Rest Day 1 - Jaca

In the low 40's and on and off light sprinkles most of the day mixed with wonderful sunshine.   Our little Casa Mamre is just around the corner from the Cathedral of San Pedro C11th and the Diocesan Museum of Jaca, which was open in 1970 in the cloister.  

The museum has what's considered the most important collection of medieval art in Spain outside Barcelona.  Amazing frescos removed from churches in the area to protect them.  Not only that but it was out of the rain, no backpacks and relatively warm so we took our time this morning enjoying the art.  Sorry, no pictures allowed.

Later we walked a few blocks to the Ciudadela, an enormous C17th citadel where deer roam in the dry moat and visited the castle and the museum of miniature soldiers...

Off to a Tapas bar/restaurant for an early meal.  Plates of local mushrooms, calamari, and eggplant  spears deep fried with basaltic and honey sauce....we could just stay here and eat for a few more days.

Mushrooms from the mountains before they were cooked.

Jaca is my new favorite town.  Oh yes I forgot as we were paying the bill, our waitress, the owner's daughter brought us complimentary shot glasses of sweet liquor that she had made and little biscuits that her Mom had made.

It's raining again but we're tucked in a warm room enjoying the rest day.

Walking Day 14 - Canfranc-Estacion to Jaca - 24 km

We awoke to snow and -2C or 28F.   Brrrr.  We bundled up with all our layers and started out at 9AM.  We were glad we summited the day before as it would be worse this day.  The trail quickly left the road and took us unto the woods were the Camino was well maintained and even thou it was now raining there was little mud as crushed stone was along the low parts of the path.

The Canfranc train station at one time was the largest in Europe.

As our elevation continued to drop the day warmed and by noon we were in Villanua and stopped for lunch.  During the walk we met a woman from Frankfort who joined us for cafe but preferred to walk alone.  At this point the sun made one of several appearances, so the rain ponchos were on and off too many times to count.

The waterfalls feeding into the Aragon River were many and beautiful.  

But the most spectacular view of the day and travel so far was the Aragon River flowing thru a narrow gorge.  This brought a tear to JL as she believes she has stood at this very spot seeing this view in many dreams (or in a past life).

The Camino continued along the river with more uppies than we wanted and aside from the need to don the ponchos was pleasant.  Somewhere along the walk we met up with the French couple (the 1st pilgrims we met).  

Rock On!   Spain - the land of rocks and yellow arrows!
 

We arrived in Jaca a little before 5PM and found the highly recommended pilgrim hotel Casa Mamre where we are staying an extra day (our 1st rest day).  We have now done 349 km or 220 miles in 14 days.  So it is time for a rest and there are sites to be seen in this 1036 capital of Aragon.
 
 

Walking Day 13 Urdos to Canfranc Estacion 23.5 Km

It's hard for me to write about how the day started when I'm so excited about how it ended.   Yeh!   We made it over The pass and are thrilled to be in Spain at last. People are around in the towns , restaurants are open, there are little markets, and it was easy to find a place to stay....Al is already tucked into his sleeping sack and a warm comfort on sound asleep and it's all of 9:30.  He had two falls today with his pack on, saved himself with his hiking stick but he thinks those have just added to his over all stiffness.  We also have had such a hard time finding things open in France that we haven't had enough proteins or veggies...one does need more than bread and cheese.  So tonight we just finished a great meal at the local bar, super salad and big pieces of pull apart, melt in your mouth beef chunks and the Local new wine...Al calls it the $3 wine, it's vino tinto even I can drink.

So this is how the day started...pouring rain,  a bad forecast for weather on the mountain but only getting worse till Sat. So we had to either go for it or blow the whole thing off.  We both were not ready to call it off and felt confident we could do it.    We walked up to the main road from the campground Chalet into town knowing the market opened at 8:30 and needed to get something for lunch and snacks, after a coffee at the bar we headed up the valley.

