¡Buen Camino!

Saint Jean Pied de Port to Valcarlos - France into Spain

The day has finally arrived!

The planning, during every walk in the UK, has become a reality... we are now able to fulfil a long held dream and attempt the challenge that we gave up work to do.

This trip has been fraught with set backs and some of which may still prevent us from completing the whole journey, but we are taking it one step at a time.

Saint Jean Pied de Port is the French starting point and where we stayed for the night before our departure.  We didn't sleep well because of heat, a tiny, hard bed and I guess, excitement. We were late setting off as we also had to sort out Daisy; we have left her in France!

Pilgrims queueing for credentials and sellos- the passport and stamps to show the stops along The Way.

View from our first night at Zazpiak Bat.

Packs ready, and not as heavy as I feared, we are on our Way. The day's walk tested my knee and hip but after some stretching on a wooden floor(!) I am overjoyed that it seems they held up to the task. At least for day one! 

The last 2 kms were all uphill and it was so hard, it did make me worry that if it continues like this, I wasn't going to be able to keep going. The weather was good, a great walking temperature, but it was low cloud so we couldn't see too much of the tops, we are glad we decided to come the Valcarlos route. 

Arriving in Valcarlos was such a relief. We set about what is to become our daily routine, we shower, do stretches and spiky ball massage and then wash out clothes. We quickly learnt that we need to do this faster if we want our main meal of the day to be at lunchtime, as we just missed the only cafe in town. A beer and some patatas bravas in a bar was our only option, they were delicious so we were quite happy. It's amazing how quickly we are picking up what we need to do differently.

The only downside to today's walk was a monstrosity of a shopping mall, which is Spanish, surrounded by France, in the middle of the countryside; bizarre, ugly and distracting from everything that comes before it and after.

Alejandra, our host couldn't have been more lovely. She brought me an ice pack for my knee, we had hot water brought for tea and she added cake she had just made. Breakfast was served on a tray brought to the room as the house was being renovated, she did us a massive favour as we were the only guests. 

We fell fast asleep at 8, or at least I did as I could feel my sore throat getting worse. Waking up ready for the day with not too many pains and listening to the birdsong in the mountains made me believe we could do it.  One more super tough day and in theory if I could make it to Roncesvalles I should be able keep going...