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.
12 May 2016
day 26 – draft
Sunday, 1 May 2016
Navarrenx to Uhart-Mixte
29 km today - 713 km to date
At breakfast I meet a couple who arrived yesterday from Lourdes. They are spending a week going the other way. Their first two days will be about 15 km each.
And I encounter Marlene again. As her intentions for the day don't match mine and as she is stopping at Saint-Jean we farewell one another.
I make slow progress to Aroue, about 18 km from Navarrenx. All the churches I pass are locked. Even at Aroue, despite the Angelus bell ringing the customary pattern at midday this church is also locked.
I catch up with the GR65 pathway near Olhaiby Chapel. The way goes through remarkable changeable country. At ons point I encounter a mob of about 100 sheep, both rams and ewes. They look as though they have been recently shorn but seem very light weight although bigger than lambs would be at two or three months. They are curious about me and turn to face me as I approach, and even push forward a bit. I take my leave and continue up the hill. At the top I encounter a mob of sheep in a paddock and I stop to observe them. They have some wool but it seems to stop naturally halfway down their sides. Again, as soon as they notice me they saunter down to the fence line, curious as were the others.
Time is marching on and I check where I am: I am not on the GR65. Using the marvellous feature of my offline mapping app, I make my way towards where I want to be, Ostabat. All up I have walked more km today than indicated.
There are two of us in the gite tonight. Christian is from near Nuremberg in Germany. He has cycled from his home and by the next night expects to be in Pamplona, about 120 km away.
And so to bed.
Sunday, 1 May 2016
Navarrenx to Uhart-Mixte
29 km today - 713 km to date
At breakfast I meet a couple who arrived yesterday from Lourdes. They are spending a week going the other way. Their first two days will be about 15 km each.
And I encounter Marlene again. As her intentions for the day don't match mine and as she is stopping at Saint-Jean we farewell one another.
I make slow progress to Aroue, about 18 km from Navarrenx. All the churches I pass are locked. Even at Aroue, despite the Angelus bell ringing the customary pattern at midday this church is also locked.
I catch up with the GR65 pathway near Olhaiby Chapel. The way goes through remarkable changeable country. At ons point I encounter a mob of about 100 sheep, both rams and ewes. They look as though they have been recently shorn but seem very light weight although bigger than lambs would be at two or three months. They are curious about me and turn to face me as I approach, and even push forward a bit. I take my leave and continue up the hill. At the top I encounter a mob of sheep in a paddock and I stop to observe them. They have some wool but it seems to stop naturally halfway down their sides. Again, as soon as they notice me they saunter down to the fence line, curious as were the others.
Time is marching on and I check where I am: I am not on the GR65. Using the marvellous feature of my offline mapping app, I make my way towards where I want to be, Ostabat. All up I have walked more km today than indicated.
There are two of us in the gite tonight. Christian is from near Nuremberg in Germany. He has cycled from his home and by the next night expects to be in Pamplona, about 120 km away.
And so to bed.
day 25 – draft
Saturday, 30 April 2016
Arthez-de-Bearn to Navarrenx
29 km today - 677 km to date
Breakfast is do it yourself in the municipal gite. Yesterday had some views of the pyrenees: today there is none as it is a murky low cloud day. And shortly after I set off the rain sets in. I am on the road today and will be nowhere near the pathway. Then the wind picks up. I make my first way point in quite good time and so onto my stop for lunch, Mourenx. As I approach the town centre I pass an advertising hoarding for Renault cars offering a good pack(age) with some forwards either side of the car and a half-back offloading to another. Clearly I'm in rugby country.
Mourenx has an open market so most of my fruit lunch is quickly bought. Then for some coffee. While Mourenx has a town centre there is no real shopping that I can see.
