Madrid to St. Jean and Beyond

Thanks to great bus service in Spain I left Madrid, traveled to Pamplona and made a connection to St Jean, France in a single afternoon.  I was surprised that the tiny village was so quiet as the last time I was here it was teeming with pilgrims.  First order of business was to register at the Camino Office and obtain the credential which is required to stay at any of the pilgrim lodgings.  The credential is stamped at each albergue, or church or even a city hall.  The credential must also be presented upon arriving to the church in Santiago where you then receive the compostela or certificate of completion of the pilgrimage.

Following a hearty meal and a stroll around the village I returned to the albergue wanting a good night of sleep as the first day is one of the most difficult.  The first 20 km takes you over the Pyrenees and the last 5 are downhill arriving to Roncesvalles in Spain.

                            Sunset in the tiny village of St. Jean Pied de Port, France.

My sleep turned out to be not as restful as I had hoped.  Not sure if it was due to my excitement to begin walking or the snorers, even though I was prepared with earplugs (note: earplugs are a must when staying in dorms), I forgot to have them ready and after settling in to my silk liner, I didn't feel like getting up and digging through my bag to locate them.
The following morning a thick fog had settled on the village but my mid morning the sun was out and the views spectacular.

                      These are not my boots, I just liked them in the photo.
People come from all over the world to make this trek and during the first evening and following day I made a list of folks I chatted with.  Russia, several US states, Spain,  Puerto Rico, Australia, Finland and Sweden...however I also saw a crest from Brazil and heard lots of people speaking German.  Oh yes, and Canada...two women from Quebec.

                           Pila and Richard, a Spanish/Amerian couple from Tarragona.
Conversation is a great tool to take your mind off the climb....as is the scenery.

                                                        Still on the way up......

                                                   and UP until.....

                         ....finally descending where this gate marks the border with Spain.

Day 2 also started with a thick morning fog.....now ONLY 790 km to go.  I started well behind most pilgrims as I took my time arranging my pack.  With the dorm almost empty, I readied my body with some stretching while listening to recorded music of chanting monks. 

It was not long before the sun chased away the fog and I was soon peeling off my jacket and converting my pants to shorts.

No shortage of stops to enjoy a cafe latte and....

....the long anticipated and oh so Spanish...tortilla de patatas.

Some young entrepreneurs providing icy cold drink to the tired and thirsty pilgrims.

  Some years ago, a friend Berniece once said never walk by a child selling lemonade on the street.  Since that time I have taken it to heart.
   The days and kilometers seem to go by so quickly and after 3 days and about 75 km I arrive to Pamplona as they are gearing up for the famous festival of San Fermin and the running of the bulls.

I had not even given this a thought while preparing for my trip but within two weeks there will be absolutely no accommodation available  here and the prices will double.

I think it would be quite a spectacle to witness....perhaps another trip?

Til next time....