! But, since I never know where I´m going to stay, I´ll just cointinue my own way. Soon, her 2 other friends, Trish and Barbara come in and in no time, we are all chatting like old friends. Part of it´s a woman thing, but part of it is the Camino--where are you from, how far do you plan to go, how much time do you have, how are your feet, how´s your pack? Those questions are common and often from everyone you meet. Then, after introductions, and some initial fumbling with stuff in the pack, I realize I REALLY want a shower. The token is new for me, but Barbara explains--put the token in the box, get everything ready, and then get in. The token gives you 6 pushes on this knob thing and you get a minute or so of water and then it stops. So, 1st push you get wet, and in between you wash, and use most of the rest to rinse with. Hopefully, the water will not be so cold you can´t get under it, or you´ve wasted a push! I had the push shower kind of thing in a hostel once in London, but there was no limit on it, so this is new. I manage to get washed AND get my undies washed out--figure I better start that routine right away, because washing machines are few and far between and dryers--forget it.

So, shortly after that, I am clean, in clean clothes, and head out to the terrace to sit in the cooling air with the Irish ladies. I find out that Barbara and I, at age 50, are the babies. Trish is 58, and Gail is around there, too. I am so humbled by all these people I´m meeting who are older than I and just seem to run up mountains with no problem at all! But I´m here, they tell me, be proud of that, you did it. And, by god, I did! So, I bask in that for a while, and soon, we see that people are moving into the dining room for dinner and we follow. We sit, family style at 2 long tables. Soon, the couple, Natalie and probably her husband, along with the help of one other man, begin serving. First they put down bread and bottles of wine. This will become a staple at most places that serve food. Then come big pots of wonderful vegetable soup. We serve ourselves family style. It´s gotten really chilly up here in the damp mountains of France, and the soup is amazingly warm and comforting. There are about 15 of us at one table and we are all happy, chatting, exchanging information, etc. The German ladies, Ingeborg and Rita, are there, and we´re all a very comfortable group. The soup goes quickly, and then comes a big bowl of bowtie pasta with cheese and a marvelous casserole of lamb with veggies. It´s probably the best food I´ve ever had in my life and we all tuck in with great ooohhh-ing and ahhh-ing. The meal runs on. We eat, talk, get to know one another, speculate about the next day´s walking. I confess to not walking. Everyone is very comforting, do what you can, don´t get dangerous, etc. I know they are right, but can´t help feeling that I am somehow "cheating" by not walking the rest of the way into Spain, but I also know what I can and can´t do, and I´m not ready to do 21 km in one day--not uphill again! So, I let it go.

Soon, we have dessert, and things begin to wind down. It´s full dark now, and this place is out in the middle of nowhere, so it´s very quiet and almost eerie. We all head back to our rooms and make the final preparations for bed, etc. Earlier, Natalie has told me that the man who works for them, whose name I never get, is willing to take me to Roncesvalles in the morning at 9 a.m. for €25. A bargain. I agree at once, and we are settled.

I clamber up to the top bunk, apologizing in advance to Claudette, a 61 year old woman from Quebec who is walking alone. She is very gracious. I get settled in with water, sandals nearby, flashlight for climbing, etc. and lie down. The Irish ladies finish getting ready, and they flip off the light. It´s actually dark. And quiet. And listening to the soft mountain air outside the screenless windows, we all quickly drift off to sleep, awaiting the next day´s adventure.

Pilgrim blessings,

Crone