My journey has indeed begun. I’ve made it to France and was in a delightful town, Bayonne, for a day. Took the train to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Some new friends and I formed a group and spent much of the day together as we obtained our credentials for the Pilgrimage at the start of the trail. After parting to check into our auberges we met for water and calamari snacks. The girls chose wine.
Paul and Danna, a wonderful, friendly couple, are from the states. The were walking out the next day. M is from Australia and was very mindful of my inability to hear and made sure I did. I appreciated that immensely. M is from Australia and will walk out the third day. We then walked up to the old citadel and looked around. I’m trying to get new pictures up which include distant Mountain View’s taken from the top of this area. We then parted ways.
We formed our group while in Bayonne waiting for the train. I also met Jamie, a young British man at the train station. We kept running into him during the day. Jamie is from the UK and works in the race horse industry. He has lived in different parts of the world and is planning to walk the trail in a minimum time frame of one month. He is young and perfectly able to do so.
After a short rest at my auberge I went for a meal before turning in. I was just seated at a table when Jamie walked up. He joined me and we had our meals together.
I read about the friendships formed on this pilgrimage but did not expect it to happen so quickly. The camaraderie is really nice.
We’ve all parted ways now. But may, and probably will, run into each other again. If not, we will remember each other for years in our memory of the Camino.
As I check and recheck my lists and make certain that I cover every possibility of my journey, the excitement grows. I have completed my travel documents and transportation arrangements and have only a few tweaks to make here and there. I will leave my home around 10 am on Wednesday, April 29th. From the local airport, I’ll fly to a larger international airport in the US and then to Paris.
Paris will only see me for a few hours before I continue on the Biarritz France on the north coast near Spain. My first night will be in Bayonne France where I will need to recover quickly. Next day I’ll take a short train ride about 100 km. Yes, I will need to start thinking in the metric system for that 60 mile trip and the rest of my European stay.
I will arrive in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France where the Camino de Santiago begins for the French Way. There are short Camino ways from different areas but I’m a traditionalist and will take the 500 mile hike through northern Spain. Er..that is, 800 km.
I will enjoy a few sites as I travel toward the starting point. I’ve given myself a few days to adjust to the 6 hour time difference. A few old buildings to explore and, certainly, some delicious French and Basque cuisine will prepare me for the grueling walk.
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