The First Day-St. Jean to Roncesvalles (Camino de Santiago)

I didn’t sleep well so I was awake and standing on the veranda at 4am to watch the sun rise. The valleys were filled with fog and as the sun turned the sky orange an amazing symphony of bird songs replaced the silence. I was cold but couldn’t leave the morning I was being treated to. After a quick meal we were walking the Camino by 7am. With beautiful weather we began the 15.5 miles of the Route de Napoleon up and over the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain. The road snaked through lush farmland. I passed an old decaying building with a large rose bush that reached towards the tile roof. Several red roses bloomed against the white washed wall. Further along as the road climbed steeply we passed sheep grazing, newly tilled fields and blue skies.  The way exited the road and climbed via a path to the top of the ridge where we stopped and rested. The view was magnificent as I gazed across the peaks and valleys. The terrain changed to moorland then open countryside until we reached the beech forest which is one of the last remaining in Europe. The path widened and was covered with rust colored leaves. My feet bounced along on this organic cushion. Gusts of wind would lift the dryer leaves as if the path had come alive. The beauty of the moment made me very happy. We reached the pass (Col de Lepoeder 4,757 ft) and took shelter from the wind in a long dip in the ground. A German woman sat next to us and the four of us lay on our backs on the grass letting the sun warm bodies. The descent into the valley was very steep and slick but the sun light filtered through the beech leaves and I no longer felt as tired as I had earlier. We arrived at the alberque in Roncesvalles, paid our 10 Euros for a bed, showered and found a bar for wine and food. Sitting next to us were two young women from Seattle who were also walking the Camino. They joined us for more wine and conversation. I headed to bed around 8:30pm. A long day. Journal: “I feel the curve and weight of the pack. I thought of my back being Suzanne’s. Knowing she had worn this pack, had handmade it for her NW trail hike and carried it for over a month comforted me as I completed this first of many days across Spain. I could see her smiling from Heaven.”