Roncevalles to Zubiri, Spain

It's only ∼22km, but it feels like everything. You start in Roncesvalles, mist in the pines, Roland’s chapel behind you. The world is quiet. Then you drop. Down through beech forest, down past farms, down into the Valley of Baztán. Your knees complain, your pack feels heavier, and you start asking "why am I doing this?" By the time you reach Zubiri, with its medieval bridge over the Arga River, you’re tired, dusty, and a little proud. The Camino doesn’t start with a view. It starts with a descent. You leave the high, dramatic places and go into the ordinary. Into sore feet, into albergues, into walking beside strangers who become company.