Night train to Dax

First time in a night sleeper train. Laying here laughing to myself....my thoughts on the train from the airport today on people watching was that the French definitely have a way about them...a suspicious harshness- or perhaps it's living in a capital city, and me seeing it through the eyes of someone from sleepy little Hornsea. All the same, wandering the corridors of the overnight train, I can so picture the possibilities of 'Murder on the 21.45 from Platform one'....
The thing that has struck me most this past week is the conflicting realisation that many of the wars and conflicts in this world have religion at the core, and yet here am I about to embark on what for so many is a religious pilgrimage, and yet you could find no more peaceful an experience. The beauty of the Camino is that we are all just 'fellow pilgrims' Age, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, none of it matters. You are just as likely to find a Muslim, a Catholic, and a Budhist walking together sharing the differences of their faith without judgement or fear of persecution, as you are to see as I did on my last Camino 11 people from 11 random and far flung countries sharing a meal, a laugh, and genuinely enjoying each other's company even without a universal shared language.
Human kindness understanding and accceptance at its best

So back to tonight....I'm sharing the sleeping cabin with a lovely French family-mum,dad, a 3-year-old daughter, and an 18-month-old son. Omg, and I forfeited a bottom bunk bed! (On the Camino, drawing the bottom bunk is better than a winning lottery ticket!) Well it was that or lay half awake waiting for the 3yr old above me to come crashing out of the middle bunk! To be honest, though, the guard came around with a safety net webbing that clips on to her bunk, so she should have been safe.

This first train journey is 9 hours arriving in Dax at 0644, and then there are two more trains before I arrive at Saint Jean Pied De Port (SJPDP) at 0915.

The plan is to have a look around SJPDP, find breakfast and a much needed coffee, some food supplies for Sunday as shops will be shut, then head off walking at lunchtime ish.

It's a short walk tomorrow of only 7.5km. Deliberately planned in case I don't get much rest tonight. ...
Speaking of which...night night xxx

Damn. ..the father is snoring!

Distance walked today 6.85 miles (11km) 14184 stepsLäs mer