The Camino Trinity!
After a high speed train ride from Paris to Bayonne and then an hour long taxi ride with a German couple, it was time to explore Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and get organized for the next day – crossing the Pyrenees! It was so exciting to arrive in SJPP! Finally here and just about to take my first steps along my 500 mile Camino route. After checking into my albergue, the Gite Ultreia, my first stop was to check into the Pilgrim’s Office, get my credencial stamped, and find a shell for my backpack. Once those things were completed, it was time to find an outdoor café and enjoy my first glass of red wine here in Basque country. SJPP, is just a great starting point for this adventure. The town was bustling with so many pilgrims anticipating the next morning. In fact, on that late-April morning, some 300 of us would depart most choosing the Napoleon Route into Spain. Four years later, I would return to SJPP to begin the trek for a second time. My anticipation and excitement was no less and maybe even greater since this pilgrimage would be with my wife instead of solo this time.