El Camino Day 1: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles

/ calleoscope

Read the post and if you want to take a deeper dive into the sights go to the sections below. Keep in mind I am actively updating these pages as I go so they may not have anything on them yet so check back later!

El Camino: Scenic Photos
El Camino: Wildlife and Domesticated Animals
El Camino: Maps and distances hiked

We woke up early at 0530 and got ready for hiking! Our breakfast at the albergue was brief and delicious! When 0630 rolled around we were ready to go!

Along with the scallop shells we put other things on our bags to be able to identify them since so many people are traveling with the same equipment. Good idea . . . right?

You will all be ecstatic to know that I am hiking in my legendary hiking shorts!

I’ve had these shorts since I was 13 years-old so that makes them 27 years-old Legendary!!!

The first leg of the journey took us out of France and St-Jean-Pied-de-Port and across the border to Spain arriving at Roncesvalles.

Taken from “Village to Village Guide, Camino de Santiago, Camino Frances: St. Jean – Santiago – Finisterre” https://www.caminoguidebook.com/about. An excellent guidebook we highly recommend !

The views were spectacular and our muscles became sore, but we hiked with our own packs and had a sense of accomplishment at the end. I say hiked with our own packs because you do have the option to pay small fees to have your pack shuttled to the next town where you can have them for the night . . . but that’s too easy right?

My fiance taking in the view of the Pyrenees!

Plenty of markers, guideposts, and trailblazing are along the paths to direct you in the right direction! Only 765 kms to go!

It was a pretty tough day of hiking, but we got through it and arrived at Roncesvalles!

Our lodgings are right next to Iglesia de Santiago and Silo de Carlomagno! Which are just simply old, beautiful buildings.

Tonight we are staying at La Posada . . . a hotel featured in the movie “The Way,” which so many people have watched and it continues to inspire people to take this journey.

*Revision* la posada means inn or lodging, and it frequently refers to inns with historic significance. We did not catch the name of the one we stayed in.

La Posada, our hotel for the night, but in the movie “The Way,” I think it was portrayed as a communal bunk house . . . oh, well that’s Hollywood for you!

For those of you interested in the crazy things we see along the way, check out the link below. Nothing will be inappropriate, but instead humorous and just plain odd. Besides . . . do I really want to give a proponent of the earth being flat a spotlight? Ugh!

El Camino: Abyssal Vault of Lunacy

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