St. Jean Pied de Port (Bob)

The version of the Camino we’re doing starts in St. Jean Pied de Port, so we took a 4-hour train from Barcelona to Pamplona and then a cab ride to St Jean in France. I had been under the impression that most people start the Camino there, but at least half the people in the hostel had already been Camino-ing for weeks, and some were ending there. 

At our community dinner of lentil soup and vegetables, the host was welcoming us all to the experience. He wanted to get us all involved by throwing an invisible ball to each other. When you caught the imaginary ball, you said your name and threw it to the next person. At one point, one of the French travelers glared when the ball was thrown to him. The host asked him to respond, and boy, did he respond! He growled and spat invectives in French. The only word I caught was mierde, which he said at least four times. I was deeply impressed. I often get upset in similar situations, like when I’m taking a Meyers-Briggs exam, but I hold off to vent until later. Tres bien, mon ami!