day 27 – draft
Monday, 2 May 2016
Uhart-Mixte  to  Saint-Jean-pied-de-port
24 km today - 733  km to date

Isabella, my hostess at the gite named 'Lescargot says because of the big trucks I  should not walk on the road that passes through the village.  She is so nice about it I take her advice traffic.  She shows me to the local track that will get me on the GR65 and gives me a French kiss farewell.

This track is nice and steep and sealed and I make good progress.  There are wonderful vistas.  I arrive at Ostabat and pause for coffee, having said the morning office in the open church.  Back on the road and pass several dairy farms, at least thats what they look like, but I cannot see a milking shed.  The area looks prosperous with nearly all houses looking neat and tidy with the customary shutters painted deep red or light blue.

When I can get back on the main road.  By now it is straight with a wide space between the white line and the edge of the seal.  Encounter the village of Gamarthe and as I need a loo stop pause at the large restaurant busy setting up for the lunch trade for a
coffee.  A short distance on there is a cheese factory with a tasting room and which should be open.  While the lights are on there is no sign of life inside and the door doesn't open.  I am not the only one disappointed.

Back on the road for another 3 or 4 km when a car pulls up at an intersection about 100 metres ahead and a man starts walking towards me.  When we close up I recognise Jack from my second night with Anne at Moissac  He has suffered an injury that prevents him from continuing and his wife has acted as salvor.  In the chat I cadge a ride to Saint-Jean.  On the home stretch the car stops again as Jack has seen Serge and Michel as he had also encountered them on the way.

The arrival at aSaint-Jean is in grand style.  And I am amazed / astonished by the hordes of people thronging not only the cobbled street through the original town but also the restaurants on the outskirts.  The parish gite that Isabella had rung ahead for me that morning doesn't open for a while and nor does the Pilgrims Office. I take the time to visit the church and the start point for the next morning.

Jan from Holland is very helpful at the Pilgrims Office and I weigh my pack -  8kg.  So it is more than 1 kg over my target weight.  Nothing too serious but I need to take the opportunity to do something about it.

The gite is good and dinner is at 2015 so pilgrims can go to Mass and the pilgrims blessing at 19h30.  There are about 20 present, of which five come forward for the blessing.
Dinner is good with two from Croatia who speak English.


And so to bed.