You know you’re on the Camino before you even arrive in St. Jean Pied-de-Port. As the trains get closer, it shifts from one or two other packs adorned with scallop shells, to cars filled with excited pilgrims ready for the adventure they are about to embark on.
We had a long travel day to get from Marne la VallĂ©e (the Disneyland Paris area) to St. Jean Pied-de-Port, and by our second train we were about ready to call off the whole trip. The train was a disaster from a delay on the first train causing a rushed transfer to the English-speaking folks audibly complaining about babies to the train staff lecturing us about our “too big” stroller that we shouldn’t need for two kids… We were over it all.
And then we met our fellow pilgrims and there was a very distinct shift. Suddenly we had people helping us move gear on and off trains, and the process went so much smoother with an extra set of hands. People took photos of the two tiniest pilgrims and entertained the girls on the trip. The sense of community and camaraderie was palpable.
The bus into St. Jean had us all feeling a little queezy as it bent around the mountainous roads of the Pyrenees, but we arrived excited. Addie wished her new friends “happy Camino!” and we set off into town.
Our first stop was to go to the pilgrim’s office to get our credencials, the passports we will get stamped along the way. A staff there snapped a quick photo of the girls, but if anyone thought we were crazy, nobody indicated as much. We were given solid advice on the Valcarlos route to Roncesvalles, which we will take (avoiding the mountain pass) given the rain. We also picked up scallop shells which we have attached to Eloise’s car seat. The scallop shell is a symbol of St. James, and the lines in the shell represent the different paths to Santiago. Most pilgrims attach the shells to their packs as an indicator of their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
We then checked into our hostel and found some dinner.
The forecast for tomorrow is rain, so we will be bundling up with all of our rain gear, but we have prepared for all kinds of weather and we are eager to begin this long-awaited journey.
Wow what a fabulous family adventure. Stay safe and happy travels.