Day 2 - Company of Canadian Pilgrims : Paris to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Company of Canadian Pilgrims

Paris to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

We woke up early, excited for the beginning of our Camino.  After a quick breakfast of eggs, bacon, yogurt, coffee, and juice, we walked to Gare Montparnasse to catch the train to St. Jean Pied de Port.  At the station, we printed our tickets for the 7:28 AM train to Bayonne and for the 2:55 PM train from Bayonne to St. Jean.  Unlike the rail systems in Canada, which give ample notice of which track each train is leaving from, and usually provide a list of all the stops each train will be making en route, there is very little advance notice of anything in Paris, and only the final destination is given (which was not Bayonne in our case).  Despite our momentary concerns that we would manage to miss our train, we were able to find the correct train and coach with plenty of time to spare.

 

Bayonne France

The SNCF train system in France is pretty good.  The cars are quiet and clean, making it possible to relax and enjoy the view of the passing French countryside.  Despite feeling rushed to get to our train (a symptom of our own expectations and excitement), we found the public transportation system very efficient, and the pace of Paris and its inhabitants to actually be quite unhurried.  During our 5 hour trip, we enjoyed an espresso before arriving in Bayonne, where we had a two-hour break before catching the next train to St. Jean Pied Port. 

Our layover in Bayonne gave us the opportunity to get up, stretch our legs, briefly explore, enjoy some ice cream, and visit La Cathedrale Sainte-Marie.  It was a nice, refreshing break!    

 

When we returned to the train station we met two Canadians on the platform, who were also setting out on the Camino.  They looked like they were in considerably better shape and clearly better prepared than us.  During our brief talk, they mentioned that their packs were much lighter than ours, which soon had us wondering how well we had thought through our packing and plans for the coming hike.

 

 

Regardless, it was very exciting to meet other pilgrims along the way, and ironic to meet Canadians in France heading out on the same trek as us!  The train for St. Jean Pied de Port soon arrived, and despite it being packed, everyone appeared to be very excited, talking to one another and even singing in French. 

 

 

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

After a  quick ride through beautiful countryside, the train arrived in SJPP, which is a small town on the French side of the Pyrenees, and the traditional starting point for many pilgrims en route to Santiago.   

In  SJPP all of the pilgrims disembarked, and our horde, complete with backpacks, moved as one through the town following the shell markers to the easily located pilgrim office. 

 

En route, we wandered through historic narrow stone cobbled streets lined with bakeries, gift shops, and pilgrim hostels, which are called gites in France or albergues in Spain. At the pilgrim office, we stood in line with dozens of others, left our bags at the door, and registered as pilgrims en route to Santiago.  In this office, we received our pilgrim passports, our first stamp, purchased our shells, and were given a printed sheet with elevation profiles and a list of accommodations along the Camino route.  

 

 

 

Since it was a weekend, the city was busy and many of the hostels were already full, but the very helpful volunteers at the Pilgrim Office advised us as to which albergues might still have beds available.  After recovering our packs we hiked down the street to the Refuge Le Chemin vers l'Etoile, 21 rue d'Espagne, an albergue whose entrance had a beautiful mural of the Camino and its landmarks - an inspiring site at the outset of our hike.   We were soon welcomed in, and shown to a bunk in a room with 8 other bunk beds.  The room was clean, well aired out, and had large windows through which we could overlook the street below.  After a shower, we headed out to explore SJPP. 

 

 

Having arrived and checked in safely we decided to treat ourselves at the local bakery where we bought fresh bread, raspberries, granola bars and ice cream (no not healthy choices, but fun).  We also found postcards and took the time to write quick messages and mail them home.  Here we discovered that postage stamps in France and Spain are sold in both Tabac shops and some bookstores, not just in Post Offices.  We wandered through town, enjoying its iconic bridge and clock tower, visited the central church, explored the city walls, and hiked up to enjoy the view of the Pyrenees Mountains from the Citadel.  By the end of the afternoon, both tired and excited, we took the time to remove our sandals and cool our feet in the river by the church.

 

 

By 6 pm we returned to the albergue to get ready for dinner and discovered that our room had filled up with other hikers, some of whom were already asleep, some of whom were changing their clothes, and one of whom was simply walking around naked.  It was at this point that the realities of just how different life will be for the next month finally began to set in.  I think the shift from enjoying private living quarters to sharing accommodations with 20 or more other people each night will be a challenging one, but hopefully also a good one!  

  

Pilgrim Advice 

We shared a wonderful communal meal consisting of couscous, rice, vegetables, seasoned beef, red wine, and dessert with the other residents of our albergue, who came from Germany, France, Spain, England, America, Canada, and Brazil.  There was lively conversation as everyone introduced themselves and exchanged stories.  At the end of our meal, the owner of the Albergue gave us some advice for the trek ahead of us.  He told us that "you need to remember to take water each day, take your time, and make sure you enjoy each moment."  He also advised that "you should not carry your egos with you on the way, let the way choose you.  You need to learn to accept rather than expect. Set your demands aside and you will find more of yourself and the world on the way." He also warned that "you will encounter difficulties physically and personally along the way and that you have to remember not to get frustrated by this.  For some of you, it will take a few days to get into the groove of the Camino and for others it might take a few weeks, but if you give it time, you'll find what you need."  This sounds like very good advice!

After dinner we had only about half an hour before the albergue curfew at 10 pm, so we took the opportunity to take a short walk outside to enjoy the lights of SJPP at night. 

 

 

At 10 we were back in our bunks, in a room with over a dozen others who were also clearly very excited about the coming journey.  The windows have been thrown open, the fresh mountain air is wafting in and cooling us off, and the peace of the region settles among us.  Amid the snoring of some, the tossing and turning of others, the low hum of a room of excited people vibrates.  Tomorrow we begin hiking in earnest!

See you on the Trail!
https://www.comewalkwithus.online/

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Practical information:

Distance: 820 km
Max Temperature: 28°C
Accommodations: Refuge Le Chemin vers l'Etoile, 21 rue d'Espagne, 30 Euros/per person (meal included)