How do you find the way?

The Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James, Way of Jakob, Chemin St. Jacques...or whatever name it might be called in other languages) has been travelled for centuries, so you might think getting to one of its starting points would be simple. The thing is, people go all the time, and everyone says,"don't worry, you'll get there."  But the directions are not easy. And we made it harder by starting in Madrid. 

For one thing you can't buy train tickets for Spain online in the USA. So one of the first outings in Madrid was to the main train station to obtain tickets back to France. At the train station you take a number and wait, hoping that the train you want (on Easter Sunday afternoon) won't be full. If it is, you settle for the moning train, grateful that you planned to go see a passion play on Saturday since you now won't be able to attend services on Sunday.

Then, because the train will only take you right across the border, you start trying to find a way to get from that town to the one where the Camino starts. That is when everyone tells you that the train tracks were washed out last year and you'll need to take a bus (which you actually knew from researchIng this route from home...) However, no one can book this mysterious bus- or the train that gets you to the bus - for you. Again you hear, "don't worry, you'll get there."

So, grateful that you booked a place to stay in the town across the border, you get on the train hoping that the mysterious train/bus combo will be available, because everything you can find online says that all seats are booked. But the people who work for the companies, and the folks who've gone before all say that can't be right and, "don't worry, you'll get there."

At least we'll be in France?

You make it across the border and speak to the information person who says that of course they have many trains that can get you as far as Bayonne, but you'll then need a bus. At this point you think, right, we get that part...but how do you get on the BUS?!?! When you calmly ask, he looks at you like you are a complete fool and points to the ticket office while saying that of course you just go buy a ticket. 

You take a deep breath and can hardly believe you've found the mysterious place that actually sells the tickets. You are sold a ticket for a 9am train to Bayonne, connecting with a 10:30am bus to St. Jean Pied du Port - hallelujah! you think. But then when you arrive in Bayonne the illusive bus has again vanished! The people at that station look at you (and the other pilgrim you met on the train) as though you are completely confused as she explains that the bus won't arrive until 3pm. But she says, "don't worry, you'll get there."

So you spend the day chatting with the nice German who is also headed off on the Camino. You give thanks for bars open on the national holiday of Easter Monday that will serve coffee to pilgrims waiting for the bus (not to mention providing a clean public bathroom!). You give thanks also for the bakery open on a national holiday that provides you with an amazing sandwich and Easter chocolate to boot. Then you wait, and give thanks for towns with walking paths by the river, public plazas with fountains, and free wifi in the train station. Then you eat the last of the oranges you bought from Spain and rejoice as you board the bus so that you can go to St. Jean, get your pilgrim credential, find the perfect place to welcome you for the night, and begin the walk tomorrow. Turns out there was no reason to worry. In the end, we all got there after all.

The first albergue of the journey welcomed us with tea and molasses cake after our crazy train/bus day to get there!