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France Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

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  • TravelerIl cammino
    1
    1
    Day 1

    sanitjean-orissons 8

    April 22 in France ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    Sveglia doccia colazione
    Dalle idee all'azione
    Senza indugio o incertezze
    Sono pronta per l'ebrezza!!
    Oggi è dura, la strada è erta
    Piove forte, sono incerta
    Quanti dubbi in un momento
    Ohi la mente, che tormento!!!!Read more

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  • TravelerThe Beauty of Moving Slowly
    11
    Day 1–2

    St Jean Pied de Port

    April 17 in France ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Hola pingüinos, or more accurately, bonjour les pingouins because I’m still in France – just.

    I’m in the village of St Jean Pied de Port in south-west France after having spent 60 hours getting here thanks to a baggage handling problem in Paris and a missed train connection. But, here we are, and I’m sitting over a beer next to the River Nive before setting out on the Camino Santiago, el Camino, tomorrow. The Nive, by the way, is the lowest point on the Camino so it’s all up hill from here.

    St Jean is a beautiful little village and the most popular starting point of the Camino, although many Spanish pilgrims will say that it really starts in Roncesvalles where I’ll be heading tomorrow. St Jean has a long and colourful history that includes Richard the Lionheart, Napoleon, Roland, Charlemagne, and others. Today, the town is buzzing with family groups and a lot of pilgrims who will be setting out tomorrow. On the train in today, there was a large contingent of Koreans who are about to set out and their excitement was palpable.

    I’ll leave you to explore St Jean on-line if you like but it is worth a look and my photographic skills can’t compete with more able artists who can be found.

    While there are many people from all around the world, there are also some friends of mine who will be completing their own Caminos, and some who are just around because I know you like to hear from people like Efren Gonzalez who many of you enjoyed listening to last time. I’ll include a link to Efren’s video of the daily walk for you in each post and here is his first one. It's an overview to whet your appetite.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux1hAlG9ETA&amp…

    Pete from Sydney is starting out with me tomorrow and, when we reach León in around three weeks time, Catherine and Lorraine from Point Lonsdale, and Vanessa from Sydney will be commencing their Caminos as well. As I’ve explained to many of you who have asked, we don’t walk together all day, every day, because we all walk at a different pace, but we do hook up at the end of each day for a drink and we will tell lies to each other about how great we think we are.

    Regarding my expectations, I’d like to remain open to the possibilities that the universe and the Camino will provide. While that side remains an open book, I do enjoy the scenery, the sights and sounds of nature, living in my head for a month, the food, the culture, and the camaraderie that I will experience along the way. I’m hoping to take more photos this time around on my humble iPhone and I hope you enjoy what we might see together.

    I’ll try to post each evening so that you’ll have something to accompany your morning coffee (for the followers in Oz), but that will all depend on the internet gods and the wifi connections that I will have at each stop.

    Anyway, that’s enough from me, I’ve include a few pics below but hopefully tomorrow will bring new vistas and more faces along The Way.

    Buen Camino    Read more

  • TravelerCamino De Santiago (Francés)
    212
    Day 8–9

    Borda to Burguete

    April 14 in France ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F

    Fighting the elements

    We woke up this morning to an amazing view and a wonderful breakfast.
    But once we started climbing across the Pyrenees, the challenge began.
    We had to ascend around 800 meters and travel 19.7 km to Burguete. The elevation may not seem that much until you actually have to do it with a backpack and strong winds that threatened to throw us off the path several times.
    The sun was shining and the views were surreal, as were portions of the trail. But the wind kept blowing against our faces making it harder and harder.
    We found company along the way and the conversation gave us the strength to push forward.
    The descend was hard on our legs and knees, but arriving at Ronsesvalles Monastery we found respite in a cup of tea and a snack.
    The terrain was flat all the way to Burguete, but we faced a thunderstorm and rain, heavy at times.
    At the end of the day, would not trade the challenge for anything.

