Remy’s 2023 Travel Notebook

I am sitting on my bed (top bunk) after a surreal 26km, many friends already made, and a great communal dinner today. It’s been an incredibly memorable first day. Saint Jean Pied de Port, France to Roncesvalles, Spain.

Last night was the best sleep I’ve had in a couple weeks. I expect tonight will be even better. I woke up at 6:00 am and hopped out of bed at 6:05. It seemed like the other 6 people in the dorm would follow a similar pace. I went down to the kitchen to have a small breakfast – an egg, a yogurt, a slice of bread and some tea. I packed up my things, said my “Buen Camino” and went off on my way. I made a quick stop to the pilgrim store to pick up some blister patches and a small poncho. The weather was bad in previous days, but I was told it would clear up in time for our ascent into the Pyrenees. I finished a book last night, and left it on this bench for someone else to enjoy. It is “Walking with Sam”, a story of a dad and son who walked the Camino together. Thank you Pete – if you’re reading this, your gift will hopefully be enjoyed by many more!

I walk west through St Jean Pied de Port. I don’t make it out of the city before I run into Daniel, a German man who just quit his job in finance to walk the Camino. He introduces me to a couple from France, Charlie and Cami, who were married last year and have been on the road to Santiago since march as their honeymoon. They are buying pain au chocolat to stuff in their bags for the big day. We walk together from there, and actually spent the entire day together. Walking up the road, it was narrow at first and cars were flying down. I’m sure the locals see so many pilgrims, they don’t mind to slow down much. we proceed up the hill, and see increasingly breathtaking views as we ascend.

Already on day 1 I have had many interesting conversations and interactions. Talks about career, politics, philosophy, economics, language differences. I have met lots of French people, and have noticed that so far, the farther north in the country they got their education, the better their English tends to be. Of course, my French leaves a lot to be desired. So far, I can do basics like say hello, order something (and say please), say what my name is (Je suis Rémy). I can also ask “how do you say ___” (comment dit on [enter English word or awkwardly point to an object]). I tell the friends that I struggle with the way French doesn’t pronounce many of the letters in a word. Classical example is Croissant. Anyways, doesn’t matter too much now that we’re in Spain.

We arrived in Roncesvalles around 1:30 pm, making very good time. The four of us sat down at a restaurant for lunch. I was quite hungry by this point. The only food I had eaten during the 26km was two bananas and a croissant. I won’t make that mistake again tomorrow…. I order a “bocadillo con queso y jamón.” It was dry but satisfying in the moment. We shared a drink together before going to the albergue, which opened at 2:00 pm.

This one is in an old castle and has at least 200 beds. I am very surprised with how organized things are. You check in, get your bed number, and breakfast/dinner cards if you ordered them. I proceeded to my bed, set things down, take a shower and change into more comfortable clothes. Charlie came around and asked if I wanted to chip in to run a load of laundry. The four friends ran all our clothes together, and for €7 the staff washed, dried, folded and delivered our laundry! I hear many such luxuries don’t exist after Roncesvalles. The friends went down to the lobby to relax, share drinks and pictures, and play dice. At 6:00, we leave to sit around a table with 8 pilgrims and wait for dinner at 7:00.

Dinner included a communal meal around 3 tables with at least 40 people where I was. Many faces were already familiar. Pasta with cheese, pork and potatoes, water and wine. After dinner, we ended at the communal hall in the albergue and shared lots of laughs. Particularly, an Italian man Vincenzo who shared a story (and evidence) of a Pyrenees horse showing off it’s rather impressive…member. I’m the youngest person at the table by 10 years, and the oldest is 60. I am happy to see and report that juvenile humor is alive and well among the Camino’s diverse population.

The lights went out quick at 10:00 pm. Now it’s 10:30, and I’ll get my 7.5 hours of sleep. Excited for another day of walking!