saturday 26 april. Bayonne – St. Jean Pied de Port – Orisson.

St. Jean Pied de Port till Orisson 10 km. Walking with a steep climb on asphalt.

Came early to the station in Bayonne and step on the train to St. Jean de Pied de Port. The journey took a little more than one hour. The railway winds its way through a beautiful landscape. On the train I met a couple of ladies from Canada and a lady from Denmark. The danish lady was Mette Munck from southern Jutland.
In St. Jean Pied de Port, we where looking for the pilgrim office that should be on the address Rue de la Citadelle 37. On the way to the pilgrim office, I discovered that I had forgotten my cap in the train from Bayonne, Mette had an extra cap, which I borrowed.

There was a long queue of Pilgrims in this city who wanted their pilgrim passport. I was told that there are two ways over the Cize passage. Follow the valley through Valcarlos or go via Route Napoleon which pass over the highest point, 1410 meters.
The person at the pilgrim office, who helped us, spoke no language properly but little in any language. He gave us the advice not to start the trek over the Pyrenees directly without a sleep the first night on hostel "Orisson" up the mountain on Route Napoleon. He rang up and booked space for us on Orisson. Pass for the pilgrim train costs 2 €.
On the pilgrim office was a basket of shells from scallops which is the symbol of the pilgrim. You could take a shell and put a coin in the "rifle". You are not not allowed to buy them.
Mette and I agreed to go over the Pyrenees together so we started walking south on Rue de la Citadel. We crossed over the Rio Nive and soon we were outside St. Jean de Pied de Port. Just after St. Jean de Pied de Port began the road, a narrow asphalt road, to go up steep.>>>

STAGES

På svenska Bayonne – St. Jean Pied de Port – Orisson Orrisson – Roncevalles – Bizcareta Bizcareta – Pamplona – Cizur Menor Cizur Menor – Puente la Reina – Lorca Lorca – Estella – Los Arcos Los Arcos – Logroño – Navarette Navarette –Santo Domingo de la Calzada – Grañón Grañón – Villamayor del Rio – Villafranca Montes de Oca Villafranca Montes de Oca – Atapuerca – Burgos Burgos – Rabé de las Calzadas – Hornillos del Camino Hornillos del Camino – Castrojeriz – Itero de la Vega Itero de la Vega – Frómista – Villalcazar de Sirga Villacazar de Sirga – Carrión de los Condes – Lédigos Lédigos – Sahagún – Bercianos Berciano – Mansilla de las Mulas – Puente Villarente Puente Villarente – Leon – Virgin del Camino Virgin del Camino – Hospital de Orbigo – Santibáñez de Valdeiglesias Santibáñez de Valdeiglesias – Astorga – Rabanal del Camino Rabanal del Camino – Molinaseca – Ponferrada Ponferrada – Villafranca – Trabadelo Trabadelo – O Cebreiro – Viduedo Viduedo – Samos – Sarria Sarria – Portomarin – Hospital de la Cruz Hospital de la Cruz – Palas de Rei – Melide Melide – Arzua – Sta. Irene Sta. Irene – Monte do Gozo Monte do Gozo – Santiago de Compostela The journey home