For my first day on probably one of the biggest hikes of my life i can whole heartedly say that i love it ! The sense of belonging, the community, the people i have met on the road. *And it's only the first day!* To begin, we were in near total darkness. Sun doesn't rise until after 8 am here in Spain right now and because of the cloud cover we didn't see the sun until around 9. ![DSC_0593.JPG](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmXGeC4pBbKdc6A4h8H7ZHaSaCH114V4wSJMbn36Gmzr2n/DSC_0593.JPG) We were quite lucky with the weather actually, I felt that the sun only came when we needed out and disappeared when we were getting too hot. It was near on perfect! Another thing that astonished me was seeing this on the way... ![DSC_0581.JPG](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmPnZ6FCUsqFcKmCmBuUAoiTuzF8abnqskkxvucRELW9b9/DSC_0581.JPG) A Steemit sticker on the camino in France! What the actual hell?! I had to take a photo to share with you. Our walk was mostly a climb today, we went about 1200 vertical metres and over 25 horizontal kilometers. We saw so many beautiful scenes and i tried to capture those but i think they look better in videos. But anyway i will share a few photos of things i have seen. ![DSC_0640.JPG](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmdmHQHWhJG8a6kSSrxTKT1dFhwCMZB1ZhHL98ctoiSD3F/DSC_0640.JPG) *feeling like we were at the top but nowhere near it!* ![DSC_0669.JPG](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmPFmXsAJ71P5C3WR2YVuzzyLQQVQgbDrarZFMJHMUKdwF/DSC_0669.JPG) *a lovely French cow* ![DSC_0727.JPG](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmbQUdB1kSNi1faAaHjFnjdQC1sqzvU139h8rU3MWxyyfx/DSC_0727.JPG) *looking over the valley* ![DSC_0773.JPG](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmbFsykHAFy1quZtP2imPfbYGgY1vR1CiVnoUsPSfb237W/DSC_0773.JPG) *keep pushing to the top* ![DSC_0780.JPG](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmVPPmYSyR42JGumZP4GEGRavXXppTXP4uJLoFyjMsFGEg/DSC_0780.JPG) *the majestic French horse* ![DSC_0797.JPG](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmZMGT2nQYLGL8LD3JHvzWuX8QeR94CvTzGHh4h27avGSr/DSC_0797.JPG) *the eagles circling above, gliding on the wind currents* ![DSC_0823.JPG](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSYFZMqShM5EwKJ3tyxykXssRczn4NVoDVLEzRZDfZaTh/DSC_0823.JPG) *finally at the top! Can you see Roncesvalles?* ![DSC_0877.JPG](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTKn93e5aDjr3SKCNyKrt1yUn7JL5s2jwbwbNk1aVp22Z/DSC_0877.JPG) *the monastery in Roncesvalles* Now we are at this beautiful monastery and I cannot say how happy i am. We came here, found our room, reconnected with everyone we met on the trail today and shared a glass of beer and wine before a "Pilgrims Dinner". Like i said in the beginning, this sense of community is nearly overwhelming. We are like a family, all completing this task together. We share a laugh together, everyone shares a smile and its just really lovely. I'm looking forward to another fantastic day tomorrow. For now, goodnight everyone. I have to let my muscles rest and recover! As always, # PEACE # @stickycj