Ces bottes sont faites pour marcher…

I fell asleep around 1 a.m., delayed by loud snoring from three of the eight people in my hostel room. I woke at 6:30 a.m. and took my time getting ready, with only 4.8 miles to cover today.

The forecast predicted cloudy skies and temperatures in the 60s, so I wore shorts and a long-sleeve tee, packing a jacket and pants in my daypack in case the weather shifted.

For €8, a pack transport company, the Donkey Service, transported my backpack to Orisson. I stopped at a nearby bakery for a croissant and to get change for the fee.

Even without my pack, the climb out of St. Jean into the Pyrenees was grueling. My back ached much of the day. The scenery helped distract from the pain.

I reached Orisson, a small restaurant and hostel carved into the hillside, around 10:30 a.m. I ordered a ham and cheese bocadillo with a blond Basque beer. The ham was dry-cured Serrano, a staple of Spanish and Basque cuisine, paired with white cheddar on a soft baguette. I will be eating many of these over the next two months.

At 11 a.m., I checked into the hostel early and was assigned to an 8-person bunk room overlooking the Nive Valley. A reservation to stay here must be booked months in advance. The experience is legendary in the pilgrimage community.

I crawled onto my bed for a nap, fell asleep almost immediately, and didn’t wake until 4 p.m.

Due to my short day, Alex, Mark, and Vince, who pushed another 11 miles to Roncesvalles—my destination for tomorrow—are now a full day ahead of me.

At 6:30 a.m., all 50 or so guests gathered in the restaurant for a communal three-course dinner: wine, bread, gazpacho, sliced pork with gravy and baked beans, and Basque cake. Afterward, each person introduced themselves and shared their reasons for walking the Camino. Most were in transition—recent graduates, jobless, retirees, or facing midlife crises. Since I’ll likely be around these people for much of my journey to Santiago, these early icebreakers help in finding a group.

Though it doesn’t get dark until after 10 a.m., we were all in bed by 9.