STAGE ONE: Saint Jean to Orisson

I need to apologize in advance, I bought the new iPad pre trip and as everyone knows I don't even know how to text so it is so hard for me to write easily on this, usually my fingers fly over a keyboard and I find I am writing on an elementary level in this way on the I pad. To top it off it thinks it knows what I am trying to type and can be pretty humorous to read when you see the words it picks.
So Saint Jean to Orisson...where does one begin, I almost died...I made D from England (now known as Bond for he has every gadget known to man and is very thoughtful and assisting with all things), promise he would never share how ugly this leg was for me. I left Saint Jean full of life, massively intimated by my backpack, cringing at the idea of even having to pick it up and I left thinking "here we go". I totally underestimated what this trip involved, I've seen the pictures and felt "a bunch of long walks filled with wonderful people, great food and plenty of wine". The arch of Saint Jean's citadel was still in view when I thought how was I going to do this. I have not for a second regretted the decision but have to say from step five I was shocked at how much it has kicked my butt. I had gotten my reservations for day two at Orisson, a private auberge that is ten kilometers into the twenty five kilometers over the Pyrenees mountains. I started second guessing that about a week ago, I heard it is possibly the most beautiful spot in these five hundred (plus) miles but ten kilometers is only six miles...
Let me just be clear had Orisson not been there they would have had to bury me right there on the side of the road. Honestly vultures flew overhead and I have no doubt they had spotted me with the greatest of anticipation.. Orisson was exactly as described, an oasis on the mountain...a deck overlooking the mountains and I was greeted by friends who had arrived before me, relaxed, excited and happy. Within minutes I was back to normal and took a deep breath as I clearly think I could not have been happier. I slept in a room with I think five bunk beds and the sweetest gal below me snored like a champ. I had not pulled out my earplugs and didn't sleep at all. In desperation I took my sleeping bag up on the gorgeous deck and fell asleep under the stars. It was amazing, the meal before was served in a family style and I slept under the Milky Way by myself and loving every minute of it. I kept hearing a ringing similar to the sound of an unsecured halyard on a sail boat. Many curse this sound when sleeping on a sailboat but oddly it is the sound I chose when I do hypnosis and I thought it just might lull me to sleep. As I slept I kept hearing someone else breathing, I realized I must not be alone and looked around...I clearly was alone but it made me think of the poem of footprints in the sand and when Jesus said, "these were the times I carried you". This was an amazing start to my journey and Orisson was exactly what this peregrina (female pilgrim) needed.