We’re on our way! Left our backpacks behind at the hotel in San Sebastian and took a 6:00 am train to Irun, on the French border. On leaving the train station, we headed to the albergue (hostel) to get the first stamp in our Passports. Paco was beaming as he made those first notations in our Camino books.
Every Pilgrim on the Camino carries a multi-page booklet called a Passport. It’s the “proof” that you’ve really been in each town along the way. We’re required to get at least one stamp each day along the way. Upon arrival in Santiago de Compostela, we’re required to show the Passport and all its stamps to the official in order to receive the certificate of completion.
As we began the steep climb out of Irun, one of the first
sites we encountered was the Sanctuario de Guadalupe. Built in the 16th century, it’s
home to the statue of the Black Virgen that was discovered by two children on
the mountainside. We were so lucky to
find the doors open and to peek inside.
After that began the grueling journey of scaling the mountains between Irun and the ferry to San Pedro. We had a choice of two routes: the lower, much less steep route, or the highly recommended higher route, aptly named “The Route of Purgatory”. You guessed it, we chose the higher route. Yikes! It started with a steep 900 foot climb to a ridge line, and a lot more climbing, and lots more ridge lines, to follow. Yes, the views were great, but still…
After a short ferry ride across a river, we climbed another
mountain (this is going to be the theme of this Camino, I’m afraid!) providing
beautiful views the water, the cliffs, and the rural landscape. At one point, the fog started rolling adding a mystical feel to the moment. Really beautiful. At 2:00 pm, we finally reached San Sebastian,
hungry and exhausted.
So why didn’t we stop and relax at cafes along the way? Because there were none to be found! Not even water fountains with potable water
to refill our empty water bottles. The
first café we spotted was at the ferry dock, the next was very close the San
Sebastian. They had water and coffee,
but no soda and no food. Hopefully, this
isn’t a precursor of what’s to come. We
really enjoyed the café society vibe of the French Camino and hope to
experience that again this round.
Day 1 statistics: 27 kilometers, 2,200 feet of elevation. Time for lunch and a nap!
(Note: tomorrow's a day off so Paco can go to some restaurant. Our next post will be Friday, June 30th.)
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