We got up early, bought some breakfast from a nearby bakery, and caught the TGV train from Paris to Bayonne. Although the train reached speeds close to
200 mph, it was a smooth ride. After an hour-plus layover in Bayonne, we took a regional train to St. Jean Pied de Port. This train was packed with pilgrims. It was May, not the high season for
Camino pilgrimages, but the train was standing room only.
After disembarking at the train station, we posed for a picture at the St. Jean Pied de Port sign to begin our pilgrimage. We checked into the Gite (Cottage) and
dropped off our bags. The first order of business was to hurry to the Office of the Pelerines (Pilgrims) and register for the pilgrimage. By registering, we received a Camino passport where we would use stamps
from restaurants, churches and lodging that we visited along the way. When we arrived at Santiago de Compostela the stamps would prove that we had walked at least 100 Km of the Camino and thus be rewarded with the certificate of a true pilgrim.
We also were given a shell to attach to our packs; the shell is the symbol of the Camino pilgrim. There was already quite a line outside the office. We saw a couple with their Camino passports exit the Office
and pick up their extremely full packs - her pack was so heavy she couldn't lift it without help from her companion. Then, bent double, they staggered off to their lodging for the night.
It is crazy to carry so much weight. I wonder how far they made it. I was so glad we signed up for luggage transfer service. We would
only be carrying our day packs with rain gear and some snacks on our daily walks.
The first stage of the Camino is the hardest stage. It requires pilgrims to cross the Pyrenees and enter into Spain. There are two possible routes: the traditional
"high route", called the Route of Napoleon, because his armies took that path when invading Spain. The other route, the "low path" (Route of Valcarlos), is less scenic, but it is recommended for days of bad weather. The
weather report for the next day predicted cold rain and clouds, so the scenic views on the Route of Napoleon would be obscured by the clouds. Lil and I decided we would take the lower route.
Passports procurred, we explored St Jean Pied de Port. There is a fortification on top of the hill overlooking the town, so we walked up there for a look. There is an
entrance portal - Porte Saint-Jacques - which didn't look all that impressive, but it held UNESCO status because pilgrims from all over France (and further) all walked through it to enter the walled town of St. Jean
Pied de Porte before they embarked on the Spanish leg of their pilgrimage.
We also looked into the church of Notre Dame which holds a mass each evening with a special pilgrim blessing for everyone preparing to embark on their long walk.
Lil went back that evening to attend the mass.
We looked all over St. Jean Pied de Port for a restaurant that was open so we could buy dinner, but everything was closed until 7 PM. We ran into this issue multiple times
on our Camino - no place to eat until late in the evening. We eventually found a place that sold us some ham sandwiches. It wasn't a very satisfying meal, but it was all we could find.
Went to bed early. I was still suffering from jet lag. I didn't get a good night's sleep in Paris, so I hoped to be well rested when we started hiking tomorrow. But
I was still unable to fall asleep. Maybe I was thinking too much of the big journey we were about to embark upon. I listened to the rain pouring down that night and hoped for drier conditions tomorrow. We set the alarm for 6 AM.
Still Photographs
