From Chemin to Camino

There are places on the Camino where walkers leave or join: Conques, Moissac, Condom, St Jean Pied de Port (SJPP) in France, the last being a particularly significant point as it is the last important town in France before crossing the Pyrenees. In Spain important towns are Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, Leon before Santiago.

My 2 days / 3 nights rest in the delightful town of SJPP were most enjoyable. Its principle features are its citadel, very old buildings many of which have the constructor´s name and date of construction engraved into the lintel above the door, its cobbled streetswith many boutiques, a very welcoming "Accueil des Pelerins" / "Pilgrims´Office" in the Rue de la Citadelle, numerous tourists (even in October) walking, cycling, driving and arriving / leaving by train.

I chose to do the stage to Roncevalles, where there is the first accommodation in Spain, in 2 stages with a night in the Auberge at Orisson. It was new and good: a completely isolated building with a wonderful view into the Pyrenees and down to the valley near SJPP. To get there required a steep climb, mostly on a road, for 8 km (175m to 770m altitude) through land used for agriculture and sheep grazing. A good supper and night´s rest was necessary for the next day, which entailed climbing to 1430m (and the half way point between Le Puy and Santiago). Nothing difficult with the route but the gale force wind for a few hours gave one the feeling of climbing a very steep route. It even stopped me once or twice it was so strong! Fortunately, it was not cold.

Views and countryside were splendid: open, treeless mountains, then heather and gorse, more open mountainside, and a descent through beech woods to Roncevalles and its impressive Colegiata. I elected not to spend the night there, as it was only 1300hrs and the refugio did not open until 1600hrs. I carried on to Espinal, covering some 29 km for the day.

A very good 2 days crossing of the Pyrenees followed yesterday by a further descent through pine forest to Larrasoaña and on to Pamplona today, a very old, walled city founded by Pompey in the last century BC. Regrettably, the cathedral and churches were not accessible when I was there (1200 - 1300 hrs).

Now at rest in Cizur Menor, in an Albergue much better than last night in Larrasoaña.