Day 40 - Crossing the Pyrenees a new Perspective : St. Jean Pied de Port to Orisson

Today was again about perspective – we embarked on a familiar path, yet everything looked different. Armed with the knowledge that the walk to Orisson only takes about 3 hours, we slept in and had a late breakfast. We shared the meal with a couple from New Zealand who were very excited to begin their Camino, but who were going by way of Valcarlos. Perhaps we will see them again in Roncesvalles.

We headed back into town, through the city walls, down the street, and out the other end to begin the climb around 8 am. The town was relatively empty, most of the pilgrims having already set out on their new adventures.

 

When we set out it onto the Camino Frances was in bright sunny weather, which was a stark contrast to last fall, when we set off in darkness. The climb out of town was familiar, but it seemed like the landmarks came faster than they did the first time. We found the familiar GR markers, as well as the new shell markings and a few yellow arrows in spray paint. We also passed the barn for a donkey we remember well, although the donkey was absent. There were a few other changes as well, including many gites that we don't remember seeing last fall.

Although there were fewer hikers than when we set out in the morning rush before, there were still far more hikers than we have been seeing in the previous days.

Most stunning of all were the mountains themselves! In the fall the whole landscape was shrouded in mist, which was mysterious and magical. This is probably how the Pyrenees will remain in my mind, but the panoramic views we found today were truly stunning.

As we climbed the asphalt road grew steadily steeper. However, what we remember as a very difficult climb last year was not hard for us to manage. It turns out 801 km of preparation on a more physically challenging trail was good training, and served us well!

When we reached the gite at Honto, where we were planning to stop for a coffee, we found it closed. Although this was disappointing, because we wanted to reminisce, we were feeling fine, and happy to continue.

When we reached the stretch of path that leaves the asphalt and goes straight up the hillside as a dirt track it got really windy. We could imagine getting swept off the side of the mountain quite easily, although we were never in any actual danger. As we paused part way up to admire the view and take a few photos we were unexpectedly overrun by a heard of sheep. This was lots of fun.

Although the dirt track was steep, and the road afterwards was steeper, we still found ourselves rounding the corner at Orisson long before we expected to. It felt like a very short hike, and we could have continued on, but as it turned out we avoided a very heavy downpour by stopping.

We sat on the patio under the awning at Orisson and enjoyed a coffee and a piece of Basque cake. The lady from South Africa we met yesterday was already there, and we spent a few hours engaged in interesting conversation with her. It turned out that we could check in early, so we did that around 11:00 am, and then went for a walk along the road,

As we climbed the clouds grew more and more menacing, prompting us to return to the vicinity of the gite. There was a group of horses down the road from Orisson, and we enjoyed their company under the dramatic skies until it began to pour. When we moved inside we joined a large table of English speaking pilgrims and spent an enjoyable few hours listening to their stories. Among the other hikers was a girl from Winnipeg Canada, an American high school teacher on her second Camino, a lady from Denmark, and a couple from Quebec whose story revealed many challenges.

As we sat in the dining area we were joined by a large group of local Basque men. They enjoyed their meal and many many drinks over the course of the afternoon. When the pilgrim meal started they were still there, and they began to sing Basque chants.

Although this was another unexpected musical treat, it was not the last one of the night. There was an older gentleman from Italy, who was experiencing some serious medical issues, who stood up after the meal and sang several opera songs very powerfully and beautifully. Another wonderful surprise to end a beautiful day.

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Practical Information:
Distance: 8 km

Cumulative ascent: 650 m

Cumulative descent: 10 m

Max Temperature: 24˚C

Accommodations: Orisson Refuge