St. Jean Pied de Port

Took a quick taxi to Bayonne then boarded a train for our launch point. Very scenic route, which even some four-legged passengers appreciated. Toodled around St. Jean (tres pittoresque, with some interesting shops and vending machines), checked in with the Pilgrim office to get our first stamp and walked up to the 16th century citadel and around its ramparts for some great views of the town and mountains. Had a Basque Burger (aka bacon cheeseburger) and sangria at a restaurant where we met a few other pilgrims while waiting for the hotel's check-in time. Then had another glass of wine while waiting for the A/C in our room to catch up to the near-90-degree heat -- a final pampering before tomorrow's vigorous hike over the Pyrenees!Read more