First Day on the Camino Frances: Crossing the Pyrenees

The Scent of the Camino: Memories Reawakened

What struck me in the morning was that familiar scent—the fragrance of aloe vera mingling with sulfurous earth, exhaling both perseverance and hope. Like an old friend, the Camino’s perfume welcomed me back, awakening memories dormant for six years.

Walking the Napoleon Route: Memories of 2019 vs. Reality

In 2019, my mother’s warning echoed in my ears: “The first day is very difficult.” I prepared mentally then, but fortune smiled upon me—an Australian girl gathered pilgrims around her like wildflowers, and in that bouquet of fellowship, I felt neither exhaustion nor the weight of miles. My legs carried me effortlessly, and I thought with youthful arrogance: “This path that challenged my mother feels like nothing to me.”

Today, I approached the journey with dangerous bravado, my memory gilding the past with false ease. Providence guided me to stop at a bakery, though I had foolishly considered walking without provisions, thinking the first food stop merely 8 kilometers distant. The mountain would soon humble such pride.

I began my Camino with prayer—my 54-day Rosary Novena, three parts whispered into the morning mist. But oh! The path revealed itself in all its harsh glory: endless climbing, relentless ascents. Exhaustion claimed me early, having begun with an empty stomach—a pilgrim’s folly.

Though I took breaks beneath ancient rocks which had witnessed centuries of travelers, anxiety pushed me forward. The knowledge of 217 beds waiting unclaimed spurred my steps. I had chosen faith over certainty, refusing advance bookings, trusting—as I wrote yesterday—that “the Way provides.”

The journey transformed into a fever dream of effort. “Drunk with exhaustion” describes those moments when the path blurred and mountains seemed to breathe. Salvation came through connection—walking kilometers with a Californian girl, our conversations weaving a tapestry of distraction from pain.

I arrived at the albergue after 25 kilometers (15.5 miles), sweat-baptized and reborn. But much has changed since 2019. The spontaneous spirit of the Camino now competes with digital efficiency—online registrations, forms to complete, an hour of queuing for the privilege of rest.

With gratitude for my basement bed, I still sensed the segregation: those with foresight slept above on the first and second floors, near showers and conveniences. We who walked in faith bedded below. Some pilgrims muttered what my heart felt: “This is not a pilgrimage when you book nights in advance.” The ancient principle—first come, first served—seems faded like an old scallop shell.

Yet I remain grateful. Some pilgrims found no rest here tonight and continued their journey, footsore and weary. Still, this change in the Camino’s spirit troubles me like a stone in my boot.

Note to Myself:

Keep walking steadily; momentum is precious currency on the Camino. More vital still: keep your head lifted, eyes fixed on the horizon rather than the ground beneath your feet. When my gaze dropped today, when I could see only the next step and not the journey’s arc, my body threatened complete surrender. The horizon pulls us forward when our feet would stop.

Day 1 Summary:

• Distance: 25 kilometers (15.5 miles)
• Time: Started 6:20 AM, arrived 1:20 PM (7 hours)
• Expenses:
• Breakfast: €3.50
• Bananas: €4.00
• Albergue bed: €12.00
• Chocolate bar €1.20
• Dinner: €14.00
• Total: €34.70
• Calories burned: approximately 2,500

Buen Camino