El Camino de Santiago : Saint Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles

Kilometres this section : 16

Kilometres completed : 16

Striking French people in Bayonne.

Oh wow, long time no blog.   Well, travelling has not been easy recently, and so I decided to do another year of teaching, it has been very hard work and there wasn't much time for adventure.  I did get to Angkor Wat again, but I already wrote about that.   Well, time for something new then, specifically the Camino de Santiago, a historic pilgrimage route leading to Santiago de la Compostela in northern Spain, the town somewhat implausibly claimed to be the burial site of the apostle, James the Great.  There are in fact numerous routes, I'll be doing the Camino Francés, a 780km trail starting just over the border in France, in a small town called St. Jean-Pied-de-Port (henceforth SJPP).

Walking into St. Jean-Pied-de-Port.

Not too hard to get to the place, I fly to Paris, then another plane to Biarritz airport, from which it's only an hour's walk to Bayonne.  This turns out to be well worth the visit, there are impressive fortifications, and many half-timbered buildings, including my hotel.  Also there's an Irish pub with a variety of reasonably priced beer, and if the nearest I can get to dinner there is a croque monsieur, this is not the end of the world.  Next morning I grab some breakfast and snacks, then head to the train station to take the last motorised journey before I can start walking.

Except... oops.  Of course, it is France, the day has a D in it, so there is a strike.   No train, if they'd told me about the cancellation I could have got an early bus, now my best bet is to wait two hours, then get a bus to Saint Palais, from there another bus goes to SJPP.  But the strikers, not content with not working, are also blocking the road, not sure how the bus can get to us (I have been joined by a few east Asian hikers also hoping to get to the trail).  In the event, a local comes to our rescue, offering to drive us to a different bus stop - we get there just in time to catch the bus.  I reach Saint Palais around midday, there is a bus to SJPP, but not for another 3 hours!

Crossing the border into Spain.

OK, I can work with this, I head for the road out of town and stick up my thumb.  Sure enough, a nice lady offers to take me to the outskirts of town, although perhaps I misunderstood, as she drops me off some 22km away.  OK, thumb up again, this time I get to within 5km.  I feel like Xeno's arrow, doomed to never reach my destination, because I always have to get halfway first.   Ah, screw it, I can walk from here, and I do, and then get my 'Credencial', which I'll need to get stamped in every town to prove that I've done the thing. And, walking!   Starting at nearly 3pm, I am happy to accept the instruction to not walk the 'Napoleon Route', instead the winter route is shorter, only 23km, and mainly on roads.  I make good time then, the road leads up, into Spain without ceremony, then further up.

I pass through a small village, Valcarlos, then there's a lovely section of footpath beside a river, then back to the road.  Onwards, by 6:30 I have perhaps 8km to go, it's going to be a late arrival but I have a hotel booked, I am sure they will give me food, what can go wrong?   Hahaha.   This, clearly, is the day of everything going wrong.  A police car turns up, a fat officer gets out, and tells me it's getting late.  Yes, I know, I have had a few problems today, but not far now.  Gradually I realise that he is not being friendly, in fact he flat out insists that I either walk back to Valcarlos, or accept a ride in his car to Roncesvalles.  Well, no help for it, I get in the car... dear god, first day and I am already cheating.  Ah well, it does mean I am here in time for the excellent and very cheap Menu Peregrinal, and a beer or three, so all good.

Nice to be on a riverside footpath at least.