There is too much to take in. I got up this morning, had breakfast at the Hotel Itzepea, packed up, put my pack on my back and took the first step out the front door. I went to the store where I thought I'd left my guidebook. I was pretty distressed about the loss. I had spent the last few months pouring over the book, writing notes and planning my journey. However, I knew I would be ok with or without it. With the help of the Google Translator app I had written a note in French to ask the shop keeper if anyone had found my guidebook. All the way to the shop I was praying to St Anthony, patron saint of lost things. I arrived at the store just as they were opening and handed my note to man who worked there. He made a signal to follow him and so I did. He took me to a counter on the other side of the store and pulled my guidebook from under the counter. I thanked him with bunches of merci. After finding my guidebook I stopped at an ATM and then began the Camino.
It was a strenuous climb to Orisson. At points I had to rest every hundred feet or so. Fortunately there were stunning views to look at while resting. For awhile I walked with Gerard who is from French Canada. We had a nice conversation, but after a while I had to tell him to go on because I couldn't keep the pace he was walking to enable him to go all the way to Roncevalles that first day. I was only going to Orisson. So I walked alone with my iPod. Well not exactly alone alone, there were many others on the route. 
The scenery is amazing, the weather is warm the skies are clear and the vistas are unending. Toward the end of today's walk I saw some huge hunting birds, I think hawks, they looked like small air planes soaring through the air. Then suddenly, I was at Orisson, at the auberge. First day done! It was a good decision to stop here for the night, five miles straight up, but my pack didn't bother me.
In the afternoon I was sitting on the terrace of the auberge, I heard a clanging noise. I turned around and there were a bunch of cows wandering down the road. Tonight we had a communal dinner with various languages flying around. Each of us were asked to introduce ourselves and say a little bit about ourselves.
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