Al at the first turnoff for the trail starting the significant climb up.   

Even though it was cold and wet it was beautiful.  Greens of every shade and so many plants that you sometimes see dried in florist shops to use as fill in flower decorations. Many of them were familiar to me from growing up on the farm...Jack in the Pulpits, and Trilliums in France.  Not sure of the ones in the picture.

Above is a French National Parc symbol, head of an Izard (Pyrenean mountain antelope or chamois) just as we were entering the beechwood forest.

 

Around 11:30 it started to snow, huge coin sized flakes so pretty in breaks in the trees with the snow capped mountains peeking through.  On the other hand we had a whole lot of altitude to gain and several hours of hiking left to do. Maybe an hour later Al took this pic of me as it was continued to get colder.  Still little flowers in the small meadow.

About 1km from the summit our path was blocked by about 3 feet of icy snow and a shear cliff that dropped about 200 feet into a roaring waterfall and we had to turn back and find a new path, a way back to the road which didn't take too long and it was so much easier on the old road than through the snow where you couldn't see the path.  We were fortunate that the wind did not blow as predicted.

800 or so meters higher than breakfast we make it to the top , we arrive at the same time as a women biking from Holland who started from Holland May 9th. She said she had married, then took care of her husbands mother then had two daughter, now 18 and 15  and she had never done anything on her own before so this was her time.  She was probably 6 plus ft tall and she said the climb was easy for her, that she had been a skater in her youth.  We cheered for each other, took a few pic first one looking back toward France and the next into sunny Spain. The bar on the Spanish side was open for coffee and bread, and bites of chorizo.. and a little rest before starting down.

7.7 km to come down...yeh all down but still a bit treacherous in places due to the rocks, every thing on this side is strikingly different.  The little wild flowers are bigger and brighter colored species.  Clearings and small grasses areas filled with wild blub flowers I must have taken 40 pics of flowers on the way down, even violets.

One other difference I noticed about the French and Spanish Caminos at least... On the way down today from Somport or Candanchu there were at least three little shelters of some kind where you could get out of the weather if you needed too... France ..none..ok well some of these are left over from the 13th century but they still make it nice.

 

All is well on the Camino....still hoping for warmer weather.  It was in the 40's at dinner time.  Tonight it is predicted to be 2c they say will feel like -6 c.  Or 32 F  Eek...have to walk fast further south.
 
 
 
 
 

Walking Day 12 Bedous to Urdos - 19 km

Breakfasted at 8 so we could stop at the first store for food as none would be at our night lodging.  Who knew the store would be closed. No problem, there are plenty ahead, so off we walked on now a steady up.  As we left Bedous we came across sheep being herded down the road and a hang glider overhead.  We had seen this yesterday but it was too far away and above to photo.  It was still up when we lost sight of it when we re-entered the forest.  It was a pleasant walk with sun to Borce with a stop for cafe au lait along the way.

The views of snow cap mountains were grand.

 

Borce was are intended stop for the night, but we had decided to get closer to the pass by doing another 4.5 km.  But we needed food so we went into Borce,  but alas the market did not open until 4 pm and it was only 1:30pm.  So on we went, back into the forest where we met a French woman with paint sitting on the bridge steps waiting for the sprinkles to stop.  She was renewing the white and red GR653 trail markings.  She asked where we were going and we told her.  She said no, no.   no beds at the camp, only campsites and called.  She spoke rapid French with lots of oui, ouis, hung up and said no place to sleep at camp go 1 km more to Gite.  Now, we had the lady at the Bedous hotel make the reservation with the camp and it was with beds.  But off we went, walking by the camp (with 2 small chalets) into town looking for the gite. The town was closed, after all it was Monday.  The food store had been open from 8:30 to 12:30 and would be again on Tuesday.  We called the camp and yes they had a chalet for us with beds but no meals.

