DAY 33 : FRANCE : AROUE to OSABAT - 21 kms - 5 hours

Distance walked so far : 710 kms

Weather : hazy morning, hot afternoon : 26o

What a wonderful day. It seems that the route has saved the best until last. We finish the French section tomorrow and today we have experienced such glorious countryside, townships and walking conditions. We are in the centre of the French Basque district and the buildings are all white with either red or brown rooves and shutters. The farms and houses are immaculate with the Pyrenees as a permanent breathtaking backdrop.

Our gite is first class with verandahs to appreciate the fabulous view on a mild autumn evening. There is mention in the guidebook that there will be Chansons Basque during the meal - so that could be an interesting addition to tonight's entertainment. They are a very patriotic group - even the table for dinner is set with red and green serviettes and tablecloth.

Lucille, from Quebec, 60 today.
Breakfast at 7.30 in gite.

 

Shepherd using a rod and sash to guide sheep into a pen.

 

Many more sheep in the Basque area.
A traditional grain store on the right.

 

Break in the shade with spectacular views all around.

 

Traditional red and white Basque houses - with matching
flowers.

 

Walking over the bridge into Uhart-Mixe over the
River Bidouze.

 

Cafe with special facilities for pilgrims, before mein
host individually farewells walkers up the steep hill
nearby.
 

 

Walking towards the bastide town of Osabat.
In the Middle Ages 5000 pilgrims could be accommodated
here but now it is a small village.

 

These ducks have escaped the large free range duck
farm nearby.

 

A hot day - even for dogs.

 

Our gite, par excellence. We have a room with bathroom.
It is spotless, with excellent facilities.

 

Area to relax - jacuzzi and deck chairs, from where to appreciate the view.

 

Balcony with bar facilities nearby.
Just tried the Basque cider - Kili Mili Klik. I won't be
repeating the experience - reminded me of the aroma of
all the farmyards we've walked through lately.

Our enthusiastic singing host
A Basque song for every course.

 

M&M

5/10/12 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 32 : FRANCE : NAVARRENX to AROUE - 18.5 kms - 6 hours (avec arrets)

Distance walked so far : 695 kms
Weather : sunny, pleasant walking - 22o

Leaving Navarrenx, with our packs firmly strapped to our backs, this morning we could really visualise this 'bastide' town with its ramparts, still in excellent condition. Henry 1V, who was reknown for his many mistresses, as we learnt yesterday, employed Italian craftsmen to build the ramparts. In fact, it resembles the fortifications around Lucca in Italy. We walked over the impressive bridge, originally constructed to take pilgrims on their way across the river, to leave the town to head further south-west.

Ramparts around Navarrenx

 

Leaving Navarrenx on impressive bridge

 

We met a woman with a donkey and four goats on a
leash. The goats were eating all the vines in a public park
and the leads were all entangled. I volunteered my
services.. and I hope that they all reached their
their destination.
 

We walked through attractive small towns, through forested areas and cornfields (of course). We arrived at an intersection to find a beautifully finished shelter area for walkers. An enterprising businessman, who owned the frois gras store on the block, sold drinks and displayed his products, with discounts for pelerins. A successful secondary line for an otherwise quiet shopfront.

Delicious European passionfruit

 

Beautiful houses in villages around Navarrenx

 

Free range roosters

 

Walking through the forests many hides
for hunters looking out for pheasant and deer.

 

Enterprising businessman - pelerin business on the side

We found a sheltered spot for lunch with large picnic tables - chatting to a range of groups on the way. Four from Quebec and four from Lyons are sharing tonight at our gite extraordinaire. Our gite is a large old home on a busy road, run by a old-style grandmother, who has the welcome and organisation for pilgrims down pat. Our bedroom looks like something out of the Sicilian scenes in The Godfather - faded and basic. There's a lot going on in the farmyard - painters on the roof of the shed, meetings in the dining room, large trucks driving around the house, dogs barking and the gerdarmerie have just shown up. I can't wait for dinner.

Gite extraordinaire - farm or building site?

Then the police car arrived.....

 

Madame Francoise, the hostess with the mostest

 The Menu

Aperitif : White wine, juracon, with cassis (blackberry syrup)

Entree : ham with green pepper chunky omelette

Main : Pan- fried pork slices with peas and carrots

Simple green salad

Cheese : slice of hard sheep cheese with cherry jam

Dessert : Ice cream

Herbal teas (very popular in France, called tissane)

 

M&M

4/10/12



 

SELECTED VIDEO CLIPS

 

 

Antics in the bullring in Aire sur l'Adour. 30th September

DAY 31 : FRANCE : ARTHEZ-DE-BEARN to NAVARRENX - 30 kms - 8 (long) hours

Distance walked so far : 677 kms

Weather today : warm, no breeze : 21o


 

View of Arthez-de-Bearn from our window.
The adjective of Bearn is Bearnaise - so that's where
the sauce originated from!

