2023 Sep 15: SJPdP - Orisson





The famed first leg of our Camino Francés presented an easy choice of destination number one. It would have to be Refuge Orisson due to our physical condition, the lack of preparation, and one other thing: The Pyrenees Mountains. In retrospect, it was the right choice for us.

The host at our lodging in St. Jean Pied-de-Port did not have breakfast for us as we had understood she would. We weren't overly disappointed especially once we saw the offering and the fact we could leave rather leisurely on this day, so we had breakfast elsewhere. Okay, here we go...


The morning was quite pleasant and we made our way to the church where a Camino metal insignia is embedded in the cobblestone in front of the main doors. We ran into Helen from Australia whom we had met the previous day. She obligatorily bade us "Buen Camino".



The colorful street signs upon immediately exiting the main portal were instructive and ensured we set off on the right path. Napoleon had definitely left his mark, the route was named for his historic military entry into Spain in the early 1800's. From there we began an ascent that seemed very manageable (at first). The first animal we saw was a donkey in a pen on a hill off to our right. Next, a few scattered pretty buildings and hostels nicely accented the way out.



The next remarkable moments were multiple green fields filled with horned sheep grazing and enjoying the fact that one day someone would write a flockumentary about their sheepish personalities (don't like puns? too baaaaad). They were very law-abiding and certainly did not appear to be on the lamb.




It was fun to advance and occasionally look back to see the path behind and the changing 360 views of the terrain. Martha and I were carrying our best backpacks, buttttt very soon discovered that they were over packed and causing great discomfort. Water, I need water.



Along the way, we noticed that we were frequently trading places and overlapping with a young couple. Amazingly, they were carrying three or four times what we were. They said they were each from a different Eastern European country and that they were glamping their way through the Camino with their tents and day-to-day provisions. We finally left them behind and shouted a "We love you!", in solidarity with their determination.


We finally reached a point to where a descent began, but we were so tired it felt just the same as if we had remained climbing. Then suddenly, a pilgrim several hundred steps ahead of us reached a point in a steep curve with a visual vantagepoint and shouted back to us, "we're here"! The more we hurried, the more we wondered if we were really there, or "here". We were. What a relief!




Next: Refuge Orisson
  


Location: 64220 Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2023 Sep 18 Zubiri - Pamplona

Image
PAMPLONA - NO BULL The Way of Saint James to Pamplona continues from Zubiri back at the point where you cross the bridge into town. The pleasant park-like stroll after first resuming gives you a brief and picturesque view of the town from above and across the river. Towns like this fill your heart. After that there is a small heavy-industrial complex or power grid zone before entering the forests again.  SLUGGING IT OUT There were numerous unexpected companions in the forest paths. Creepy crawlies of all sizes had apparently been flushed out by the rains and were unavoidable. The large ones blended into the multi-colored leaves on the floor. The main thing that made them negligible was not looking down to see if there were any. BUT, the changing terrain made NOT looking down almost impossible. Even small breezes would send the smaller variety falling from the leaves above. HINT: If you don't like these thingies, look forward, shake the airborne ones off quickly if needed, and keep ...
Read more

2023 Sep 18 - 22 Pamplona

Image
 PAMPLONA - 4 DAYS I think I'm gonna be sad... Our first night's stay was at the Albergue de la Catedral. We were met by an anxious desk receptionist who said she had called and messaged us several times wondering if we would arrive by the check-in deadline. We did not have cell service on our devices and my primary phone was malfunctioning from rain damage. She looked happy for us, especially since she was now finishing her work shift. We settled (crammed) our things into our assigned dorm beds and went dinner hunting. Just outside the albergue entrance, the sun setting on the Cathedral was splendorous. To our eyes, Pamplona was a jewel in every direction. We quickly found a place with Pintxos, Pimientos, and Cerveza, what a delight! Day 1 (19 Sep 2023) Martha's flight was booked for 22 Sep 2023 from Pamplona to Madrid to begin her return back to our home in South Texas. That was the first leg of the only affordable flight combinations that we could find. Sooooo, on the go...
Read more

2023 Sep 21 - I Walk to Be

Image
A Better Son I walk for respect And tribute and gratitude  To my mother For my mother For the way she held her rosary  In her final days Until her last pulse In her last breath She instilled in me her faith So I walk In her honor To say thank you To repent for my sins Within the  Whirlwinds of emotions  And memories that transcend the moment Step, step, step Go, go, go Wait, stop, rest Just go The click of walking sticks Marking time like the tick tock Of a clock The beat of a heart Go, go, go Breathe  Step Go Sudden piercing jolts of memories  Reflections radiant like a rainbow ...
Read more