St. Jean Pied de Port literally means “St. John at the Foot of the Mountain Pass,” and I began the gentle ascent through the Pyrenees along the side of the paved road. A small, unassuming metal sign showed the “Route de Napoléon,” and I was thrilled to walk where Napoleon had long ago. There were many more pilgrims than I had expected – young, old, skinny, fat, and everywhere in between. Some carried giant backpacks resembling ones I would normally see on a multi-day wilderness backpacking trip. Others carried ones so small, I wondered where all their gear was. My forty-five liter backpack was about average size, and it was full. So full that, with embarrassment, I had to carry a shopping bag containing food. From Page 28, Camino de Santiago In 20 Days.
Now, I’ll begin my journey on the Camino de Santiago. If you have my book, I’m in the chapter, Day 1: Having Flesh Torn From My Body By A Pack of Wild Dogs. Even if you don’t have my book, you can still enjoy this post, and learn more about walking the French Way or Camino Francés (map from Wikipedia Commons). On my last post, A Walk In St. Jean Pied de Port, France, I spent an afternoon touring around the Basque town. I would recommend you to save some time for relaxing, and even arrive two days prior to your start if possible. St. Jean Pied de Port is a lovely town, rich in history, and the start of the French Way.
On a pleasant, late April morning, I began my journey on the Camino de Santiago. Outside the Pilgrim Office on the Rue de la Citadelle, in the old town. The buildings along the narrow, cobbled street framed the Pyrenees in the distance.
I was excited when I saw this sign showing the Route De Napoleón.
From St. Jean, the Camino follows this road.
A favorite photo showing the vibrant colors of the forest and farmland. Sheep, horses, and cattle grazed in these fields.
The early part of the French Way mostly followed a paved road. Here’s the first, short, dirt path through farmland. By now, some pilgrims realized they carried too much, and discarded items to lessen their load.
Farmland near Orisson. Notice how the houses seem to cling to the side of the steep hill.
The Auberge Orisson is located eight kilometers from St. Jean. It attracts pilgrims who started late in the day, prefer an easy first day, or have early difficulties and had to stop.
The deck outside the Auberge Orisson, overlooking the hazy Pyrenees.
After a short break on the deck, I continued to follow the Camino through farmland and patches of brush.
As I wrote on page 30, “I had expected pilgrim memorials for those who had passed away on the Camino, but the first ones made me think…..They reminded me that, no matter how much I thought I was ready, I was always vulnerable, and life could be gone in an instant. Nobody came to the Camino expecting to die.”
One of my favourite photos. These magnificent horses in a field above the road.
The Cruceiro near the Pic de Leizar Atheka. Here, I had a break and laid on the soft grass facing the Pyrenees to the north.
My simple lunch included part of a baguette from a bakery in St. Jean Pied de Port and Loreztia black cherry jam from Bayonne.
The path that leads around the Pic de Leizar Atheka. The peak is in the center. This was the high point in the Pyrenees for the time being.
Outside a mountain shelter near the Pic de Leizar Atheka.
I hope you enjoyed this post. To this point, I had walked about 17 kilometers from St. Jean Pied de Port, with an elevation gain of about 1,200 meters. Although it can be trying for many pilgrims, and should not be taken lightly, most of the Camino was along the paved road. On my next post, On the Camino de Santiago: the Pyrenees to Zubiri, Spain, I’ll cross the border into Spain, have a break in Roncesvalles, visit a village that was frequented by Hemingway, and arrive in Zubiri exhausted. Please join me.
If you have my book, Camino de Santiago In 20 Days, or have ordered it, I really appreciate your support. It’s also out on Kindle. My Goodreads page has reviews and more information. Please share this post, and thanks for your time.
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About Randall St. Germain
Randall St. Germain, author of Camino de Santiago In 20 Days, is a middle-aged Canadian Boy who is passionate about nature, photography, hiking, music, and self-improvement. After the death of his mother, he chose to walk the famous pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago, across the north of Spain, despite knowing little about it. He certainly didn’t plan to write a book until the latter days of his Camino. Similar to walking the Camino, writing and publishing a book was a learning experience. It was also very rewarding, and part of his ongoing journey. Please join him as he takes you along on his journey in Camino de Santiago In 20 Days, and on his blog Camino My Way.
nice pictures…:)
I must apologize. I just saw this comment as I reworked the photo display. Hopefully, the photos look even better now. Thank you very much.
I love the photos and the posts are so well written. Thanks Randall for all the hard work. I have yet to make my first Camino and your website is a great source of information:)
Thanks Adriana. Yes, these posts are a lot of work so I’m glad you’re enjoying them. Good luck with your planning, and Buen Camino.
We just returned from hiking the Camino. What an amazing experience. Unfortunately, we lost our camera in Leon. We love reliving our experience through your excellent photos. Thanks for sharing.
I’m sorry to hear that you lost your camera. It’s something I thought about while I was walking. Yes, it was an amazing experience. I’m returning to Spain soon, and will have photos from another Camino.
What was your starting date in St Jean Pied de Port? I’m leaving for the Camino on April 20 and I was wondering how much your pictures might reflect the conditions I might find.
Rick, I started on April 29. It’s hard to tell if my photos and experience will reflect conditions for this year. I understand the year after I went, it was mostly dry around the same time. I would be prepared for both rain and sun, and possibly snow in the mountains. Buen Camino.