3. Zubiri to St Jean Pied-de-Port 6/7/12

What a perfect day.  I realized how much I love cycling in the mountains (on good roads).  It was beautiful scenery the whole way.  Cows with bells jingled in the paddocks which reminded me of walking in Switzerland.  The villages were gorgeous and I could imagine that Christine and Bo would have loved driving through them. 

I stopped for a rest at the top of the first big hill at about 10am to have my banana and cake.  At about 11.30am, after another climb, I went through a little village that had a deli/supermarket – so stopped to buy some juice, baguette, ham, nectarines and peaches. I was thinking how much Jeff would have loved that shop as the man had his veges displayed beautifully and there was such a range of cheeses, meats and wines. If I'd have been with Jeff we for sure would have had a bottle of wine and cheeses as well. I had my picnic at an old stone table and headed off again thinking I still had a lot of up to go.  

I was pleasantly surprised as after another 6km up I was at the top and then cruised the next 20 km down the Pyrenees, crossing the bridge which marked the French/Spanish border and into the very beautiful town of St Jean Pied-de-Port.

Here are some photos on the way. I loved the quaint villages, pretty houses and the best thing was the perfect roads - quite a contrast to the roads in Timor-Leste!

I had booked into a small hostal that had been recommended by a lot of people and pulled up at the information centre to ask where it was when  man and woman approached me and said ‘Bonjour’.  I said Bonjour back (that being the extent of my French and hoped they didn’t try to make any more conversation) – but then the strong Kiwi accent said ‘Where are you from?’.  They had approached me as they are also travelling by bike so wanted to ask where I’d been and where I was going etc.  So we went and sat for the next 3 hours chatting at a little bar on the street I was staying in.

Robin and Graeme were fascinating and I loved hearing their stories about their bike trips. They are both retired - in their late 50s and early 60s - and have done a lot of biking trips since being retired.  The made a decision a few years ago to retire (as Graeme said that if he didn’t retire he’d be dead by now).  Graeme talked about retirement and how they afford to do their travel each year and stated: ‘It’s not what you earn, it’s what you spend’.

I was very impressed to hear that they were going to be taking the high Camino route over the mountains – as all info says that by bicycle you should take the road - the one I'd taken to get to SJPP  It got me thinking that if they aren’t worried about trying that route then I should give it a go.  Last night I went to the Pilgrim’s office and said that I was thinking of taking the high route – but they all told me not to try it.  So now I’m unsure what route I’ll try tomorrow. 

Anyway, while having a few beers with Robin and Graeme a friend of theirs came along – a German man named Benjamin.  He came strolling in with his pilgrim stick and Robin quickly ordered him a beer.  He has walked 1800 kms so far and only started on June 1^st! He walks about 50-60 km every day.  Robin and Graeme bike this distance every day so that’s why they keep bumping into each other.  Benjamin is walking to Santiago and at that rate he’ll probably make it there before I do.

I left my new friends at the bar just before 7pm as I had no idea what time dinner would be served at my albergue L'Esprit du Chemin.  I was prepared for the dorm type accommodation but was put in a room with only 2 other people – a couple of French women in their mid 60s who were going to walk the Camino del Norte (the northern route to Santiago that follows the coast).   The lovely owner of my albergue, Humberta, said she’d put me in the room with them because I’d mentioned in one of my emails that I might do this route - she had even put little cards on the bed with our names on.

My bedroom window

I was pleased I wasn’t late for dinner as everyone was gathered and Huberta welcomed everyone and then we all had an aperitif of port or a local liquer while we introduced ourselves.  This dinner was completely vegetarian and delicious – salad, soup, feta and vege quiche with a rice and beans dish and a carrot and swede dish.  Dessert was yoghurt and berries and then we had tea.  It was amazing as out of the 20 people staying here I was one of the young ones!  There were only 4 people younger than me.  One woman, Carol, who I thought was just a bit older than me, had just had her 60^th birthday.

Here are some photos from the albergue:

Herberta and Josephine cooking dinner for us

I had breakfast with everyone this morning about 7am and then enjoyed seeing everyone off.  I’m staying here today so I can start doing my exit report for work. I’ve got to have this done by July 15 so today I’m hoping to make a good start – although I find it easier writing my diary!  I wonder if anyone from NZAID will notice if I submit this instead of any exit report.