I move on and after about 3 km both a strong wind quickly followed by heavy rain sets in. I am caught unaware and cannot deploy my poncho. Getting wet and cold is not my idea of an enjoyable time and I thumb for a ride. My luck is eventually in and a woman with a car that has seen better days stops. As soon as she understands where I am from she proceeds to do “the” haka while the car steers itself.
I arrive safely in Navarrenx and order the pilgrims meal at the restaurant I have been dropped outside.
Book myself in at the municipal gite and do not have an evening meal.
And so to bed.
Saturday, 30 April 2016
Arthez-de-Bearn to Navarrenx
29 km today - 677 km to date
Breakfast is do it yourself in the municipal gite. Yesterday had some views of the pyrenees: today there is none as it is a murky low cloud day. And shortly after I set off the rain sets in. I am on the road today and will be nowhere near the pathway. Then the wind picks up. I make my first way point in quite good time and so onto my stop for lunch, Mourenx. As I approach the town centre I pass an advertising hoarding for Renault cars offering a good pack(age) with some forwards either side of the car and a half-back offloading to another. Clearly I'm in rugby country.
Mourenx has an open market so most of my fruit lunch is quickly bought. Then for some coffee. While Mourenx has a town centre there is no real shopping that I can see.
I move on and after about 3 km both a strong wind quickly followed by heavy rain sets in. I am caught unaware and cannot deploy my poncho. Getting wet and cold is not my idea of an enjoyable time and I thumb for a ride. My luck is eventually in and a woman with a car that has seen better days stops. As soon as she understands where I am from she proceeds to do “the” haka while the car steers itself.
I arrive safely in Navarrenx and order the pilgrims meal at the restaurant I have been dropped outside.
Book myself in at the municipal gite and do not have an evening meal.
And so to bed.
day 24 – draft
Friday, 29 April 2016
Arzacq-Arraziguet (Arsac-Arrasigui) to Arthez-de-Bearn
28 km today - 648 km to date
Coffee in cups today. The gite has a school party staying as well.
I take the road all the way as I hear the pathway is still rocky and uneven.
I pause for a pleasant lunch at the newly built mairie (town offices) and near where a travelling circus looks as though it is about to set up. The rest of the day is uneventful.
Pull up the hill to Arthez to find the town strung along a ridge. Buy some paracetamol and some food to cook for dinner in the communal gite. Here I meet Gerhart (probably in his mid thirties) from near Nuremberg in upper Germany. He tells me he was four years a private in the German army where he met Edgar, his walking companion and a former general. Marlene is here (first met at Beduer over two weeks ago) as she was last night at Arzacq. Eating together is good.
During my walk about the town come to the town plaza with views west to the Pyrenees. I take photos but the distance and the cloud behind don't make good images. There's always tomorrow.
And so to bed.
Friday, 29 April 2016
Arzacq-Arraziguet (Arsac-Arrasigui) to Arthez-de-Bearn
28 km today - 648 km to date
Coffee in cups today. The gite has a school party staying as well.
I take the road all the way as I hear the pathway is still rocky and uneven.
I pause for a pleasant lunch at the newly built mairie (town offices) and near where a travelling circus looks as though it is about to set up. The rest of the day is uneventful.
Pull up the hill to Arthez to find the town strung along a ridge. Buy some paracetamol and some food to cook for dinner in the communal gite. Here I meet Gerhart (probably in his mid thirties) from near Nuremberg in upper Germany. He tells me he was four years a private in the German army where he met Edgar, his walking companion and a former general. Marlene is here (first met at Beduer over two weeks ago) as she was last night at Arzacq. Eating together is good.
During my walk about the town come to the town plaza with views west to the Pyrenees. I take photos but the distance and the cloud behind don't make good images. There's always tomorrow.
And so to bed.
day 23 – draft
Thursday, 28 April 2016
Aire-sur-'lAdour to Arzacq-Arraziguet (Arsac-Arrasigui)
34 km today - 620 km to date
Coffee in large bowls and other stuff for breakfast and off.
