Day One: Paris and Saint Jean Pied du Port

Our adventure began as most of ours do; at the airport in Atlanta. We decided to have lunch at the Varsity and Pei Wei, both foods we do not expect to find on the Camino. We then spent the time sitting in the outdoor lounge getting sun and earth before the flight. Everything went off without a hitch and we were several movies later in Paris at the CDG airport. Here we got our train tickets to start one of the many rides to get to our destination. Our first train took us into the heart of Paris And our first stop at Notre Dame cathedral. Here we got the pilgrim's stamp in our credential. Next we walked along the Seine river to the Louvre and saw the glass pyramid and outside of the enormous museum. The day was perfect: sunny and just the right temperature for walking. Bayonne. 

Next stop was the Eiffel Tower, where a huge line had already formed to go up. A tennis tournament was also taking place here, and they had a clay cout set up in the middle of the park and a giant tennis ball hanging from the tower. As we passed the military college, we stopped to have breakfast of croissants and cafe au lait in a sidewalk cafe called the Cafe des les officers. A short walk from there was Napoleon's grave and the museum that surrounds it. But our final destination was the Gare Parnassee where we caught the TGV tran to Bayonne. 

These trains are very comfortable and we began snoozing and reading and looking at the passing scenery. On e we reached Bayonne, we took a bus the hour and a half to St Jean. This is a quiet, tourist town aimed at the pilgrims. Our hostel, the Gite Ultreia, has lovely host. We are getting good nights rest and then plan to expire.