Getting to St. Jean Pied de Port—Start of the French Route Camino Santiago—4/21/2024

 Early Sunday morning I took the first metro heading to the Madrid Charmartin train station at about 6:15 AM.

My 7:15 AM train to San Sebastian did not have a platform assignment until five minutes before departure. It was one of the faster trains they have, and was very comfortable as we crossed vast stretches of farmland in 5 hours.

We arrived just after noon and the bus station was just across the street from the train station. Once inside, I looked around for some bus going to my next location and that would be Bayonne, France, but there were no buses shown going there. I asked the clerk at one of the other bus lines which counter I should go to about purchasing a bus ticket to Bayonne.  She pointed to a FlixBus Sign that indicated I had to purchase the online and that they had nobody at this bus station. Well this would be a first for me. 

With my iPhone, I typed in the website of the bus company and then followed the instructions on how to get a ticket. It turned out the next bus would be at 2:45 PM so I had plenty of time to look for a place to eat and do a bit of touring before the bus left.  The procedure was pretty straightforward, but I only had a email confirming I had a ticket for the bus which included a QR code.

So I googled for restaurants in the area, and found one across the bridge called Patagonia and it turned out to be excellent choice with a cod curry and vegetable dish that was as good as it artistically looked.

After lunch, I toured the nearby church until it was time to return to catch the bus.  

Instead of seeing the familiar green bus logo in the designated platform, it turned out to be a contracted bus with a small sign that signaled I was at the right bus for my 3 1/2 hour bus ride that cost €14. It was a bit unnerving, but it worked.

I arrived at Bayonne about 6 o’clock for the train. It would take me to St. Jean Pied de Port, which was the start of the Camino Santiago.

There was no ticket booth instead I had to navigate a machine to figure out how to purchase the one hour train ride. A guy nearby walked me through it. I ended up with the ticket.

When we got on the train, it looked as though everybody was planning to hike the Camino Santiago.

I ended up sitting next to a fellow from Ontario, who turned out to be a physical therapist, so I got some free professional advice and how to best handle my problem knee.  He agreed that the stretching exercises I was doing would be perfect for taking care of my knee.  

I walked into town as most places were closing and stopped at the registration office for hiking the Camino and picked up my credential, which is used to be able to stay at the albergues  along the way. You also collect stamps along the way in this credential to show that you’ve hiked the Camino so when you get to Santiago de Compostela, you get a certificate of accomplishment.

The place  I was planning to staying at was full, so the women at the credential office arranged for three of us there to stay at the nearby Albergue Zuharpeta with a cost of €31 which included the blanket and breakfast.  It was a chilly 62° at night so I was glad to be able to get a blanket since I’ve only brought a sleep liner with me for the journey.