We Begin Our Saunter up and Across the Pyrenees from St Jean Pied de Port

We agreed a 07.30 start to our climb up to Refuge Orisson after breakfast.

Buenas Tardes,

We are a group of Jubilados, sounds so much better than senior citizens.

We are a group of refugees from disunited kingdom,or Little Britain as it now known. So relieved to leave an island ruled by evil people and take refuge here in Civilisation, or Europe as it is sometimes called.

We are all of a certain vintage, we have all walked Caminos before.

Our goal this Summer is Burgos,when in a fortnight we have to return.

Most of you will doubtless pass us on the way, please say hello and if by chance in a bar have a chat – you may discover a professor of chemistry,a cycling violinist , a director of the 3rd age university and a multi lingual player of the organ,amongst many other talents- you may discover a professor of chemistry, a cycling violinist, a director of the 3rd age university and a multi lingual player of the organ amongst many other talents / we are a convivial bunch, not a closed community.

This is our opening day and once again I puzzled myself with the question why am I walking the Camino…again, after about 12 caminos . To conclude our introduction,

I liked this note written in the Pilgrim Book in Roncesvalles and cited by John Brierley :

“ I am doing the Camino once again,looking for something I left behind, or perhaps never found. It’s like coming home.”