Planes, trains, more trains ...

... And a change of plan.

It's just after 10pm and I'm sitting up in my pensione bed looking out over St Jean Pied de Port, the starting point of my Camino.

It's been quite a day to get here having left London early this morning on the Eurostar. But before that, I enjoyed a lovely 24 hours with family in London with the Coopers (Cathy, Tony, Georgia and Adam) and with Mike, Bev, Bec, Amanda and Laura who arrived back from their week in The Cotswolds in time to send me off. And to help keep me awake yesterday they invited me to their Buckingham Palace tour which as far as the girls were concerned was really about seeing Kate Windsor's (née Middleton) wedding dress which has been on display this summer. So the afternoon was a big success followed by a lovely dinner and off to bed. After a good night's sleep the worst of jet lag was behind me (just as well as it turns out) and I made it to St Pancras station to board the Eurostar at 6.50am.

Eurostar to Gare du Nord, cross town on Metro 4 to Montparnasse, TGV to Bayonne followed by one carriage local train to SJPP where I arrived just after 7.30 tonight.

My plan was to have Sunday here in SJPP to rest and get my bearings and set out on Monday morning. As I made my way to the Pilgrims' welcome centre to get my pilgrim's passport, I was still in two minds whether to make the 28km Pyrenees crossing in one day on my first day's walking or stop at the only Refugio between here and there at Orisson which is about 12 kms up the mountain. I thought I'd leave early enough on Monday to go all the way to Roncesvalles and see how I was traveling by the time I got to Orisson and make my decision then. Seemed like a good plan to me.

The volunteers at the welcome centre were busy. There was a lot of talk about the mountain crossing and telling the new 'pilgrims' that if they want to leave in the next day or two they had some decisions to make. I was in a queue of about a dozen and curious to find out what all the fuss was about. By the time my turn came, it turns out there were no beds left at Orisson for Monday night so you must decide before you leave SJPP or you have to keep going. If you get to Orisson without a bed or tent booked they bring you back to SJPP by car - no arguments. So I asked about Sunday night to find there were two beds left - I grabbed one.

So no rest day for me tomorrow but I am excited to start. Happy with the outcome as the forecast is for warm and sunny days so it will be a tough climb.

Seems that the lessons of The Camino are starting already. Let go of expectations and expect the unexpected.

So spare a thought for me trudging up that mountain tomorrow. I'll let you know how I get on.

J x