I have a confession to make... I'm writing this from my bathroom in the biggest bath I have every been in (apologies for the imagery!)
So my traveling ordeal finally ended! From my last post, I thought I had two more trains to catch to get to St Jean Pied de Port...turns out it was two trains and one bus (apparently the train bridge collapsed into a river so a bus route had replaced it!) The only way I knew this was checking it with a couple that didn't speak English on one of the train legs (it's amazing how much relief a 'thumbs up' can give a person!) - just a quick thank you to that couple and to the train conductor who escorted me through a dense crowd to my next train! (when i lost him, I simply followed his trail of cigarette smoke!)
After arriving in Bayonne (one more leg to SPDP) I had one hour to kill and judging the amount of poorly dressed French gentlemen snipping cigarettes outside, I decided to grab a seat inside... Then it happened....
I met my first camino angel! Bernard!
He was sitting down and offered me the chair beside him... I must have looked desperate at this stage having travelled non- stop for around 39 hours, my eye balls hanging out after enduring stress and fatigue! He too was carrying a pack so I thought would ask if he was a pilgrim.... Turns out he did the pilgrimage 4 times and was here to volunteer for a week welcoming pilgrims! Our conversation was cut short by his phone ringing, and switching to amazingly fluent French he suddenly gave a huge cheer! He got off the phone and promptly produced a bottle of wine and 2 plastic cups... 've 'ave a new president!', he exclaimed! Now french politics are important, i get that and his excitement was infectious, but it meant little to me. The wine however... Let me say this, french wine is amazing and it went straight to my head! Woop!
Bernard likened himself to Ulysses... Apparently while Ulysses travelled the vast oceans, his wife, Penelope stayed at home, just like Bernard's wife, Penelope did as Bernard travelled as a pilgrim.
He told me there are 3 important things to do after each day - eat something hot, drink a glass of wine and talk to people! When he walks, he walks solo the uses the evenings to debrief and socialise!
He was the one who started made me smile for the first time in ages (he had a few bad jokes eg: 'Ve French 'ave two sides of ze road for driving - ze right side and ze suicide!!!!')... Yep... This was great!
He showed me where my bus was and as I lined up to board, the excitement that was present at my time of booking was slowly coming back!
Thank you Bernard for your wealth of information, for calling my 'otel to to get me directions there at 11pm at night, and re-awakening my confidence and excitement for this journey ahead. Not sure where I would be without you right now... Probably not in this bath!
Ps this French hotel Hotel Les Pyrenees is beautiful! Or maybe anything would be after sleeping on upright chairs for 30 odd hours!
So... Day 1 starts! Today I am heading for the Pyrenees... I am only walking 10km...Yes, being a girl and easing myself in! Will go get myself a good breakfast, buy some food for lunch and dinner, then get my pilgrim credential (pilgrim passport - you can't stay in the pilgrim accommodation with one of these!) then.... I am away!
Not sure when my next wifi spot is, but will update when I can :)
Love to all... Ciao! Xx
yay!!
ReplyDeletesounds like you're having a great time!!
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