St. Jean Pied du Port

We left early the next morning and our beloved cab driver took us over the Pyrenees mountains to the bordering town of St. Jean Pied du Port. The tiny French town is so charming and it’s full of shopkeepers eager to help you purchase the best walking stick for the Camino. The people volunteering at the Pilgrim’s office were so helpful as they talked through the different elevation stages in the mountains. Of course, they didn’t know that we weren’t walking over the mountain but it was still nice to hear them tell us where every shelter can be found, and how long we could expect to be walking before we reached our next destination.

Our next stop back into Spain was Roncesvalles where Charlemagne’s army was defeated by the Basque people. The little town of Roncesvalles does not have much in it except a hostel and a church, but it was beautiful and we got an idea how excited a pilgrim would feel once they arrived for the evening.

Our driver got us back to Pamplona in time for us to walk around and see the bull ring where Ernest Hemingway’s statue stands. Hemingway spent time in Pamplona and wrote several books recounting Spanish traditions and practices. Pamplona was gearing up for their Running of the Bulls so there was a lot of excitement in the air.