It is brilliant weather, but not too hot. I stay with the road again and shortly go around a marvellous bush with much under growth, almost New Zealand like except there is no variety of trees. After this through farmland (agriculture and not sheep and cattle) on farm tracks and service roads to Miramount-Sensacq. This village as with the towns of Gondrin several days ago is rugby country as I see posters for the Bearn regional final in the local stade in two days time. After saying the morning office in the neat and tidy church back on the road.
This is literally up hill and down dale with yet more dense bush: wonderful to behold. I pause at the top of one rise and find a quiet place to have a lie down.
With about 10 km to go I take the official way and it has a good surface. But about 3 km out the heat gets to me again and I get a ride to the towns edge. There is a municipal gite. It is new, clean and tidy and I am to be in the Australie set. Dinner is good.
And so to bed.
Thursday, 28 April 2016
Aire-sur-'lAdour to Arzacq-Arraziguet (Arsac-Arrasigui)
34 km today - 620 km to date
Coffee in large bowls and other stuff for breakfast and off.
It is brilliant weather, but not too hot. I stay with the road again and shortly go around a marvellous bush with much under growth, almost New Zealand like except there is no variety of trees. After this through farmland (agriculture and not sheep and cattle) on farm tracks and service roads to Miramount-Sensacq. This village as with the towns of Gondrin several days ago is rugby country as I see posters for the Bearn regional final in the local stade in two days time. After saying the morning office in the neat and tidy church back on the road.
This is literally up hill and down dale with yet more dense bush: wonderful to behold. I pause at the top of one rise and find a quiet place to have a lie down.
With about 10 km to go I take the official way and it has a good surface. But about 3 km out the heat gets to me again and I get a ride to the towns edge. There is a municipal gite. It is new, clean and tidy and I am to be in the Australie set. Dinner is good.
And so to bed.
day 22 – draft
Wednesday, 27 April 2016
Manciet to Aire-sur-'lAdour
38 km today - 584 km to date
Mathieu does a good breakfast and I am off as it is a long way today. I follow the road to Nogaro where I stop for coffee and look inside a well laid out church, then on.
Again I take the road as it is more direct than the official path and has more consistent surface and grades. I am conscious of my left leg foot and have tied the laces two holes down from the top.
Nothing of moment to see or stop for.
About 4 km from the target the heat of the day gets to me and I hitch a ride to the cathedral. After saying the evening office I decide to try a gite on the way out of town: it is no longer working so go further up the hill to the chapel of a seminary. Here I encounter Florian, the electronics engineer I met on the first day coming out of Le Puy.
The gite uses all of the large chapel. It is bigger than many parish churches and is a restoration project open to the public. The entrance lobby looks as though it was a vestry / sacristy while the bedroom on the opposite side may have had a similar purpose. It now has eight beds. Tonight we are seven men and one woman, all of mature years. Dinner is good but no conversation for me.
And so to bed.
Wednesday, 27 April 2016
Manciet to Aire-sur-'lAdour
38 km today - 584 km to date
Mathieu does a good breakfast and I am off as it is a long way today. I follow the road to Nogaro where I stop for coffee and look inside a well laid out church, then on.
Again I take the road as it is more direct than the official path and has more consistent surface and grades. I am conscious of my left leg foot and have tied the laces two holes down from the top.
Nothing of moment to see or stop for.
About 4 km from the target the heat of the day gets to me and I hitch a ride to the cathedral. After saying the evening office I decide to try a gite on the way out of town: it is no longer working so go further up the hill to the chapel of a seminary. Here I encounter Florian, the electronics engineer I met on the first day coming out of Le Puy.
The gite uses all of the large chapel. It is bigger than many parish churches and is a restoration project open to the public. The entrance lobby looks as though it was a vestry / sacristy while the bedroom on the opposite side may have had a similar purpose. It now has eight beds. Tonight we are seven men and one woman, all of mature years. Dinner is good but no conversation for me.
And so to bed.
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