Arrived: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port 1:00pm
Total hours: 4.75
Total kms: 21.6
Accumulated kms: 739.3
Weather: Sunny and warm
I'm sitting on a park bench near the post office because once again I've arrived in town when everything is shut! The post office opens soon, so I thought I´d write this, then post off a bunch of stuff home, find some internet, and eventually get into the accom at 4pm when it opens.
I'm in the final town of the first stage, or the first town of the second stage, depending on how you look at it, and I'm surrounded by the Pyrenees. They don't look so tough from here at all. When I got in, I almost considered just walking on to a hotel I know is two and a half hours up the mountain, but then thought I should do it the old fashioned way - all in one hit! (Lucky too, it was closed...)
Last night was fun, I ate dinner with the other guests and the hosts. I was was absolutely ravenous, I could not eat enough food. I had three bowls of soup, three plates of salad, about an entire loaf of French bread, two and a half plates of mains (cauliflower, beans, pasta and omelette), numerous chunks of amazing home-made Basque sheep´s cheese, and a bowl of fruit salad. Unbelievable. Everyone thought it was funny, the hosts kept trying to get me to eat even more. During dinner the husband host was teaching us to sing songs in Basque. It's funny trying to be taught a song in a language you don't understand with translations and explanations in another language you don´t understand. But it was all fun, and I was just happy to be eating lots of food.
This morning's walk was very pleasant and easy, with the sun shining strong all day. I started with a detour to the local bakery to try a local Basque speciality. I forget its name (something like Basque Cicse), but it was delicious - a pastry kind of thing filled with black cherries. The walk then progressed nice and easy, nearing the mountains all the way. I can't wait to get stuck into that mountain crossing tomorrow, although it looks as though I may not even see snow up there, it's supposed to be a really warm and sunny day again tomorrow as well.
Entering Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
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