Friday, May 3, 2013

Day 1 ~ St. Jean Pied-de-Port to Huntto

(Thursday May 2nd)

After tossing and turning all night filled with anxiety, 5am came as quite a shock. However, things were running very smoothly until I left the hotel headed for the Bayonne train station. It is a lovely ten minute stroll, unless you make a right turn instead of a left at a critical moment. In this instance you literally get to enjoy the entire city by foot. When I realized that I needed assistance, I asked a woman passing by if I was near the station. She took a quick look at her watch and said, "Peregrino, No?" When I answered she told me with absolute authority to put my pack in her car. We hopped in and she raced the eight blocks back to the train station which I had apparently passed, and dropped me off to my waiting train with a very warm, "Buen Camino!" I tried to give her some euro but she wouldn't accept it. She just said, "My name is Kristine and I will be praying for you."
When I hopped out of the car a group of Italian pilgrims were also going into the station. They overheard my conversation with Kristine and waited for me to join them and board the train. All seniors who had met in an online forum before departing Italy, when they learned I was traveling alone, they immediately took me in as one of their own. Fascinated by the size of my backpack (as most everyone has been so far) they enjoyed guessing items that I may or may not have had. When it was discovered that I had packed extra ziplock baggies to protect things from the rain, they shared that they had not thought to bring any. When I gave them each one to keep their pilgrim passports in, they wanted to give me a gift in return. I thanked them and refused as politely as possible but they insisted, and then once the exchange had been made, all sat grinning from ear to ear eagerly waiting to see where I could make room for my new bright red Alfa Romeo hat.
At St.Jean Pied-de-Port, as soon as we stepped from the train I heard my name. It was Bill from Canada who had made it into town the night before, but came to use wifi at the small cafe nearby and saw us unloading from the train. Seeing him felt like bumping into an old friend. I introduced him to my new Italian friends and we all walked together to the pilgrim office to register and receive our first sello (stamp in the passport) to mark the official start of our pilgrimage.
We continued to walk together through the cobbled streets, stopping to meet the other pilgrims we saw along the way.
I met Bart from Amsterdam, a very tall young man with brown curly hair, who has a big beautiful smile and a very warm, comfortable manner. Talking to him was like drinking hot chocolate. He was also very intrigued by my pack, which gave the Italians an opportunity to boast that they had added to it. (I might have mentioned that I had a daughter his age in Missouri...starting to feel some matchmaking coming on!) He had decided to stay the night in St. Jean and begin his walk early the next morning. I wished him well and we carried on out of the city.
One of my Italian friends, Louisa from Milan, and I began walking along together and talking while the others stopped in stores along the way. She was the first to ask me why I was doing the pilgrimage. This, I soon learn, is what everyone discusses after first meeting on the Camino.
I shared that there wasn't one significant overarching reason that I was aware of at this point, but rather many things and a few people who will be on my mind while I am walking. She told me not to worry, that the reason would most likely become more clear in the days ahead. At the time I thought this was a very odd thing to say.
Louisa then shared with me that her husband had passed away four years ago, only two months after being diagnosed with cancer. This will be a long walking mediation for her, as well as, her first journey alone.
Before we knew it we had walked out of town and up to the start of Route de Napolean. This pass through the Pyrenees had been closed until this morning because of heavy snowfall. The other option for this section follows along a road the entire way, rather than going through the woodlands, so many of us had our hearts set on this. It is quite a long, arduous trek for the first day on the Camino, so many (including myself) plan to stop over at an allbergue as close to the middle point as possible. My Italian friends, however, planned to go directly to Roncesvalles so we parted ways at my stopping point with "Arrivederci"

My allbergue is located in Huntto. The room I am assigned has six beds, two bunks & three singles and i am the first to arrive. I select one of the singles & begin to unpack my things and settle. After a short while my first roommate appears.
His name in Rene and he is from Sweden. He is obviously a professional by the way he is quickly getting organized. He shares that he began eight days ago in Lourdes and that he has horrible blisters already. I don't think I gave him quite the response he was expecting so he immediately took off his boots to show me. I have to admit that I've never seen anything like his feet. It's absolutely horrifying and I have no idea how he continues to walk. I make a mental note to pay very close attention to how my feet are feeling as I walk, and to keep extra socks & moleskin with me at all times!
Throughout the afternoon more pilgrims arrive. Three from Germany are assigned with us. Jenny, who is 28 and solo (more to follow) and a couple named Nanny and Hinka, all three from Frankfurt. They met up while walking and decided to stop over together.
The five of us spend the afternoon together eating German sausage & cheese, (that Hinka carries with him everywhere) and listening to Hinka's entertaining stories.
Dinner is communal and there are about 20 who attend. Rene, Jenny, Hinka, Nanny & I all sit together and, after just one afternoon, it feels like we've known each other forever.
Hinka is the life of the party, telling tales and jokes all night and singing for us all when dessert comes. Hinka and Nanny are newly weds, and dote upon each other constantly. His stories are all of the many romantic things he's done while wooing her all over the world. They are such a cute couple with an insatiable appetite for travel...they remind me of a very dear Cornish couple I know & love!
Jenny is sweet and beautiful, a well traveled preschool teacher who speaks five languages fluently and has recently ended a long term relationship which was not progressing. She is truly every mothers dream daughter-in-law.
With all the fun Hinka encourages, dinner goes later than expected but before heading off to bed we make plans to meet for a quick breakfast together, just before heading off the next morning.
It was a very good first day. I am feeling a bit more at ease being surrounded by such kind people, but am still very apprehensive about trekking through mountains with snow!










No comments:

Post a Comment