Tony, Tim, Betsy & Ray's (not forgetting Geoff) 2014 Camino

9.06.14 Monday. Middle of Knowhere to Elizondo. Although it was a quiet night except for the owl and the tents were dry in the morning not all the party slept well inspite of yesterdays exertions. Much insect life seemed to want to inhabit our tents and a wild life hunt in the inner mesh parts was needed before settling for the night. But we are off up the concrete road by 7am. It is a painless ascent and the views in the early morning across this relatively low part of the Pyrennees(1000-1200m) are suberb. Once the hieght is gained the route follows the ridges and we meet ponies and sheep but no people until well down the long descent to Elizondo through beech oak and occasional pine woods. We also find in flower Purple Toothwort a parasitic damp loving plant with quite attractive flowers growing out straight from the ground. Betsy finally managed to identify it in our electronic guides. On the tops we found as in Tonys route info, several old stone circles and old border stones sometimes on the current border sometimes not, but up here it seems and probably always has been irrelevant. Elizondo is reached well before the promised rain and find good rooms by the fine river with several old bridges and another large water snake. We wash ourselves and clothes much needed and then ponder drying, the establishment being in town and a little up market of most of our previous lodgings. Opening a window finds a blank wall about 2ft away so a good place to hang the line under the eaves and so sheltered from the rain that does come as forcast. This town also seems to be on a Camino to Santiago, they have scallop shells in the pavement and occasional walkers pass through with the identifying shell on rucksacks. We were unaware of this but it is a relatively low level route through from France and certainly the flood of pilgrims in the 13 -14C would have found short easy routes which will even now vary at different times of year. It is obvious though we are in Basque heartland and the Kingdom of Navarre is alive and thriving at least on this pleasant little town. The third well above average day in succesion and another planned for tomorrow. And the hunt for wild life of the insect kind continues as 30 ants parade out of Betsy's rucksack.