Our meals were served in the formal dining room.
The house has 13th century origins. One of the mistresses of
Henry 1V lived here. The Bic (biro) family lived here before
migrating to America. Fritz and Mike found a family
grave site in the cellar. This led them to believe a
Protestant family lived here during the house's history
as they were not allowed to bury family members
in Catholic cemetries.
 

As we left Arthez-de-Bearn and walked down the ridge
we came across a huge hunting party all sitting in wait.
In the valley in front of them there was a great commotion
of dogs (some wearing cowbells) barking and yelping, some of the shooters
blew traditional horns to unsettle the deer.

Marring the view this morning was the huge Usine de
Lacq, one of France's biggest industrial natural gas
works.
 

We love our picnic lunches - resting in the shade.

 

Navarrenx. Population 1,500.
First town to be fortified with Italian style (16th century)
ramparts.

 

Lovely surprise to see a balloon above
the main street as we entered the town.

 

 

Another night in a hotel before we resume our normal
routine - gites communal etc.

 

Only 873 kms to go.....

 

Today was the last day of our baggage transportation and we were grateful that we were travelling light as it was a hard slog on steep roads without shade. We are delighted that we've been able to clock up over 90 kms in 3 days. We couldn't do that pace all the time - our bodies definitely creak when we stop - or should I say stoop.


M&M
3/10/12

DAY 30 : FRANCE : ARZACQ-ARRAZIGUET to ARTHEZ-DE-BEARN - 28 kms - 7 hours

Distance walked so far : 647 kms

Weather : cold in the morning (3o) but sunny all day (18o)

Walking down by the lake we came across
these very tame creatures, unperturbed
by passers-by.

 

Corn fields, merged into undulating hills and into the
breathtaking view of the Pyrenees.

Inspiring scenery and glorious day

 

For most of the villages the food van is their only
access to shopping.
Reminded me of the French movie, The Grocer's Son.

 

No cafes or services in any of the villages, but there
was a welcome sign on one house with coffee, tea,
cordials and cake for a donation. We were walking with about 9
walkers at the time who really appreciated their
thoughtfulness.

 

Farmers harvesting their corn - fascinating all-in-one process.

  

Two very different walkers. One an enterprising
fellow from Brittany has invented his own push-
pull trolley (with flashing lights!). Our other (Swiss) friend
has sponge inserts for his shoulders, as he finds
 his backpack totally uncomfortable.

 

Arthez-de-Bearn. A town built on a ridge top with stunning
views of the Pyrenees. It was originally developed
around the Augustinian commandery whose monastery
was destroyed in the Wars of Religion.

 



Our Chambre d'Hotes for the night.
The exceptional Domaine de la Carrere.
www.domaine-de-la-carrere.fr
Highly recommended.

 

Main staircase - artefacts from India, Asia and London.

Our bedroom, immaculately decorated, and included a relaxing bath.

 

A delicious meal cooked by Fritz for Mark and myself and
Maria and Penny (from Perth).

 

 

M&M

2/10/12 

 

 

 

 

DAY 29 : FRANCE : AIRE SUR L'ADOUR to ARZACQ-ARRAZIGUET - 35 kms - 8 hours

Distance walked so far : 618 kms

Weather : cool morning (5o) but sunny in the afternoon (20o)

Moving towards the Spanish border

Mark has made a momentous decision to expedite the final few days in France. Some of the gites in smaller towns are closing for the season and the distances between the larger towns is great. So he decided that we would walk 3 long days and have our baggage transported to make it possible - 8 euros for each bag delivered door to door. We walked our first long day today - 35 kms - flat and monotonous countryside - mainly corn crops. It proved to be just the right choice as we did it easily - fitness-wise - and it means that we have eliminated more of the less interesting countryside.



Endless paths and long hours along cornfields

 

Suddenly we moved into forest areas -
note no pack (and big smile!)

 

Then late in the afternoon we reached the region
of Pyrenees Atlantiques - close to the foothills of the Pyrenees

 

Tonight we are staying in a small hotel attached to a bar in Arzacq-Arraziguet. Not a particularly attractive town as we have seen in the better preserved medieval villages further north, but it has two large squares with good services (many towns don't even have pharmacies and supermarkets). It is a walled hilltop town or 'bastide', founded by 'les anglais' in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. It used to mark the boundary between France and the then independent Bearn country. It is fascinating how quickly the language is beginning to change from French, to more Basque words - the spelling on menus, for example. Each place is very parochial with their own specialities. I can't imagine how they were finally able to decide on national borders in the 19th century, with such conflict of interests.(Of course, being on a hill-top meant that there was a climb this afternoon to get into the town...always seems to be the way.)

Each area is very distinctive

 

Bar/hotel, where we stayed,
 on one of the main squares in Arzacq-Arraziguet

 

One of the sad things about maximising our time is that we are now out-of-step with some of the other walkers that we have grown to know over the weeks - it has been sad to say goodbye to them.

M&M
1/10/12