Beginning the pilgrimage

[Rosina Lila]

Hi Mary Ann,
My suggestion is that you fly directly to Pamplona.  The difference in the
airfare (from NY, at least) is negligible, and the wait in Madrid to transfer
to the Pamplona flight is very short.  As the plane nears Pamplona you can
see all those techno-wind-mills, mentioned in Linda's book  and if you are
lucky, even the pilgrims' monuments.
I would stay in Pamplona, which is a lovely city, quite inexpensive and with
superb food, a couple of days to acclimate.  From Pamplona there is a daily
bus to Roncesvalles that gets you there just in time to get the pilgrim's
passport and to attend the very moving Pilgrims' Blessing Service.
Afterwards, there is a taxi service to St. Jean's  which costs about $18 US
Dlls. for four people and will deposit you at the door of wherever you are
going to stay in St Jeans..
Your brief stay in Pamplona will also allow you to get all the maps
conceivably possible, including a very useful and handy pocket one that comes
in two parts, in three languages, and has all sorts of very practical and
useful information, as well as the best routes, etc., and is about the size
of a folded letter.

You can e-mail me directly if you would like some more detailed information.

Tomorrow, Sunday, is the last day of the Twentieth Century and of the Second
Millennium. It is a sobering and momentous day, the passage into a new
Century and a New Millennium.  These are only dates, I know, but are quite
noteworthy.

A Happy New Year/Century/Millenium to every one.


Rosina
(from New York City, where at present it is snowing copiously and
beautifully!)