Rain arrived, as forecast, and a chance to test the waterproofness of the kit and the skin ... three hours with the pack was fine and the scenic path proposed by the Camino signs was abandoned for the brisker head down and plod approach alongside the road to St Jean de Luz ... the mind contentedly aware of the traffic, without engaging with it ... separate dimensions ...and wanting to get the pilgrim passport, ready for the trail, found the train at St Jean ... the TGV from Paris taking less than 15 minutes to Hendaye without breaking sweat ... it continued to Irun, but the idea was to walk across the border into Spain ... a river between but no sign of customs, police, army or flags ... on the ground the reality is that the Basque country straddles the political divide ...
Since the albergue opened at 4 pm, there was a chance for a chat with Pia, a German pilgrim ... soon joined by Nadia from France and Rilker from Brazil ... some lunch and coffee and Camino talk ... wonderful cameradarie ...
At the albergue, volunteer hospitaleros Jose-Manuel and Wem issue passports for those in need of them (some folks have been walking a while to reach Spain), offer the bed and breakfast for a donation, share information on the next few days' possibilities ... no wifi though, so a local bar provides your news and your blogger sacrifices the alcohol free life with a glass of local red, rather than more caffeine or chemical soda ... you're welcome ... content and feeling at home in the parallel universe of the Pilgrims ....
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