From one camino to the other

Today we finished up the Camino Catalan as we went up steeply to and then down steeply (oh wow VERY steeply) from San Juan de la Peña, where we reached the Camino Aragonés. The only problem was that we intersected with this Camino about 50 km down from the Pyrenees pass, the Puerto de Somport, on the French border, where the Camino Aragonés officially begins. 

Not wanting to miss a day or two at the start of the camino, primarily because it starts high in the mountains, we decided to make our way up to the top. But how?  We knew there was a bus at 5 pm, but since it was only 10 in the morning, that seemed silly. We tried hitching for a few minutes on the highway, but that wasn't too promising. 

So we went into the town of Santa Cilia De Jaca on the theory that if we waved someone down and asked for help, we'd be more likely to get somewhere. And sure enough, the first car we flagged stopped. We explained our situation, and he took us all the way up to the border, even though he had only been planning to go about 15 km. 

All the way up, we had a guided commentary-- when this ski resort opened, where the army was putting in installations, and most interesting, how someone had recently found in the station of Canfranc a huge packet of papers recording all the gold the Nazis smuggled through France to Spain ("neutral" in WW2) and then used to buy military equipment. 

By noon, we were ready to walk again. We decided to go 8 km to Canfranc Station, where we are now in an albergue. Absolutely gorgeous walk today. One of those days where you give thanks over and over for the privilege of doing this.