So in the end we walked a couple extra km, got settled, ate the last 2 herbalife bars and all of our trail mix, thinking it was a diet evening.  About 6:30 the camp manager came by to collect for the night and he brought some noodles and soup for us to cook.  Never tasted so good.  Our clear skies have given way to moderate to heavy rain, with cold predicted for tomorrow.  All is good for our last night in France.  Tomorrow Somport and Spain!
 
 

Walking Day 11 Oloron-Sainte Marie to Bedous 29k

Today was so spectacular!   Walking by 8:30 after a great breakfast at the Gite, The proprietor Patrick, even made a special lemon cake for us and two Italian cyclers to share and take along for extra energy.

Sunny clear skies all day so you can see the mountains. We are walking south now straight towards the Pyrenees, and down the Aspe Valley. The path started on a small road but quickly went into the woods again and today the mud was at its max...poles were sinking down sometimes to 10 inches...sure don't want to step in over your boot tops.  

 

Al did a three point landing today early on, one knee and both hands.  As the day progressed and we got higher and higher, and into the mountains the trail got less muddy and more rocky.  

The best part was walking up the valley on one side then the other looking down at the main road and the river on the valley floor.  We about 300 feet above the river with a shear cliff down to the river... No life lines hear so you sure don't want to slip. The water is such a beautiful color with the white limestone bottom. I took more pictures today than any other day.  For me this was the best... All day getting closer to the snow covered Pyrenees ..

 

We had planned on stopping in Sarrance but we went to the Sanctuary of Notre-dame-de-Sarrance founded in the C14th which is now occupied by the Fathers of Betharram and found out way inside but seemed no one was there and there was no heat. 

 

 The other hotel in town was full so we had to walk another 7 K.into Bedous, which is a beautiful little town, but its Sunday and Mother's Day so everything is closed tonight.  We were able to call a Restaurant and Gite in our book and speak enough for her to understand we were standing outside and did she have place for us to stay...it's a nice little place comfy enough...heat and hot water and since no Restaurants are open today or food stores the proprietor open her restaurant  for us only and fed us a great potato/leek soup , then beef-steak , mashed potatoes and green beans with a fabulous chocolate mousse for desert...we ate fast so she could get back to her family.

@The extra miles today took there toll.  Al asked me to stop caneing the bottoms of his feet and he also is finding his lower back is really tired of the pack.   Tonight is the first night I've had a lot of discomfort with my feet and calves so I broke out the cool pink compression running socks I bought for the plane and am going to sleep in them tonight...we'll see if they work as recovery socks.

The beauties of the day make up for all the bumps in road.  I mean really Great Pyrenees dogs guarding their sheep in the Pyrenees.  How cool is that?

 

 

 

Walking Day 10 - Pau to Gan bus 10km - Oloron-Sainte-Marie 22 km

The 2nd part of our plan was to take a bus to Gan then walk the 22 km on Route D24.  We had information that although this road would have more traffic than we were used to seeing on the roads the chemin took it was doable if one was careful.  So after a leisurely full breakfast at the hotel we were underway at 9:15 passing another Notre Dame where a wedding was about to start.

Then down the funiculaire to the P11 bus stop where JL posed w her new jacket and handkie.

We started walking at 10:15 and it was a challenge as there were no shoulders to much of the road and traffic was zipping by at +70kph.  But the sun was out and we went on.  The 22km was very folly and we think we might have gained and lost more than 500 ft at least 6 times.  About half way we entered Lasseube, a small town w lots wineries about.  We found a nice restaurant and had a soup and cafe au lait, then traveled on.  About 4 km from Oloron it started to rain and out came the ponchos again.  This went on three times and finally we found our way into Oloron.  A mother and daughter helped w directions to a hotel we had made an Internet reservation with.  We wondered about our choice when we saw the hill we needed to climb.  But once there found it is lovely.

