Burguete Spain might be Greg’s favorite town of the trip.

Spotless town, nice people, fun pub,beautiful scenery and our B&B had the cutest puppy

Cobbled street, flowers everywhere, Basque men in berets reading. It brought smiles to our faces just to be there.

First few villages of the Camino.

St Jean Pied de Port is the bustling start of the Camino. Much more than a village and really a little tourist hub. Cute & touristy.

Valcarlos – our chosen stop for the first night. Perched on the mountainside – definitely sleepy with 2 focuses – farming & pilgrims. The town had all whitewashed homes with red shutters and cobbled streets anchored by a huge church. Just a restaurant, grocery mart, small hotel & hostel

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We stayed in the municipal albergues which meant clean,neat,simple. 10 bunks with snorers and not😴. Most everyone goes to sleep at the same time 10:00. And wakes at the same time around 7:00. Everyone was nice. No scairies. A couple from Valencia Spain, woman from France, guy from Columbus,OH with whom we shared dinner. Cost:$10/night. Dinner: jamon&melon, fish &potatoes, ice cream bread & wine –$12….not in Park city any more….

Second night in Burguette – cutest Basque town ever. Greg thought he was in Whoville of Seuss fame.

Days 3-5 of the Camino wander through the Basque farmland. Beautiful fields of grains and pastures for cattle & sheep. The change in altitude continues with rolling hills and valleys and beautiful small rivers. The farms are tidy and the towns are frequent. The villages are the cleanest that I have ever seen. Each home is freshly whitewashed with red shutters a Basque tradition and gorgeous flowers on their window boxes. The streets are cobbled.

 

 

We have been hiking for 6 days and the beauty of the countryside continues to amaze us. Our Camino journey started in St Jean Pied de Port in the heart of the Pyrenees. The hillsides are verdant and dotted with grazing cows – most with bells and herds of sheep. We hiked 2 days through the Pyrenees and while not towering peaks the steepness of the terrain, constant up and down let us know they were in charge. This area was sparsely populated with few places for breaks and water. When we did come to a village they were neat & tidy centered with a large church. Basques call this their home and they seem an industrious bunch. The second day of hiking in the Pyrenees was a straight up haul. The path was thick with tree canopies and upon reaching the top we were rewarded with a mountaintop vista that was spectacular.

Additionally at the top is a monument to Roland – Charlemagne’s brother who met his demise at this spot. ….it was pretty easy for us to imagine how he could have been ambushed here.

Over the top – on to village -Roncesvalles home to nourishment😊and a bit of rest. Roncesvalles has spectacular cathedrals, convents, and seminaries which now host pilgrims.

T

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton