Finding myself on a long walk
Starting this from Stansted Airport in London, about to board a flight to Biarritz and then a bus to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Last night I stayed at my friend Olivia’s flat. She gave me a sleeping bag liner, some eye masks and a little pill bottle of poems to read and I gave her a knitted hat.
Every time anyone has asked me about this portion of my trip, I haven’t been able to give them an answer because I actually haven’t really looked into it. The other day someone told me the first day I will be hiking over the Pyrenees mountains which was news to me. Looks really beautiful, excited to see it.
Day one of the Camino, I met a girl named Lucy who was on my flight and then on my train to Saint Pied de Port. We started talking on the train then ended up being in the same bunk room. We then got cold pizza for dinner with this guy José we also met on the train, a retired train line worker.
Lucy is so funny and we start the walk together. I laughed so much I almost peed my pants.
Day two, Lucy and I am staying at different accomodations. There is a sweet 67 year old (lol) from Bruges at my accomodation who tells us that when he takes his blue sweater off, he is covered in blue fluff and looks like a Smurf.
He also said that no one in his life believed he would be able to do the walk ): a lady from Denmark said he had nothing to prove to anyone else but to himself, and it sounds super corny as I type this out, but in the moment it was genuine and thinking back to it makes me want to cry
After day two I gave up on writing so here are some notes:
Went out drinking with an ex-Mormon. He had about two pints, was super obnoxious and then had to be walked home
Had the best tartare in the same night
There is a guy here who videos everything, I met him today, his friend told me he has had multiple camino girlfriends and cried saying goodbye to the last one after singing to her with a guitar
Met a German woman who tells us she always goes for the bad boys and she needs to change her ways
Woman called peg from Perth, I told her I would like to visit Perth and she just said ‘why’ and gave me a thousand yard stare, I later cracked her and now were friendly
Paul from Holland is a dreamboat, he takes photos and sails a boat. He just called me beautiful, riding that high for the next couple days
Trying to knit but I am so tired and I keep making mistakes
This Australian guy called Brian took a photo of George Clooney to the barber. He is like 5”6 and asked if I was Danish because I am “Fucking huge” lol.
Towns and cities I have stayed in:
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Roncesvalles
Urdaniz
Zubiri
Pamplona
Puente la Reina
Estella (got free breakfast from a guy who liked my tattoos)
Los Arcos
Logroño (had the best Tartare and drunk with the ex-mormon)
Nájera
Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Belorado
San Juan de Ortega
Likes
Sandwiches with salami and cheese
Roa hiking pants
Cold pint after a six-hour walk
FakeMink and Bladee’s new albums
Meeting sweet new friends
dislikes
Drunk ex-mormons
Blisters
Not having time to knit
Salomon sneakers
