OK, here's the deal;  Mark is having way too much fun to blog right now.

Here are a few pictures from the start of his trek.  The picture of the street and buildings with

the mountains in the background, is of St. Jean Pied de Port which is the town on the French

border that is the official start of the Camino Frances, the most traveled route on the Camino de Santiago.  The first day Mark hiked over the Pyrenees, which is probably the roughest part of

the Camino with steep climbs and descents and possibility of storms since it is at about 11,000 feet.

                         An auberge ("o-bearzh") which is what they call the hostels along the way.

                                                          High altitude horses.

                            The Camino is a spiritual pilgrimage so here is a statue of the Virgin.

                                                          Self explanatory.

                                                        St. Jean Pied de Port, France

If I get anything else I'll pass it on, now that I figured out how to post here.  Last I heard, Mark was in Estella and heading west.  Buen Camino!