First few days

I am having a bit of trouble sleeping so I thought I would catch up on the blog. We left the US on 15 March. We caught the train from Penn Station to Newark Airport. When we got to the airport we learned our plane was about 1 hour and 15 minutes late in departure. That worried us a bit since it now would get us in about an hour before the train we wanted to take would leave for Bordeaux. I thought going through immegration, getting our bags, going through customs and purchasing our tickets may be a bridge to far. In fact once we got to Paris we sailed through it all until we got to the train station then panic set in. First we tried to purchase our tickets from the kiosk, but our credit cards would not work. Then we went to the ticket counter and found it crowded with people and only two clerks working the lines. But luck was with us and we got our tickets and were on the train with minutes to spare. The train ride was uneventful, except we got our first sticker shock when we bought two coffees and a roll for 6.6 € When we got to Bordeaux we walked to the Ibis hotel but decided not to stay there as it cost 86 € a night. We found another hotel closer to the train station called the Etap hotel, which cost us 64€ a night and included breakfast. The hotel rooms were clean but tiny. After we settled in we walked into the old town about a 20-30 minute walk. We walked up a beautfull river park that we learned was fairly new Apparently a few years ago the city knocked down a lot of old abandoned building to build the park. When we got downtown we went to the tourist office and made reservations for a wine tour the nect day. We then walked back to the hotel and stopped a place near the train station for dinner. We had a wonderful salad but the worst piece of meat I had ever eaten, tough as shoe leather and no taste. Ugh! The nexted day after breakfast we walked back into town went tot he tourist office and got directions to Decat, a sports store on the Rue de Catherine, which is said to be the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe. After stopping at Decats and purchasing sunglasses we went exploring. We had just finsihed walking around this old church, Saint Andre, when we were stopped by two television reportes asking us our opinion of Bordeaux. Funny we will never see it!! For lunch we purchased a baguette of ham, egg, and cheese for just 4 €. Nice cheap lunch. We then stopped for a beer, since it was of course St Patricks day. Another sticker shock event. A wine glass of bear for 6€.

Sjpp got on train from Bordeaux at 0727, I forgot to validate the ticket and got a lecture from the conductor.  We arrived in Bayonne at 0030 and we had a couple hours to kill so we walked around a bit.  It would have been nice if I had made time for us to visit Biaritz and see if I remembered anything from when my parents used to take me as a child.  As the time approached to catch the bus there two other pelegrinos waiting, a Korean (I think) and an Italian, Mateo. We had a bit of guessing which bus would be taking us as none were marked.  But finally we noticed a small sign on a little bus that it was going to sjpp.  Apparently the Korean pilgrim had different ticket so he had to wait for another bus. When we got to sjpp we walked up a big hill from the train station to the pilgrim office and checked in.  We were advised the Nspoleon route was to dangerous and we should go the valcarlos route.  We also received scallop shells for our packs Check in at Le Chamin de e'toile was 4 pm so we sought a place to purchase our pilgrim staffs and a restaurant for lunch.  We found one with a nice outdoor patio and had a nice Basque lunch of sausage, pepper stew and French fries with a craft of wine.  When it was time to check in we walked to the albergue.  It was in a very old building that could handle 14 pilgrims. Apparently it had been recently changed ownership.  The new owner was a Parisian fellow named Eric, who was super nice and very enthusidtic about the camino .  He was not officially own and was in the middle of getting things Ready fpr the upcoming pilgim season.  We were given a room with three full sized bunk beds, so Palma and zipped our sleeping bags together and took a lower bunk thinking this may the last time we sleep together for bit. We topk our showers, washed some clothes and went out for diiner.  While looking for a place to eat we walked into a donstration against the recent ETA assasination of a french policeman.  Next morning we got up about seven had breakfast and started our camino. The day was beautiful and the walking was not too hard. At one point we passed a small dog that charged at us but a smack with the pilgrim staff stopped him.  About 1030 we crossed into Spain.  As we approached Valcarlos we had our steepest incline, it knocked the wind out of us bur it was not so bad.  Since the albergue did not open until noon we went to a bar and Palma got a coffee and I got a beer.  When we went back to the albergue no one was there so we went up to the town hall which was also locked up.  We had to go through our stack of notes about the camino and found a phone number to call.  We got help and got I to tjealbergue.  We were really surprised at how modern and clean it was. Theyjad two rooms with 24 beds,2 bathrooms with for showers and 4 toilets.  Also had a nicekitchen.  Cost was ten euros and included breakfast which reallywas access to coffee.  We had checked out the couple eating establishments and fish did not seem to be an option and since it was a Friday we decided to go to the local market and buy some tuna fish and bread for dinner. As I was walking to the store I ran into an elderly pelegrinos who was looking for the albergue.  I told him he could follow me, nut I was getting food for the day.  This pilgrim was a 75 year old German named Dieter on his pilgrimage.  His kids had chipped in to watch over his wife and insisted he do the camino.  So we shared our food and wine with dieter, learned a lot about easchother.  Very nice man.  This morning we got up at 7 had our coffee and left for Roncevalles by 0830.  Today the walk was hell.  Valcarlos to roncevalles is only 11.9 kms but it was 90 up steep inclines.  We were dead bythe time we got here 5 hours later.

