Arrival into St-Jean

Having discovered that the weather was one of my biggest barriers to exploring Bayonne this morning, I decided to head back to my hotel and ensure that everything was in readiness for the train ride to St-Jean.

Despite the rain, I found myself overcome with the reality of where I was, and felt a surge of emotion at the thought that at 50 years of age I'd only just made it to Europe. It was an incredible feeling, and motivated me to embrace everything that this trip has to offer.

The one-hour train ride to St-Jean was an absolute pleasure, taking in the sights of the French countryside. Centuries-old buildings, of the kind I've ever only seen in movies, just added to the magic.

First thing first, a visit to the Pilgrims Office to get my official Pilgrim Passport, and its first stamp.

St-Jean is even more beautiful than I could have imagined. Though I've seen countless pictures of it before, walking along the Citadelle revealed no shortage of postcard views, and a preview of the Pyrenees - which will be my physical and mental challenge as I take the 27km walk to Roncesvalles tomorrow.

Pascal, the manager of tonight's albergue (Gîte Bidean) is quite a lively and eccentric character, and is at ease with welcoming his guests.

I started to meet some fellow pilgrims this afternoon, and will write more about them if they become part of my daily walks.

Looking forward to my first pilgrim dinner tonight, and an early night to bed.Read more