My Camino de Santiago - St. James Way
Ivan Blanco
Bordeaux train station (France)
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"Off I go!" Did I say to myself. Or as the German comedian Hape Kerkeling says in his bestseller with the same title "Ich bin dann mal weg!", which also grew the popularity of the St. James Way pilgrimage among his fellow countrymen (the movie is on its way too).
The most popular way is the French one and it starts from Saint Jean Pied de Port and finishes in the end of all St. James Ways: Santiago de Compostela on the North West of Spain, Galicia. It's a 800 km pilgrimage that can be done either by foot, bike or on a horse (check it here for more info).
So this is how I start my pilgrimage back to my hometown: I was born in Switzerland and lived there until age 12, then I went to Negreira (15 min car drive from Santiago de Compostela) and spent there my high school and early university years.
That's a lot! Don't worry, half of it stayed home.
Long story short, I always promised myself to do at least once the Camino de Santiago and there I was, having a 3 months leave when at the middle of it I took the decision to simply "Off I go!"... Not so easy thou, I want to do it on a bike starting at St. Jean Pied de Port, but wait, I live in Nice and my bike is in Negreira!
First recommendation for the Camino: don't worry, almost everything in life has a solution.
The plan finally was, think of some photo projects (I love photography), ship my bike to St. Jean Pied de Port from Negreira, book an "Auberge" (hostel), get a flight to Bordeaux, from there arrange a BlaBlaCar to Bayonne (I always wanted to visit this place) and I even was lucky enough to find a very kind Couchsurfer who hosts me the first night. Day after that, I catch the train+bus to St. Jean Pied de Port: "L'Auberge du Pelerin" I'm coming! (I hope my bike too!)
Stay tuned for updates, pictures and stories of my first ever pilgrimage!