 
 

 

 

Walking Day 9 - Anoye to Morlaas - 15km - then bus to Pau - 10 km

We awoke early, breakfasted, bid farewell to our new found pilgrim friends and were out the door at 7:30am.  For the past couple of days JL has been developing a full on cold, that we now needed to treat seriously,  both for her and others.  The scheduled day would have been 32km or 20 mi which would be tough with the growing cold effects and would have us staying in another communal gite.  In addition the weather window was closing if we were slow to get to the mountain base.  So we altered our plan.  We enjoyed a nice walk on the chemin, which was mostly dry enough, but there were still some very muddy sections.  As always JL has her eye out for first time plants and we found mint, which we chewed, and holly.

The walk was quick and we found ourselves in Morlaas before noon.  We found a pharmacy and got some cold remedies, then enjoyed a cafe au lait and discussed the next part of our plan.  We took a bus to Pau, ending at the train station, then the funiculaire up into the mairie where we found the tourist office, then hotel.

This allowed JL a shorter day in a quiet room to get much needed rest.  But before that could happen we had one more quest.  The weather has been colder then any of the locals can remember and JL has been concerned about her outer garments, so we found the local equivalent of REI and bought her a new hiking jacket.  That done,  JL got in bed and I went out and found a Tapas Bar then pizza to go.
 
 

Walking Day 8. Maubourquet to Anoye 23k 14m

The day started out pretty good, left Hotel at 7:45 with dry boots and no rain till around 11:30, but the trail is almost impassable in areas.  Took a few country roads to avoid some of the muddiest trails.

Ran into a few new pilgrim friends seeking shelter from the rain to eat lunch and sit down for a little rest.

The place we stayed was in the (mairie) town hall, dedicated to provide rooms for pilgrims in this little remote town. We finally caught up to the other pilgrims that we had heard were traveling just before us.. So there we're 11 of us last night .  6 bunks to a room. One bathroom and one shower.  No markets in town or restaurants but the volunteer at the pilgrim center open a food store for all of us to get a few things to cook for supper.   We pooled everything together and the french women started cooking.  Veg soup, macaroni with tuna and bread served all of us at a large table.  One women spoke English and one guy who is from Quebec speaks English and they were great about including us in the conversations.  After dinner we were told the "singers" were coming so we all dashed outside by the church and were treated to an awesome concert by some local young men who are Pyrenesse chanters who preformed for us before they went in to the church..they came back later and we could still here them outside til almost 10:30.

 

 
 

Walking Day 7

Monlezun to Maubourquet  23 km - 14 m. May 22

Well we rose early with breakfast at 7AM and got under way at 7:30 in moderate but unrelenting rain.  It just kept coming down making the chemin treacherous.  JL slipped once but caught herself with only a knee down.  We were lucky as both of us were skidding down hill.  The sticks saved us.  We arrived in Marciac within 2 hours and enjoyed a cafe at a local cafe.  Marciac is noted for its jazz festival in August and enjoys international renown bringing lots of euros.  The baside is therefore well maintained although we were told by last nights dinner guest Judy Ford that the covered market in the central square was sold and is now somewhere in Delaware.

Nice beer tap!

As we approached the cafe an elderly woman approached who had obviously walked some of the chemin and advised us that certain portions ahead would be impassible with all the rain.  So we heeded her advice and avoided those areas.  The rain continued and as we passed various swollen streams that were boiling.

This was a miserable day and as we walked into Maubourquet we were grateful it would soon be over.  We stopped at the first restaurant to get out of the rain and have a bite around 1:30PM and to our surprise there were 5 pilgrims eating.  One was a Canadian named Eric who could translate.  The other 4 were French with no English.  The group of 3 Eric was with had started in Arles and were headed for Santiago de Compostela.  Impressive at 1020 miles.

We are snug in the Hotel de France. Pricey but warm and cozy.  Tomorrow is more of the same, but colder.  Maybe a train to sunny Estepona, ESP and warmth is in order.  

