Sun 13 Sep - SJPDP finally

Finally it was time to leave Bayonne for travel to St Jean Pied de Port. I was definitively no longer by myself. 

I spoke to 4 fellow pilgrims before leaving Bayonne station. All Americans. And older. Then 2 more American pilgrims on the train. Then we had to swap to bus due to maintenance work and I sat next to a German guy. Who lives in Sweden.  As you do. So we spoke Swedish. 

The German guy hadn't done any bed reservation so he followed me to my hostel. To cut it short, he found a bed elsewhere and we went out together for a few beers and for my first "menú del peregrino". 

Pic time. A few more pics from Bayonne before I left. It is truly a lovely town.

St Jean Pied de Port - we have arrived. 

After checking in at Hostel Azkurria, I chilled for a while until my new German buddy Holger reappeared. 

We wandered through Saint Jean Pied de Port looking for food and drink. What a lovely place. More exploring tomorrow of course. 

Hey this looks familiar. Of course, this is from where Tom Avery starts his Camino in the movie "The Way". And of course, this is not how you would walk the Camino at all. 

Here is my new buddy Holger enjoying himself:

We had the first Menu del Perregrino for dinner. Entree was soup which tasted like it came from a can and was watered out. 

Main was roast chook and pommes frites    Dessert was a Basque style sponge cake which was all right. 250ml of house wine was also included. 

Yep, after 3 beers and a small carafe of wine, I was somewhat tipsy.  

At 9pm, it was time to return to the hostel. I forgot to check at what time the hostel would close its door (10.30 it turned out) and I didn't want to take any chances of not getting in. 

The darkened streets of St Jean Pied de Port were now very much deserted. 

I finish off with a few pictures from Hostel Azkurria. 

Buen Camino. Time to relax. Sleep.  

Footnote: the room was very hot. 4 people in a small room with closed door and windows does that. No worries about the snoring from others, that was manageable.