JULIA STARR
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Day One: St-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Refuge Orisson (7.9km)

A mix of excitement and nerves pumped through my body as I left the hostel in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port before sunrise to begin my Camino. I remember seeing pilgrims both ahead of me and behind me. We didn't talk, but the presence of other pilgrims was comforting. We walked in silence as the sun rose on the beautiful French countryside.

The hike into the Pyrenees was harder than I expected. Every few minutes, I had to stop to catch my breath, but there was a comfort in knowing that my body could only get stronger and stronger. 

I arrived to my destination -- an albergue (aka pilgrim hostel) in the Pyrenees -- at 9:40AM. It was a simple little cabin with a bar and patio overlooking an expansive valley, surrounded by mountains. The familiar sound of American accents drew me to a group of English speakers: two men in their 60s who were walking for religious reasons (it became readily apparent that one dragged the other...), an Irish woman who would end up being one of my walking buddies for much of the Way, a widower from New Zealand who was walking in honor of his late wife, and a lively Australian couple. We spent the day drinking beers on the patio and watching the pilgrims pass on their way to the next stop (Roncevalles, 17km away). That evening, we had a communal meal at which each pilgrim shared their reason for walking. Many were focused on getting closer to oneself, whether it be at a point of transition in ones life or after a great hardship. I said that I came with many questions, and I hoped the Camino will help me answer them. More on that soon...

Day Two: Refuge Orisson to Zubriri (39.4km)

The day began with a hike up to the peak of the Pyrenees. It was a slow hike up, but much easier than the day before, in part because of my company along the way. I began the day hiking with Carl, a psychotherapist and adventurer in his late 30s from Wisconsin. Little did I know that he would end up being my partner in this whole endeavor... Mid-way up the mountain, we started walking with a woman who we would later call our Camino Mom. She had walked the Camino before so she shared with us some tips (including that in order to not drive myself and others crazy, I needed to buy some rubber tips for my walking poles -- Carl had named me "clickety clackety" because you could always hear me coming). Our Camino Mom and her husband had lost their home in the Thomas fire in 2017 and decided to move to Spain. They were truly inspiring. Instead of wallowing in the tragedy of their circumstances, they made a bold and adventuresome change, perhaps one that they wouldn't have done otherwise.

On our way up the mountain, we crossed the border into Spain (the quickest border crossing ever) and saw oodles of wildlife, including a sleeping pony, fields of sheep, and so many cows. On the descent, we took Camino Mom's suggestion and went on the alternative route that the Pilgrim Office had strongly discouraged us to use. But it was beautiful!

Once we got to our intended destination, Roncevalles, at 11:20AM, Carl and I decided it was too early to stop, like everyone else was. So we walked on.

Day Three: Zubriri to Pamploma (20.9km)

Day Four: Pamplona to Puente la Reina (24.5km)

Day Five: Puente la Reina to Estella(22.2km)

Day Six: Estella to Sansol (28.8km)

Day Seven: Sansol to Navarrete (34.2km)

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