Last night I 'discovered' a marvellous system to combat snoring: the mp3 player :0) I feel into a restful sleep somewhere through the second disc of Pink Floyd's The Wall. Nice.
Up at 06:00 and into breakfast. Plenty of time to eat, drink tea and pack the rucksack before setting off in the daylight. André had set off at 05:00, complete with headlamp, prepared for a 50km walk! He seems to enjoy the routine and the walking, although I'm not sure it's in quite the same spirit as other pilgrims and wanderers. Nice guy though.
I left at first light with Eugène and we took a steady start up the slight climb outside the village.
Our path took us up through a beautiful old forest with ancient chestnuts, next to a stream. It's neither the first nor the last time that has happened but it's always a real pleasure to see the beautiful old trees:
Within the hour we had found our first climb:
Up we went, up over the loose rocks and tree roots. Up it went for 15 minutes or so, and then we came out onto the side of another mountain range and had to pick our way carefully over loose rock, all the while ascending sharply.
There had been mention in the guidebook of a cave en route that had a stalagmite in the form of a saint, and that the cave was now a small site of pilgrimage. Sure enough, the cave soon came into view.
As you can see inside, it seems there has been a fairly loose interpretation of religious ideas. Having then found the miraculous geological feature in the adjacent grotto I took a picture, although if anyone can tell me in what way it resembles a saint I'll be happy to hear :0)
On we went, and the going here was in places more difficult than yesterday. I had a minimal amount of experience from the previous day's efforts and I was helped by Eugène who has mountain experience. He told me about foot placement and the need for stability. Twisting an ankle out here is the sort of thing that brings on helicopters, and the possibility for worse injury is never far away. So it was both a mentally and physically challenging couple of hours spent making our way carefully up the path.
Once we reached the top well - more spectacular views to be had! We also noticed an outcrop about 80 metres away, on which was roosting a number of vultures. The shot I took with zoom seems to have disappeared, so you'll have to zoom in on this one:
While Eugène was only going as far as Ferme Esteban, just 11km along the GR, we walked together to this stop via the border markers between France and Spain. I even managed to demonstrate that it is perfectly possible for a man to be in two places at the same time :0)
We stopped at the gite that Eugène had pre-booked and we had a beer together under the cool shade of a large tree. The place was small but beautiful. Chickens and geese pecked freely in the grass under and around the table, and a light breeze cooled us after the morning's exertions. I realised while sitting there that I was at that moment so utterly at peace. My mind wasn't full of plans and tomorrow, I was instead watching the flickering shadow of the sunlight through the trees, and a horsefly making its way slowly along the thick beam of the corral fencing. I was munching on some home cured ham that Eugène had thoughtfully brought along and when I threw down the excess white fat onto the grass I was so amused by the chickens that I thought to film them rather than the scenery
It was nice to feel so completely unconcerned about anything at all. I was feeling strong and happy to be walking the further three and a bit hours to Ainhoa for my stop.
We said goodbye and I headed out into a surprisingly hot afternoon under a now clear blue sky. It was up in the 30s again so I kept my bidons full whenever I found a spring. It's delicious drinking fresh spring water when it's hot out. Mmmm.
My afternoon took me out along another low ridge (just the 350 metres now) and a fairly steep descent into Ainhoa that could really have been 30 minutes shorter. At the end of a day's walking the muscles are tired. Walking down steep gradients can be quite hard work. On my way down I saw these three rather morbid looking figures. I noticed a small chapel nearby that explained that the Virgin Mary had appeared there in 1469 which I suppose explains the presence of the crosses. Nearby were some gravestones. Normally I wouldn't photograph them but some of these caught my eye. I then noticed the dates - all 17th century or earlier. They reminded me of aspects of Celtic design. If you click on the photo of the Virgin Mary you should be able to read a bit about it. I've forgotten his name but I read an explanation somewhere that a local religious historian (and philanthropist) started paying to have shrines and crosses built around the area. The three large crucifixes are apparently reproductions of typical Basque imagery - a little more grotesque than the mild, smiling figures we are used to seeing:
It had gotten hot that afternoon - even the horses needed a drink. Here they are a spring, licking the water from the rocks:
A short while later and I walked through the rather charming but very touristic town and found a nice clean bed and a shower in the only gite in town. Good timing on my part as it's now almost full. This was my first view of Ainhoa.
I've been shopping (although failed to secure any breakfast - I'll worry about that in the morning) and will prepare spaghetti (I like spaghetti) once the facilities are free. One thing I can comment on is that unlike the earlier gites, and this being the weekend (and a very fine and sunny one at that) the fellow walkers here are different. Difficult to be precise but unlike every other place I've stopped, when at some point there has been conversation and sharing, these people all keep themselves to themselves despite my having chatted with them all. So, I'll keep my own company this evening and get an early night and another early start tomorrow. I think we're expecting rain on Monday, so I shall make good use of the clear skies.