    Burguete: stayed at Lorentx Aterpea Hostel/Albergue    Read more

  • TravelerCamino De Santiago (Francés)
    1
    Day 7–8

    On our way: SJPDP to Borda

    April 13 in France ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    At breakfast this morning, we met a wonderful guy from Ireland that comes to the Camino Every Year!!! And later on, we took our own first steps of the journey.
    It was a foggy, rainy morning and at times we could not see beyond a couple of feet away. There was a good number of pilgrims starting and we could feel the excitement in the air.
    The first day was challenging at times because of the elevation, but with good company and a slow pace, we made it to Borda without problems.
    Immediately after leaving St. Jean, we met Shawn and Jamie from Alabama, and Stephanie from the Netherlands, first timers also. So we kept company, we laughed, and shared stories until we arrived at Orrison, where they stayed for the night.

    At Borda, we were met by Laurent, the owner, who gave us a little history of the place. He cooked dinner for all 16 guests and will do breakfast tomorrow.
    There, we met Jaquelina from the Netherlands, and we walked back to Orrison for some lunch. There we met our friends from Alabama again and had a fantastic time discussing religions, our backgrounds, spirituality and everything in between.
    Borda was the perfect place to spend the first night and get to feel the Camino.
    Jaquelina said something that stayed with me today.
    She took the picture of us amid the fog and she said: “Every time you look at this picture, people will see just that, a beautiful picture, but you will remember us all, all of us who shared the table and walked today, the people you will never see again and belong only to this moment, just this one moment. That is all there is.”

    That was so true of our dinner. Laurent prepared an amazing home cooked meal of vegetable soup, a traditional basque dish with pork, onions, and peppers, creamy potatoes and a chocolate mousse dessert.
    The conversation and laughter was non stop and it was like we had been friends forever, this strangers that will probably never cross paths again.
    An unforgettable start!

    At the table: North Korea, Iceland, Norway, Netherlands,
    USA: Washington, California, Virginia, North Carolina.    Read more

  • TravelerJakobsweg '25 / Camino Francés
    1
    Day 2

    Nire ibilaldiaren hasiera Palmondoan

    April 13 in France ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    … das war Baskisch „Start meiner Wanderung am Palmsonntag“ in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Zum Auftakt meiner Reise habe ich an der Messe auf baskisch beigewohnt. Wer das baskische mal gehört hat, dem fällt es schwer die Sprache einem Platz in der Welt zuzuordnen.

    Zum Nachwandern:

    https://www.komoot.com/de-DE/tour/2143491012?re…    Read more

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  • TravelerCamino De Santiago (Francés)
    1112
    Day 6–8

    St. Jean Pied de Port

    April 11 in France ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    St. Jean Pied de Port… I am here!!!
    It was amazing to see the train packed with pilgrims and hearing so many different languages!
    St. Jean in a beautiful little town tucked in the foothills of the Pyrenees, with narrow, cobblestone streets and old basque facades.
    The town was surprisingly quiet at 6:30 pm already and by 9, after settling in my room and taking a shower, it was difficult to find a place to have dinner.
    But I found it! And to celebrate, I treated myself to a nice steak and a glass of sangria.
    1st. Night Stay: Gîte Le Chemin vers l'Etoile.
    10 bed room, 8 men and only two women: myself and a lady from Australia who was beyond excited and a little uneasy about having been placed with so many men.
    The night was quiet, but we were up to a rude awakening in the morning when most of the men got up, turned on the bright lights and starting chatting and laughing like there was nobody else still sleeping.
    2nd. Night Stay: Gite D’Etape Zuharpeta.

    To celebrate the beginning of the walk, we had a nice dinner of traditional dishes and some Basque cider.
    Then we walked over one of the places in the movie “The way,my way” and had another drink before retiring for the night.

