The first night

That’s my bed on the left with the blue jacket! I’ll be leaving out a lot of details since my post last night took 2 hours.

Today is officially my first night as a pilgrim. I successfully found transportation from Bilbao, Spain, to Bayonne, France, then finally to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France. That is where the popular French Way for the Camino begins and also where the official pilgrim office is located. I stopped there to obtain my “pilgrim’s passport,” giving me exclusive access to certain hostels and places to stay only for pilgrims along the Camino. I also bought a scallop shell and tied it to my backpack, which officially marks me as a pilgrim!

Just like yesterday, there were a couple hoops I had to jump through to get around. Today was a little bit more confusing, since I hardly spoke French, unlike Spanish. This morning I got an email saying in French that my train to Saint Jean Pied de Port (SJPP) was canceled due to a professional movement or something. Of course, I went to the supposed train station anyway to see if it was true. I could find other options if it wasn’t, like Uber or BlaBlaCar. They had a bus leaving for SJPP at the exact same time, so things worked out!

I had some time in Bayonne before the bus left. So I wandered around the city and saw some amazing things! Including a massive catholic cathedral open to the public! I’ll put pictures below!

I found my way to the bus leaving for SJPP, and boarded it. That is where I met my first pilgrim friend! Her name was Hailee (I think that’s how you spell it) and she’s from Taiwan. She spoke mostly the Taiwan language there and only a little English, but we were still able to connect and share our stories despite the language barrier.

But conversation didn’t last long due to the incredible scenery! We had to take it all in. Europe is truly beautiful, at least all the areas I’ve seen so far!

When I arrived at St. Jean Pied de Port, I made my way to the pilgrim’s office with my new friend! We got inside and found 2 other pilgrims already there. The workers were super nice and helpful! I met both of the other pilgrims. We’re planning to leave at the same time tomorrow, so we’ll see if we walk the same pace. It would be nice to have company along the way!

There was much more that transpired, but I must get to sleep as I have a big day tomorrow. 25 kilometers to the next city, Roncesvalles. Just know that these posts can’t convey all the experiences I’ve had today. I wish I could describe all of it, but I have little time.

P.S. the pilgrim legends about snorers is true. I didn’t think it was that common, but the guy next to me sounds like a motorcycle factory during busy season. Good thing my mom convinced me to pack ear plugs.