Day 1 Camino Frances, June 14, 2025

Today is the day I begin my Camino.  A big rainstorm over night cleared out the oppressive heat but has left the town cool and cloudy, but with a good temperature for a hard hike. The mountains are covered in fog.

 

We are awoken in the gite with music and people begin to stir, to shower, get dressed, pack up their gear and head down breakfast.

Out on the patio, folks are redoing their packs, putting on boots and jackets, and one by one,or two by two, heading out with a "Buen Camino."

 
With heart beating hard, I don my pack,dorky hat and rain jacket and step out into the street.  I;m,off,on my own to walk across the Pyrenees, into Spain.  Next stop is Orrison for lunch and then Auberge Borda overnight.
 
  
 
Now its my turn to walk across that bridge as a pilgrim. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Some snacks for energy.. 
 
 
 
 
There are two routes over the mountain to Roncesvalles:  the Napoleon and the Valcarlos. Both are hilly but the Napoleon route is closed over the winter and in really bad weather. Even in late spring,folks sometimes need to be rescued,.
 
But today, even with the fog, the Napoleon route is
 

Lots of signage directing pilgrims.Chemin de St.Jacques is French for Camino de Santiago - -the Way of St James.

 
 
 Signs are in French and Basque; both sides of the border are Basque country.






Up I go, first through the town, then village, into farmland, always up and  up and up.



Solo hiking, but never really alone.




















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