An aside: I found an annotated town plan in the gite and reading I've learned something about the houses here. I find it interesting to try to observe the gradually changing styles and materials as I move further north and west. According to the guide, the houses here are of a style called Labourdin, which means that the facades are of the traditional "colombage" but are protected by very deep eaves and the fact that all ridges are build to the same heooves are built to exactly the same pitch. There - a little bit of local history for you :0) If the church is open tomorrow I may go in - from the guide it looks as though they've got a rather exuberant painted ceiling going on, but I'm not sure they'll be open at the time I leave. Never mind - churches eh? Lots of those around these parts.
Tomorrow is Ascain and from there Irun - I will (should be) in Spain in two days time :0)
Up at 06:00 and into breakfast. Plenty of time to eat, drink tea and pack the rucksack before setting off in the daylight. André had set off at 05:00, complete with headlamp, prepared for a 50km walk! He seems to enjoy the routine and the walking, although I'm not sure it's in quite the same spirit as other pilgrims and wanderers. Nice guy though.
I left at first light with Eugène and we took a steady start up the slight climb outside the village.
Within the hour we had found our first climb:
Up we went, up over the loose rocks and tree roots. Up it went for 15 minutes or so, and then we came out onto the side of another mountain range and had to pick our way carefully over loose rock, all the while ascending sharply.
There had been mention in the guidebook of a cave en route that had a stalagmite in the form of a saint, and that the cave was now a small site of pilgrimage. Sure enough, the cave soon came into view.
As you can see inside, it seems there has been a fairly loose interpretation of religious ideas. Having then found the miraculous geological feature in the adjacent grotto I took a picture, although if anyone can tell me in what way it resembles a saint I'll be happy to hear :0)
Once we reached the top well - more spectacular views to be had! We also noticed an outcrop about 80 metres away, on which was roosting a number of vultures. The shot I took with zoom seems to have disappeared, so you'll have to zoom in on this one:
While Eugène was only going as far as Ferme Esteban, just 11km along the GR, we walked together to this stop via the border markers between France and Spain. I even managed to demonstrate that it is perfectly possible for a man to be in two places at the same time :0)
We stopped at the gite that Eugène had pre-booked and we had a beer together under the cool shade of a large tree. The place was small but beautiful. Chickens and geese pecked freely in the grass under and around the table, and a light breeze cooled us after the morning's exertions. I realised while sitting there that I was at that moment so utterly at peace. My mind wasn't full of plans and tomorrow, I was instead watching the flickering shadow of the sunlight through the trees, and a horsefly making its way slowly along the thick beam of the corral fencing. I was munching on some home cured ham that Eugène had thoughtfully brought along and when I threw down the excess white fat onto the grass I was so amused by the chickens that I thought to film them rather than the scenery
It was nice to feel so completely unconcerned about anything at all. I was feeling strong and happy to be walking the further three and a bit hours to Ainhoa for my stop.
We said goodbye and I headed out into a surprisingly hot afternoon under a now clear blue sky. It was up in the 30s again so I kept my bidons full whenever I found a spring. It's delicious drinking fresh spring water when it's hot out. Mmmm.
My afternoon took me out along another low ridge (just the 350 metres now) and a fairly steep descent into Ainhoa that could really have been 30 minutes shorter. At the end of a day's walking the muscles are tired. Walking down steep gradients can be quite hard work. On my way down I saw these three rather morbid looking figures. I noticed a small chapel nearby that explained that the Virgin Mary had appeared there in 1469 which I suppose explains the presence of the crosses. Nearby were some gravestones. Normally I wouldn't photograph them but some of these caught my eye. I then noticed the dates - all 17th century or earlier. They reminded me of aspects of Celtic design. If you click on the photo of the Virgin Mary you should be able to read a bit about it. I've forgotten his name but I read an explanation somewhere that a local religious historian (and philanthropist) started paying to have shrines and crosses built around the area. The three large crucifixes are apparently reproductions of typical Basque imagery - a little more grotesque than the mild, smiling figures we are used to seeing:
It had gotten hot that afternoon - even the horses needed a drink. Here they are a spring, licking the water from the rocks:
A short while later and I walked through the rather charming but very touristic town and found a nice clean bed and a shower in the only gite in town. Good timing on my part as it's now almost full. This was my first view of Ainhoa.
I've been shopping (although failed to secure any breakfast - I'll worry about that in the morning) and will prepare spaghetti (I like spaghetti) once the facilities are free. One thing I can comment on is that unlike the earlier gites, and this being the weekend (and a very fine and sunny one at that) the fellow walkers here are different. Difficult to be precise but unlike every other place I've stopped, when at some point there has been conversation and sharing, these people all keep themselves to themselves despite my having chatted with them all. So, I'll keep my own company this evening and get an early night and another early start tomorrow. I think we're expecting rain on Monday, so I shall make good use of the clear skies.
An aside: I found an annotated town plan in the gite and reading I've learned something about the houses here. I find it interesting to try to observe the gradually changing styles and materials as I move further north and west. According to the guide, the houses here are of a style called Labourdin, which means that the facades are of the traditional "colombage" but are protected by very deep eaves and the fact that all ridges are build to the same heooves are built to exactly the same pitch. There - a little bit of local history for you :0) If the church is open tomorrow I may go in - from the guide it looks as though they've got a rather exuberant painted ceiling going on, but I'm not sure they'll be open at the time I leave. Never mind - churches eh? Lots of those around these parts.
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