Our walk’s start date signalled an auspicious beginning to our camino. May 1 St is the Day of the Worker, a labour day,  except that here it is truly a celebration of people and not a day of shopping. The state of the economy this year has seen many protests gathering,  asking the governments for greater aid. The owner of our excellent hotel in Hendaye, the Bellevue, explained that the day is also hoped to bring luck for the rest of the year.  We hoped it would at least bring luck for our walk.

Our rather large collection of pilgrims encompassed individuals at both ends of a spectrum of experience — Roger and my dad both having oodles of experience while Willow and Theo were clearly setting out for the first time.  The rest of the group offered in enthusiasm what the first two brought with their many kilometers underfoot. Suzanne has decided that walking will be a regular component of the PG health regimen, of our lives.

The day was great, despite my sprained ankle, John Ricketts damaged toes (from the terribly steep and relentless downhill), clouds which accompanied us but barely rained down on us, and our forgotten lunches. The twins seemed oblivious to all these small hindrances; they were happy with their singalongs, their new friends, their food breaks and their close-ups of the forests and the trail.

After a beautiful walk at a high level we descended — too quickly — into Pasaia where we enjoyed our celebratory drink.