I walked a bit with Carol this morning as I wanted to see where the start of the trail was and she set off with her shorts on and her make up all on nicely!  She has been walking since Lourdes in France and had some funny stories to tell.  I love meeting all these people with such a zest for life.  Two gentlemen I sat with at breakfast this morning (as they were gentlemen in their 60s or 70s) have done the Camino many times before.  This time they came back to volunteer for two weeks at one of the pilgrim hostels and they cycled here from Amsterdam! 

The gentleman who is 70+ and cycled from Amsterdam to Spain
to volunteer for 2 weeks at the Albergue in Roncesvalles.

Okay, enough rambling – time to take my bike to the bike shop and then start my exit report! 


But first some photos of the pretty St Jean Pied-de-Port:

2 hours later. I went to the bike shop and they will fix my gears by 6.30pm today.  I went and had 2 expressos at a café and had my last 3 cigarettes.  I’m not planning on buying any more cigarettes so I guess I’ve given them up. We’ll see though. I’ve done my washing. I’ve sewn up my bumbag that was coming apart. Life is simple and great.  

Wish Jeff had been with me at the café as he would have loved sitting on the sidewalk, drinking coffee, watching the people and different bikes riding past.   And having great coffee.  I'm sure he would have been tempted by the pastries.  This town is so gorgeous.  Love it. 

3 hours later.  It’s now 2.30pm and I still haven’t started working on my exit report as I've been sitting outside reading about cycling in the Pyrenees on the French side – but I have made the decision that I won’t keep obsessing about cycling across the Pyrenees on this trip because a) I’d like to do it with Jeff and b) it would mean I’d constantly be counting the days and wondering how I could fit it in and whether I should do longer days of cycling to fit it in – or whether I should tell Jeff I won’t be back in Timor till early Sept instead of mid August etc. So even though it would be a dream to be able to do it on this trip I will save it for another time when Jeff and I can do it together. So now I can relax and just enjoy each day and just see where I end up in the next few weeks.

Great.  Decision made so now I can concentrate on my exit report – but first I better check on my washing to see if it’s drying. 

I must admit I only worked for a couple of hours on my exit report as I heard that there was a bar that sold cider from the region and had wifi...  

Some great people came to stay at the L’Espirit du Chemin that night so we had fun during the pre-dinner drinks and over dinner.  Some of the women were fascinating including the 2 darling Dutch women I shared a room with.

My room mates - Jacoline and Annemariek

Jacoline had done the French part of the camino previously with her husband and they finished in St Jean Pied-de-Port (SJPP).  They had planned to do the next stage to Santiago starting in SJPP – but her husband died.  So she was now here to do it on her own.  She had us in stitches as her pack was far too heavy. She had everything in it. She’d even gone that day and bought a hair dryer stating: ‘but if I don’t blow dry my hair it looks like nothing’.  She had so many toiletries and a lot of make-up (all of which were 'essential'.   She had all the gadgets and camping gear - but when it came to trying to find her torch she couldn't.  I gave her my bike light and showed her how to use it - and in the night I heard Dutch swearing and the sound of my light hitting the floor and in the morning found the bits and the batteries scattered (which proved useful as Jeff and I couldn't ever figure out how to open it).  I woke Jacoline at 7.15 as breakfast finished at 7.30. She was still in a deep sleep even though I’d banging around right beside her for a while.  She jumped up, put on her makeup before going to breakfast.  Hurberta, the owner of the albergue, was going to help her decide what stuff to discard before she set off on her first day of walking.  Huberta often has to do this - and hence the bathroom at the L'Espiri du Chemin is filled with lots of lovely toiletries that people have had to leave behind.   

The other woman Annemariek was a couple of years older than me and had just finished a month’s walking through France.  She was on a high. Her husband is 15 years older than her and she said the age difference didn’t used to matter but now he’s got grumpier...  Annemariek looks about 40 and is gorgeous and I wish she could go on travelling on her own for longer as she was just glowing and so enjoying herself.   Annemariek told us about her brother who summited Mt Everest in 1989 - but he and another guy he climbed with, both died on the descent.  It was sad listening to Annemariek talk about the trip she made to Nepal with her mum.