    We can hear the thunderstorm and the rain coming down. I guess we will have the full Camino experience tomorrow!    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances 2025
    11123
    Day 5

    St. Michel, France ... to Auberge Borda

    April 5 in France ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    Day one on the Camino was filled with wonderful moments, redefining leg/glute day, and increased heart rates! 😝 I met some amazing people along the road, the first of which informed me that was going the wrong way! Lol... so had they, and I'm thankful that I had not gone nearly as far as they had! Once on the right path, the crisp fresh air, the incredible beauty, and the tranquility of it all quickly filled my senses with a feeling of calm that I couldn't explain. My first day on the Camino ended at Auberge Borda in St. Michel, France. A few of the pilgrims I had met on the walk during the day were also staying there. Our host, Miguel, made us a wonderful pilgrim meal for supper, and we sat together, sharing where we came from and why we were there. There was a heartwarming sense of commaraderie and so many laugh out loud moments... especially when I revealed that for the first time in my life, I was living without adult supervision and wondered what could possibly go wrong!! 😂 I met people from the Netherlands, Australia, Korea, Japan, Great Britain, and many other parts of the USA. The walk during the day was nothing short of amazing...albeit physically demanding! 😬 At the end of the day, we were rewarded with a most spectacular sunset... 😍Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances 2025
    1571
    Day 1

    Bayonne Day 1... 💜

    April 1 in France ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    After an incredible day navigating my way from Madrid and arriving at Ben and Elodie's, I had to force my brain to STOP thinking and go to sleep. Last I looked at the clock, it was nearly 3 am! I finally awoke just before 1:00 pm!! It felt amazing to sleep that long. After a shower and a delicious omelet for breakfast (it still counts as breakfast at 2 p.m., when you've "fasted since 7 a.m., the day before!! 😂), we headed to the beach for a long walk! The views gave me goosebumps, as it finally hit me that I was nearly halfway around the world on another continent! We walked nearly 5 miles. With the company of Ben and Elodie, the amazing views, it was nothing short of spectacular! 💜Read more

  • Camino De Santiago 2024
    21
    Day 2

    Mad Cow Attack

    September 23, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Today was 8k uphill on a glorious day for hiking through the Pyrenees. We started off slowly enjoying an espresso in SJPP before we left. I was feeling a little nervous about the long walk ahead. Todays lesson which cannot be underestimated was the need to focus on todays journey and not the enormous big task ahead. We need to get into a rhythm and everything’s a bit clunky at the start. I’ve fussed around with organising where to put things in the backpack and bumbag and keeping the important things accessible. The views all the way up today were just gorgeous, beautiful mountain scenery, very green and leafy with enormous expanding vistas in all directions. A few hawks flew overhead but mostly it was peaceful. We were delighted to hear cowbells and cows wandering on the track in front of us. They looked cute and gentle. But be warned! Cows are dangerous. To our surprise and shock one of them attacked Michael. Sounds dramatic but he was gored in the chest and knocked backwards off the track. Michael sustained a red graze on his chest, and was bleeding from the leg where he went into bushes on the side of the road trying to get away from it. He’s pretty lucky not to break a rib or puncture a lung. We had a bit if a laugh about it but it was not funny really. Day One and we’re all still here resting up at Refuge Orisson. Winning!Read more

  • Camino Spring 2024
    11112
    Day 5

    Over the pyranees part 2

    April 13, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Too many good photos - had to share more!

    I love seeing the horses free to go wherever they wish. And some of them wear bells, just like the cows in Switzerland. Have the sound on for the videos - so cool.

    Somewhere along the way we crossed over into Spain, but it was not super clear except for the slight change in the route markers.

    I was pretty pooped at the 3 hour mark, so by the 6 hour mark, I think I was running on just water and Paul’s encouragement. We started sharing which body parts were talking to us.

    We’ll see how sore we are in the morning.

    The Albergue is part of a monastery set in the hills of Roncesvalles. It’s incredibly well organized, clean, and volunteers help with the set up process.

    I’m impressed with the beds and lockers, clean shared bathroom and hot shower.

    Glad to pay for the pilgrim’s dinner and breakfast. When do we eat??    Read more

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