 
 

Walking Day 6 L'Isle de Noe to Monlezun 25k

The day started out great with sunshine and a lovely breakfast that even included eggs.  Our English host says we Pilgrims need a good English breakfast of protein, but she also served us thick slices of soft bread with swirls of chocolate in it and of course coffee with hot milk.  She also had a washer and dryer so we took advantage of that last night.  Nice to start out in the morning with clean clothes and sun shining even thought the temperature was 48 degrees.

Well that only lasted about 45 mins. , when It began to rain and  rained on and off all day.  Walking though the French country side is like walking through the farmlands in western PA, none of it is flat.  The rolling hills are getting steeper and the path is between fields of wheat, barley and now corn or in the woodlands.   Sometimes there is a tree wind break between the fields and sometimes the path is sunken.  With all this rain the mud is getting much worse and now starting to really slow down our pace.   It just takes a lot of energy to not sink in over the boots and to not slide on your bum...it's sticky clay that clogs on to your boots and also is as slick as ice.  Ahh!!! The challenges of of crazy Pilgrims.   We came up to a Church in Sain-Christaud today and were looking for the next marker to tell us which way to go when a lady in a white apron came out of her house and told us not to take the GR653 though the forest that it was Too muddy and that we should go on the road she insisted so we did for about 4 K and it was a good choice.  Of course after that we went back onto the Camino route..for delightful mud....

This is the land of ducks, and did you know ducks do not have throats so feeding them with a funnel  does not cause them distress.    

We arrived at the Church about 4:30 , pouring rain and called the gite per instructions so she then came and picked us up... Mind you, she speaks no English and we no French.... Then again we are the only guests...Elaine is 80, has been been taking care of Pilgrims for 35 years.  She called her friend who is from England and invited her to dinner so we all could talk together...the friend had directed international schools for Shell Oil Co for years all over the world and had many stories to tell plus gave us a lot of info on local politics here in this part of France.  The dinner was amazing...started with a Spanish Port wine then a broad bean soup, wild bore with prunes, tomato salad, and rice pudding with fresh strawberries...weather not looking good for next 8 days... Just taking one day at a time.. All is good so far.

 
 

Walking Day 5

Auch to L'Isle de Noe - 24 km - 15 m - May 20

We left our hotel with sunny skies at 8:45AM and headed back to the cathedral via the 236 steps that lead up from the Gers River bank.  From here we rejoined the Camino and walked 17 km along farm roads and paths to Barran.

Barran is a partly moated "Bastide" with one of France's 33 helicoidal spired churches.  It was a little after noon when we arrived and we were in search of a rest and lunch.

All the shops, restaurants, and bars were closed and things were looking bleak.  We asked 2 women about the closures and they explained it was a Catholic Holy Day, so nothing was open.  One asked if she could give us something, but we begged off, thanking them, saying we would press on to the next hamlet.  We were some 50 meters away when one of the ladies ran up to us inviting us to join she, her sister and 20 more of their friends for a special meal.  We again declined but she insisted, so we said oui.  The two sisters escorted us into their 87 yr old wheel chair bound mom's house, telling us where to drop our packs, not letting us remove our muddy boats, to a large room where their friends were all enjoying an aperitif and hors d'oeuvres.  We munched on quiches, mushrooms, and pizza squares.  Then the main dining room doors were opened and all were beckoned in for what was a 5 course dinner with 2 wines and champagne followed by a fruit tart for dessert.  

This all lasted some 3 hrs, with conversation and song in French, English, And Spanish.  The 20 friends were retired teachers, nurses, a beautician, a midwife, and a large farm farmer.  Four were late arriving as they had been to a bullfight in a neighboring town.  Some of the group had visited California 2 years ago.  They were a fun group who were glad to have us share their holiday party, teasing us as being lucky to arrive for such a special feast. So we bid our au revoir's and set off again - well fed - for another 7 km to L'Isle de Noe arriving about 5:30PM and finding Mme Moody's small hotel for pilgrims.