Zabaldika

[Jopoke]

I wanted to share my little story of Sister Mariasun. In 2015 I walked the Francis and visited the albergue in Zabaldika. We all sat around on cushions discussing our reasons for walking our Camino. When it came to my turn I said I wasn't doing it for religious reasons but spiritual. I said I believed in God but not the umbrella of the church as it was full of man made rules. From that day as I walked and met other lovely people, I realised that the church is not the umbrella, but the really good people underneath it. I've always remembered Sister with so much fondness, so I went back to see if she was still there. I was delighted to meet her again when I finished the Podiensis this year and told her that I'd found my religion again after meeting her. We hugged and chatted before saying goodbye but not before she asked for a selfie and would I send it to her WhatsApp.

 

[wisepilgrim]

Zabaldika is an absolute treasure for pilgrims. The joy is contagious and I smile now just thinking about the kind hearts that care for pilgrims there.

 

[Cathy G]

I didn't stay there but we took the alternative route to there in 2016, visited the church, rang the bell. I still have my beatitudes for pilgrims that I got there and frequently referenced them.

 

[Jopoke]

I didn't stay there but we took the alternative route to there in 2016, visited the church, rang the bell. I still have my beatitudes for pilgrims that I got there and frequently referenced them.

I love that and I've downloaded it.

 

[Jodean]

We so enjoyed staying there this past April. Highly recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to walk all the way from Zubiri to Pamplona or if you just want a lovely, unique experience.
Donate generously too, so the people 2 days later can have a delicious meal. Ours was fantastic, so thank you to the pilgrims that were there before us.

 

[Anthony Rocco]

I wanted to share my little story of Sister Mariasun. In 2015 I walked the Francis and visited the albergue in Zabaldika. We all sat around on cushions discussing our reasons for walking our Camino. When it came to my turn I said I wasn't doing it for religious reasons but spiritual. I said I believed in God but not the umbrella of the church as it was full of man made rules. From that day as I walked and met other lovely people, I realised that the church is not the umbrella, but the really good people underneath it. I've always remembered Sister with so much fondness, so I went back to see if she was still there. I was delighted to meet her again when I finished the Podiensis this year and told her that I'd found my religion again after meeting her. We hugged and chatted before saying goodbye but not before she asked for a selfie and would I send it to her WhatsApp.

My wife and I stayed there in 2014. It still holds first place among our wildest experiences at any albergue. We were the first to arrive that day and the good sister decided that since I spoke Spanish as well as my native American English, I should sit with her and check in other English speakers. How do you say no to a nun? When it came time to wash our clothes, one of the nuns spotted my wife and I ringing them to remove as much water as possible. No, no...she said. This is how you do it. And we been doing it her way ever since...and it works! (This could be a topic for another thread).

After a very meager dinner of soup and bread, we gathered in the bell tower for prayers and discussion. A big dude from Ireland whom we encountered the night before after he fell out of his top bunk and bashed his head, with my wife cleaning and patching it up, broke into tears when it came his turn. He said it had to be a sign that we were sitting in the church of St. Stephen. It was six years to the day that his son, Stephen, had committed suicide. He was on this camino to look for a sign whether he should try to reconcile with his wife. They had grown increasingly apart after the suicide. (If you are wondering what he did, we were in the square in Burgos when he came up to us so excited. He and his wife had decided to have a new start with a second honeymoon at the chalet in Switzerland when they had their first honeymoon.)

But wait...there's more. Suddenly the wind whipped into the bell tower, there lightning and thunder and it all dawned on us that our clothes were on the lines. The nun told us to stay till the storm subsided. The clothes would all be blown off the line and end up down the hill. We could look for them then. We thought she was joking, but sure enough, when the storm subsided, we were led by all the nuns with flashlights to find our clothes. And we did.

We bonded with our fellow pilgrims that evening as never again in our many camino walks. And it is one of those camino stories my wife and I smile whenever we think about it.

 

[Kirkie]

This morning, reading news from a forum friend of seeing only around 20 pilgrims between Pamplona and Puente la Reina, it reminds me of the low numbers who climb the hill here, when over 100 are noted as leaving Roncesvalles pretty well every day.
However, what I really want to say is something that popped into my head from a long ago past - a song from John Denver.
It amazes me that so many who come here have begun their day in Roncesvalles, 34km. Young and not so young! I just looked up the lyrics and include a link. Before I head to Trinidad de Arre today for my walk, I will listen to him singing the song.
Buen camino to all on the way at this time.

john denver it amazes me lyrics at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

PS: on the way back, I counted upwards of 80 pilgrims this morning.
The albergue in Trinidad de Arre allows reservas, best contact Jose Luis directly. I think 38 beds. Only for pilgrims. The Municipal in Villava, a little further on, takes all and sundry, with reservas. 54 beds.