It was an uplifting moment - the departure with the packed bike away from home, even if it initially only went as far as the train station. My fellow pilgrim Hans and I took the train from Zurich via Geneva to Bayonne.
Bayonne was a stopover for the rest of the train journey to the starting point of our pilgrimage in St. Jean.
Infinitely long was the journey at night. Because the French railroads only take bikes on local trains, we had to take the night train from Geneva via Lyon, Montpellier, Carcassonne, Lourdes to Bayonne.
The next morning, after a refreshment in the station restaurant, we started a sightseeing tour of the city by bike. So there I am in the middle of Bayonne.
Bayonne is located at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers.
Cathedral Nôtre Dame with cloister
Since there was still time for the connecting train to Saint Jean, we decided to go to the sea.
There it is, the Atlantic Ocean. In the background we see Biarritz with the striking lighthouse.
The bikes are stowed in the local train and off we go to Saint Jean. The train is full of pilgrims.
Here we are at the station of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
Photos: Gerhard Eichinger
Camino Francés
Highlights from the Camino Norte
