Camino Frances - the start

After nearly two months of preparation, I was eagerly awaiting the departure date. I thought that since this is the most popular route, it would be quite easy to get to the starting point, Saint Jean Pied de Port. I managed to make a mistake here, not all roads lead to SJPDP. Considering the many variations and the flight prices, I chose the Barcelona - Pamplona -SJPDP route. I flew to Barcelona, ​​where I planned to do some sightseeing, and then took the train to Pamplona. Unfortunately, the plane was delayed by more than an hour, so I really only had a short amount of time available. After that, the train also managed to be late.

Pamplona

I booked accommodation for this night and the first two nights on the way, of course, and because it was Easter weekend, and the Spanish also go on trips at that time. The accommodation in Pamplona has a check in until 8 pm, but the train only arrived around 7:30. I panicked and wrote to the host about the situation, luckily he was very kind and said he would definitely wait for me. Of course, so as not to keep the him waiting, I ran from the station with my backpack. As it turned out, it was a semi-capsule hostel, which means that the beds are in small separate sections. It was a really exciting experience to sleep in one of these, and despite my claustrophobia, I felt good.

Casa Ibarrola Pamplona

The next day the only bus to France left at noon, so in the morning I went sightseeing, found the bus station, and wandered in a small park where they even had some deers. To my surprise, there was almost no one on the streets except me, as I later discovered during my travels in Spain that people there go to bed late and also get up late, so life starts slowly even in the big cities. It's good to take this into consideration when walking the camino, it's worth being prepared with food for breakfast in smaller places, and you also need to calculate in the time for the siesta (usually between 2-5 pm).

At noon I boarded a bus with several enthusiastic pilgrims. It was nice to see faces that I might meet on the camino. On the way there we went through the mountains, where those who had already started their journey were climbing up in the sun. I thought, oh my poor people, it's so steep, they must be tired. A few minutes later it dawned on me that tomorrow I would be the one marching up here. Unfortunately, I only saw the information in the last part of the planning that the original route would not be opened before April 1st, so the alternative route has to be used. As it turned out, this year it was not even opened until late April due to the weather, because it could be dangerous.

Saint Jean Pied de Port

After getting off the bus, I went to the pilgrim office (39 Rue de la Citadelle), where a few people were already lined up outside, patiently waiting for those already inside to finish, loaded with information. Here, everyone still shyly looking at the others, and those leaving in groups receive directions from their leaders. Inside, I was the first Hungarian to be directed to the path by the older gentleman who spoke to me. I was able to choose a shell for my backpack, which is the most important symbol of the journey (of course, the first one I looked at was taken by the person in front of me, but there were also some that were a little pink), I received my pilgrim passport, which I could put the first stamp in, I received a map, a list of accommodations, and a few important instructions regarding the next day's hike.

You can read about the symbol of the shell in my previous blog post here.

Then I headed towards the accommodation. I was given a place in a long room where there weren't too many beds, but here the dormitory atmosphere had already begun. My host was very nice, I quickly became friends with him and the Thai boy who helped him. So later they offered to wash and dry my clothes and I even got chocolate with dinner. I filled up at the store, so that I wouldn't starve in the next few days, thus slightly increasing the weight of my bag. In the evening I had dinner in the shared kitchen, and the guy sleeping on the bed next to me, Daniel, also arrived. He wasn't very talkative, but his eyes lit up when he got some chocolate. I spent the evening reading, sightseeing and studying the route.

I usually recommend everyone to book accommodation for the first two nights, because there are a lot of people, and it is worth checking the holidays, because that is when the Spanish also travel. I started on Easter weekend, so I would not have had a place if it hadn't been booked in advance. Of course, the municipal albergue is still an option, because you can get a bed there on a first-come, first-served basis, but the number of places there is also limited, so if you choose this option, go there immediately instead of the pilgrim office (the two are next to each other).

The next day everyone woke up excited, although by the time I got up the person sleeping next to me jumped out of bed, grabbed his bag and ran out the door. I'm slower than that in the morning. My host told me to be careful on the road, because one of the biggest storms could be expected that day, to which I confidently told him that wherever I was going, the sun always shines, so don't worry. After all, it was sunny yesterday too. What could go wrong...

Hope these stories get you in the mood for your next adventure, and you found some useful information.  If you still need more details or build up confidence and courage for the start of your journey, don't hesitate to contact me or email me, I'm happy to help.

You can also find me on social media with more useful advice and travel pictures at @wander.with.dora name. Safe travels everyone.