Sjpp got on train from Bordeaux at 0727, I forgot to validate the ticket and got a lecture from the conductor.  We arrived in Bayonne at 0030 and we had a couple hours to kill so we walked around a bit.  It would have been nice if I had made time for us to visit Biaritz and see if I remembered anything from when my parents used to take me as a child.  As the time approached to catch the bus there two other pelegrinos waiting, a Korean (I think) and an Italian, Mateo. We had a bit of guessing which bus would be taking us as none were marked.  But finally we noticed a small sign on a little bus that it was going to sjpp.  Apparently the Korean pilgrim had different ticket so he had to wait for another bus. When we got to sjpp we walked up a big hill from the train station to the pilgrim office and checked in.  We were advised the Nspoleon route was to dangerous and we should go the valcarlos route.  We also received scallop shells for our packs Check in at Le Chamin de e'toile was 4 pm so we sought a place to purchase our pilgrim staffs and a restaurant for lunch.  We found one with a nice outdoor patio and had a nice Basque lunch of sausage, pepper stew and French fries with a craft of wine.  When it was time to check in we walked to the albergue.  It was in a very old building that could handle 14 pilgrims. Apparently it had been recently changed ownership.  The new owner was a Parisian fellow named Eric, who was super nice and very enthusidtic about the camino .  He was not officially own and was in the middle of getting things Ready fpr the upcoming pilgim season.  We were given a room with three full sized bunk beds, so Palma and zipped our sleeping bags together and took a lower bunk thinking this may the last time we sleep together for bit. We topk our showers, washed some clothes and went out for diiner.  While looking for a place to eat we walked into a donstration against the recent ETA assasination of a french policeman.  Next morning we got up about seven had breakfast and started our camino. The day was beautiful and the walking was not too hard. At one point we passed a small dog that charged at us but a smack with the pilgrim staff stopped him.  About 1030 we crossed into Spain.  As we approached Valcarlos we had our steepest incline, it knocked the wind out of us bur it was not so bad.  Since the albergue did not open until noon we went to a bar and Palma got a coffee and I got a beer.  When we went back to the albergue no one was there so we went up to the town hall which was also locked up.  We had to go through our stack of notes about the camino and found a phone number to call.  We got help and got I to tjealbergue.  We were really surprised at how modern and clean it was. Theyjad two rooms with 24 beds,2 bathrooms with for showers and 4 toilets.  Also had a nicekitchen.  Cost was ten euros and included breakfast which reallywas access to coffee.  We had checked out the couple eating establishments and fish did not seem to be an option and since it was a Friday we decided to go to the local market and buy some tuna fish and bread for dinner. As I was walking to the store I ran into an elderly pelegrinos who was looking for the albergue.  I told him he could follow me, nut I was getting food for the day.  This pilgrim was a 75 year old German named Dieter on his pilgrimage.  His kids had chipped in to watch over his wife and insisted he do the camino.  So we shared our food and wine with dieter, learned a lot about easchother.  Very nice man.  This morning we got up at 7 had our coffee and left for Roncevalles by 0830.  Today the walk was hell.  Valcarlos to roncevalles is only 11.9 kms but it was 90 up steep inclines.  We were dead bythe time we got here 5 hours later.