the del Norte/Primitivo route.
Spain: From Irun to Santiago de Compostela, 500 miles.
Post 14; June 14, 2016, Tuesday night. Irun, Spain.
Tomorrow: Irún to San Sebastian, 26.5 Km.
The starting point.
I made it!
It feels good to be back. Back to the start of a Camino. It’s been two long hard years since my last Camino in 2014. But, I’m here and already I’m so excited because I’ve run into Carlos de la Camera. He was on the Camino in 2014. We just had our own little pilgrim’s dinner to celebrate. And discussed why we are back on the Camino.
So, for the record, Irun is the start of the northern route of the Camino de Santiago. So, I have about 791.5 Km to trek. That’s about 491 miles. Tomorrow we will trek from the Irun RENFE station and the Albergue de Peregrinos at Calle Lucan de Berroa — to San Sebastian and the Albergue La Sirena. About 26.5 Km.
The rest of my friends, Nick, Harold, Tempie, Norm and Baby Doe 1 are already putting in some tourist miles exploring Irún, including a walk to the French border. I thought I would take back some control of my blog and let them experience the evening before the
start of their Camino.
All of us already have received our Credential del Peregrino and our first stamp. The stamp says: ALBERGUE DE PEREGRINOS DONEJAKUE ELKARTEA. The cost of the Albergue for the night, including breakfast is a donation. I gave them 10 Euro and they seemed quite happy.
We have now . . . truly begun.
. . .
What does the starting point mean? I’m back at the Albergue in the sitting room with lots of other pilgrims. Everyone has a goal, a dream, something to work on. It sounds like every pilgrim intends to go the distance, all the way to Santiago, although a few are doing it in 12 days by bike. The rest will trek it. Someone just said it’s like starting to write a novel. Isn’t it hard to write the first chapter? Will it drag? Will it be inspired? Does anyone at home care? There are no couples. Everyone, except maybe me, has left someone home, a spouse, a boyfriend, a girlfriend. And, yes, as they talk about that person I hear and even sense stronger that, there’s a reason that other person isn’t here. Something needs to be worked out.
Someone just said something “brilliant”: the nice thing about a starting point is that we all, sitting here, realize we are, indeed, at a starting point. That is very clear. And, even better, the ending point is clear: Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in western Spain.
About 500 miles from here.
. . .