French Adventure on a way to Camino del Norte
So I’m walking on a French highway like for ~25 minutes, cars passing by so fast that it would take at least 1 km for them to stop. However, once you’re hitchhiking forward — you can’t give up. You just can’t.
I notice police and the sirens on the other side of the road going into opposite direction and instantly forget it because a nice French dude stops to offer me a lift! He is alone, tries to speak English, Slovak, French but somehow we connect. He is going to Sabres which is 50km from our current spot and somewhat on the way to Hendaye (180 km away) where I need to get.
But as we make the deal and I sit into his car the police comes! With sirens, driving fast, moving hands, shouting in French. I laugh, they shout, everyone lost in translation, but full of emotions.
“Wtf is going on” I ask Gabriel, my new friend with a car.
He says its illegal to hitchhike on a highways. How I’m supposed to know? Lol. Thats the first time in my life I’m doing this.
They ask my ID. I show. They point fingers to their head saying I’m insane for doing that and to Gabriel for meeting random strangers on the road. Gabriel smiles and says its ok :)
After 30 minutes he drops me in Labouheyre on a way home and leaves. In next 5 minutes I find out that last train to Hendaye just left. The anger. It comes again. But as I grasp the feeling of it in me suddenly I hear a car coming in from behind…
Its Gabriel!!! He came to help me. Again. But finds the same — situation is still hopeless. There are no more trains today.
We decide its ok for me to go to Sabres from where I could hitchhike further to Mont-de-Marsan, then to Dax then try to catch a train to Hendaye. We sit in his car and drive again.
He excuses to call his girlfriend who waits for him at home. He explains to her that everything is fine and he is coming back and that he is with a random dude from Lituanie. They laugh on phone. A lot. Speak French. And laugh again.
She hears that I’m after Camino del Norte and ask on the phone “why you’re hitchhiking, you should be on foot” I try to explain that I want to start in Spain, but she laughs anyway :D
They offer me a dinner (while still on phone). I say no and try to stay humble. Although I regret that later…
We reach Sabres, he leaves me in the middle of the road going to Mont-de-Marsan and wishes me luck. I start walking. Its 9 PM. I soon realise that there is no one alive around me for at least 50 km.
After like… 2 minutes it starts raining. Like really bad. I’m getting back to petrol station to hide from the rain. I regret not taking the dinner offer just 15 minutes ago…
I fight with myself a little… But… whatever! Since I’ve been rejected by hundred cars today its soooo easy to text Gabriel and ask if I can take his dinner, shower & sofa offer that he gave just minutes ago.
I text.
Get no answer.
I wait in a rain for 10 more minutes. The rain goes stronger and stronger. And I receive a call from Gabriel! Its hard to speak English on the phone when both of us suck at English. However, he gets outside and since petrol station is 2 minutes from his door I see him waving.
I wave back.
I come closer. He invites me straight to his home, shows toilet, shower, sofa, his girlfriend Aude, cat Yuki, another cat Zamora and their small but cosy apartment in the middle of nowhere called Sabres. Lovely place.
In the next 2 hours I’m having the best time in my life with French people that I didn’t know just an hour ago.
They offer me dinner, beer, Pringles, tasty & expensive dried sausage i can not refuse. If that wasn’t enough, they even open their FAMILY (!) wine which was made 32 years ago by her grandparents.
I’m almost in tears… After the meal and lots of “my country, your country” stories they offer to watch a movie, smoke shisha and prepare my bad.
I’m amazed.
It is not a feeling of a family. Its a feeling that world is taking care of you.
I invite them to Lithuania like 50 times, exchange social media accounts, take shower, get sleep and off again in the morning.
I never expected that of a French people. Stereotypes in my head. They are blown away. I’m blown away.
I’m still wondering about it as I’m on my next hitchhike from Sabres to Mont-de-Marsan where I find out that French people working in a public train system are on a strike for 2 days a week for the next 6 months. I have only one train left which is to Bordeaux… And I don’t want to get backwards. Forward is the way to go.
Fuck. [thinking…]
Should I check BlaBlaCar again? Are there any busses? Should I hitchhike again?
Wondering… But not lost.
P.S. Did you know that Gabriel is the name of 1 of 3 angels mentioned throughout all Bible books?
I didn’t know that too until I met Sebastian from Paris 4 days after this happened. Check my further adventures on Instagram to find full stories https://www.instagram.com/aivarasco/ or ask questions :) I love chatting.
