Camino Frances - Day Zero
Monday 25th March 2013
I have labelled this "Day Zero" as it was all about getting to the start point of the Camino Frances, St. Jean Pied de Port in France. My Ryanair flight FR8378 departed Stansted Airport at 6-30 in the morning, 25th March 2013, so it was an early start to get there within a reasonable hour. The weather made me more apprehensive as we had had to cancel a trip to Yorkshire over the week end due to snow; setting off with rucksack, minimum clothing and a light weight summer sleeping bag for the Pyrenees for a 5-week 800-km hike seemed a bit foolhardy under such conditions! I was obviously apprehensive as after clearing the security area I realised I had mislaid my passport; absolute panic for thirty seconds until the security lady said "Have you looked in your pockets?". Sure enough, when taking my boots off to go through the scanner I had slipped my passport and paperwork into my trouser pocket! Time for breakfast and a strong coffee to steady my nerves for what was ahead!
Arriving at Biarritz airport I waited at the luggage carrousel for my rucksack, and noticed three other rucksack-toting individuals who were obviously heading for St. Jean. One was David Myers, a tree-surgeon from Marple Bridge, who was doing the walk as sponsorship for a cancer charity; the second was Colin (73) from Scarborough, who was returning to do The Camino for the second time; the third was Angelo from Italy. We four headed outside, comrades-in-arms, to look for the bus to Bayonne. I knew immediately that I would not be walking the Camino alone! We soon determined that we required bus 14 to take us to Bayonne Station, and within a few minutes it arrived. |
Bus to Bayonne Station
| We left the airport at 11-06 hrs and pulled into Bayonne Station at 11-36 hrs........... a 30-minute ride for 1 euro payable on the bus. Not bad! |
Riverside buildings in Bayonne
Bayonne Railway Station
Fellow Pilgrims, L to R, Angelo, Colin and David
| At the station we had a slight dilemma, in that the next train to St. Jean Pied de Port did not depart until 2-55 p.m., and it was then approaching 12 noon. David was anxious to get to St. Jean to pick up his Pilgrim's Credential, and we flirted with the idea of taking a taxi. However we soon discovered that the cost was 90 to 100 euro's so we decided to wait for the train and to have a relaxed lunch. |
| We adjourned to the nearby "Le Monte Carlo" cafe for the plat du jour lunch, which was pork and potatoes for a modest Euro 7-50. Enough time to wander around and look at the area surrounding the station. |
| The single ticket to St. Jean was Euro 9.20 per person, and we soon learned that it is a requirement (for fear of a fine for non-compliance) to validate the ticket on entry to the station. |
Ticket validation.
Bayonne Station
The train for St. Jean Pied de Port
Mick and Angelo
David and Colin
| The journey up the single track railway up the valley was quite picturesque, following the valley alongside the river. We passed picturesque stations, hot spring spas, and at one point had a grandstand view of inflatables riding the rapids down the river. We eventually pulled into St. Jean Pied de Port at 4-20 p.m., just as it started to rain. |
Going up the valley into the Pyrenees
Arriving at St. Jean Pied de Port
The intrepid Pilgrim
| Checking in at the Confraternity Office. We were told categorically that the Napoleon route was a no-go, due to 1 meter of snow, and that parts of the Valcarlos Route were tricky and it would be best to use the road at the top |
The first "sellos" of the collection
| After getting all the information from the Confraternity office that we needed, the next step was to check in at the Hotel Itzalpea; by chance David and I were staying at the same hotel. |
Looking across to Hotel Itzalpea, adjacent to the main street of St. Jean
The main street
Accommodation Notes
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