Day 1

Happy Ash Wednesday/ first day of Lent!

My plane landed in Madrid at 830 this morning. I then spent an hour searching for somewhere in the airport to buy a bus ticket. Another hour passed eating breakfast then I was on the bus to Soria. From there I boarded another bus to Pamplona where I arrived at 330 pm. The next bus didn't leave until 6 pm, but I only had 90 minutes to go to get to St Jean Pied de Port, France, so I grabbed a cab instead of waiting.

As soon as we left the city my driver pointed out the window and said, "el Camino." It was my first glimpse of the road I would travel. I was speechless. And humored by the fact that I would be back here in a few short days, only on foot.

We traveled through beautiful country and then the snow covered town of Roncesvalles. Yes, snow. And lots of it.

As we continued to wind our way through the Pyrenees the fog grew thick and the drizzle turned to all out rain. We saw a woman walking in the same direction we were traveling. Which was odd. Most people walk west, not east.

My driver, who did not speak English, indicated that he would stop if I wanted. I wanted. The poor woman was drenched.

She was French and didn't speak Spanish or English. And yet I understood her perfectly. Though my driver did not. Perhaps it is the "magic" of The Way. I told her she was going the wrong way but she didn't have far to go.

Driving on we passed another soaked walker. I couldn't help thinking it was stupid to walk in the snow covered mountains in a rain storm. And yet it is top on my list tomorrow.

If I did have any second thoughts about walking this first leg they were put to rest when I got car sick just as we entered St Jean. The curvy roads were too much for my stomach and I will not face them by car again!

A memorable start to the journey!

Tomorrow we walk!