Day 1: St Jean - Roncesvalles

Today was the big day, Day 1! And a tough day to boot, 24 kms and 1.5kms incline over the Pyrenees. The wholesomeness continued today with a communal breakfast and a bit of a reading from our hosts to get us thinking about the journey ahead, why we're doing it and what we want out of it. A great question if I'm honest, I'll get thinking.

Out of the gate I ran into Raul, my Sicilian friend from the train, and just like that, from 20 metres in, I wasn't solo anymore. As we walked we collected and chatted to a bunch of different people, some from our accommodation, and some just lovely people. It really is an incredible atmosphere, I'm not sure what I could compare it to. We walked the last 4 kilometres with an Argentinian couple, a Korean guy, a German lady and an American couple. Some really great conversations.

We did some pretty hard work today. While there are one or two rifugios along the way, the last 3 hours we were in pure wilderness, so it a good decision to have brought food in Bayonne (particularly as Raul had brought nothing aha).

We had the occasional pleasure of listening our cycling "Spanish Pavarotti", which was hilarious. Sheep, horses, falcons and cultures everywhere! Constant animal presence. They have bells on the horses here, and I believe it is genuinely because these are French eating horses. Fair enough.

We've arrived at this huge dormitory in Roncesvalles which runs like clockwork, had a shower, did a quick clothes wash and then off to mass. The atmosphere here was also pretty special, so many people on the same journey. The town has three dorm/hotels and a church, nothing more needed aha.

Dinner, as I'm coming to expect, was a very family affair. A long table with all other pilgrims. I made two new Italian friends in Franco and Andrea who were great chat. Andrea ordered the pasta starter in Spain (a huge risk in Spain he said) and was hilariously disappointed. Upon tasting he laughingly choked and then said this was the level of pasta served only during wartime! They were great. Dinner was a 3 course meal with wine on the table as well, not bad at all!Read more