Day 0

Day 0, May 17

Aire-Sur-L’Adour

951km to Santiago

We arrived at Aire-sur-L’Adour early afternoon in a drizzle. It’s a town of about 6000 people (read two stoplights). It's the biggest town we’ll see until Pamplona twelve days from now. Twenty minute walk from bus stop to town center. It took some nosing around to find Hotel de la Paix (tourist office was closed – Ascension Day ) but it worked out.

The hotel door was locked with a phone number posted. We tried ringing the bell and a fellow inside the hotel opened a window and lent us his cell phone. In a few minutes, Mme. Laforse rode up on her bike and checked us in. She spoke pretty good English (but that was about it for the day). The the room was ‘rustic’ but clean and Mme. Laforse was very helpful.

We visited the Cathedral St. Jean Baptist, a focal point for pilgrims finishing their day. We saw 15 – 20 people. They looked pretty beat walking up in ponchos, rain jackets, and muddy shoes. Some with backpacks, some not, some on bikes. It was our first look at the folks we’d be walking with. . . seemed friendly enough.

There was a small reception in a side chapel with pilgrimage information. A lady was greeting folks (spoke no English) and was very kind. When she learned we were pilgrims she made sure we had a place to sleep then offered us hot chocolate and cookies. She gave us our first Credencia stamp. She hadn’t seen an American Credencia. I checked their posted stats: in 2006, of the ~8000 pilgrims who registered at the church, only 24 were Americans.

We found an open bar which also turned out to also be OTB joint. Over a few beers it was interesting to watch seven French guys undeterred by Ascension Day betting on horseraces.

At six we went to the church for a Pilgrim’s blessing . . . a short service that included some encouraging words (we hoped) and a nice little song.

We did one last re-org . . . very productive . . Marie offloaded another t-shirt and other items and I dumped a sock and shirt. I can’t figure out how we’ll do any better for now. We start hauling tomorrow and things may change.

Since the toilet was down the hall and the floors and doors were made of wood and old . . . trips during the night were a mine-field of creaks and groans. But you gotta do what you gotta do.