Our September walks and their virtual parallels

Days 93 to 100.  September 1 to 8, 32 miles (48 km). On this 100th day of our virtual Camino, we are decidedly tired of the pandemic and its power to limited our travel. However, we did have a break for this Labor Day Weekend. Pam, James, and their new puppy Blue came to visit. They will be staying in Cedar Key for a while. Pam's working remotely.

Our week's walks would have taken us from Miramont-Sensacq through Arzacq-Arraziguet, where we stayed, and on to  Arthez de-Béarn.  the trail covered gentle hills with fields of not-yet-blooming sunflowers.

A hotel where we stayed

The architecture is wonderful

Street art depicting the distances between towns along the Chemin.

Days 101 to 104.  September 9 to 12, 17 miles (25.6 km). These walks would have taken us to the rampart-enclosed town of  Navarrenx, where we stayed at an iconic albergue, the Alchemist.

beautiful walking day

still in cow country

lunch at a cafe

looking down to the lobby from outside our shared room

an outside common area where we met the other pilgrims staying with the alchemist

The Alchemist is vegetarian

our shared room

eclectic pottery cups

dinner sitting on the floor before the fireplace

the dinner table

a museum in town

many churches have blue interiors

within the town walls

walls of the town

Days 105 to 112.  September 13 to 20, 32.6 miles (50 km).  This week of walking would have taken us over the river out of Navarrenx, through the woods, bushwhacking across a field to take a shortcut to an ivy-covered farmhouse where we stayed with innkeepers who had previously lived in a New Age commune, back on the gentle trail, to Saint-Palais. We got quite lost along the way and were helped by a local who drove us to our chambres d'hôtes out of the goodness of his heart. We are fully in Basque country in Saint-Palais, as evidenced by both the language and the architecture.

Leaving walled Navarrenx, on the right, we crossed this bridge

stone architecture in the towns

church square in a town we walked through

enjoying almost the last of this architecture

downhill into the woods

uphill through the pastures

hunt platform

inviting, but not quite hot enough

small farms to walk by in this region

resting in the shade

back on the trail, more hills

uphill

our chambres d'hôtes. The hosts prepared a gourmet dinner and breakfast, which we enjoyed in the room showed to the left

crossing a pasture on a shortcut to our gîte

gorgeous views

Good to have rested here because soon after this we got lost. Perhaps we added miles to our walk, or perhaps we inadvertently found a shortcut. we never knew.

breakfast

accommodation where we pick salad from the garden and cooked spaghetti with ingredients from the "provisions" refrigerator.

trail marker

Since we were lost, nice that it was beautiful

the dining area

suicidal stairs, especially while wearing or carrying a backpack

remembering friends

Nearing Basque country and the houses are now white with red roofs

walking at the top of the world

downhill, for a while

Days 113 and 114 . September 21-22, 9 miles (13.5 km) Today we walk out of Saint-Palais. crossing through much of the fair-sized town because we stayed on the north side and the trail goes south. A group of local trail enthusiasts have constructed a wonderful route for us from south of town, up over a long, steep hill with beautiful vistas. They placed interpretive panels and benches. At the top, a surprize. It was a hard but lovely walk. At the end of these 13.5km, we rejoin the main trail at Harambeltz, having taken a variant trail to see Saint-Palais.

Through the town of Saint-Palais with its Basque architecture

View back at the town from the start of the uphill trail

Steep, long, rocky, beautiful

A welcome rest area

Gorgeous scenery, ominous clouds

Interpretive panel describes the plant, the botanist who names it, the history of how it was planted, in both French and Basque

What a view! Gathering clouds

A sculpture at the top of the climb.

Le Reflet du Ciel by Christian Lapie

Now, for the downhill through the pastures!

Another sculpture at the bottom of the hill. Note the pilgrim symbols.

And another steep, but not so long, uphill

We found the Chapelle d'Harambeltz at the top of the hill.

It could be seen for miles around, the only structure on the landscape.

Day 115. September 23, 4.8 miles (7 km). Today takes us to Ostabat. the skies opened up in a steady rain as we left the Chapelle and headed down hill in 2015. We had a Spartan room in a small hotel with toilet and shower down the hall. We shared dinner and breakfast with all the other guests, boarding house style. The rain stopped long enough to spend time in the camping area behind the hotel, and to visit the pretty church in town.

Rain gear needed

Our hotel

Our room

Visiting the Ostabat church

Relaxing in the hotel's garden

Dinner with all the guests

Days 116 to 121 . September 24 to 30, 26 miles (40 km) These last miles in September would complete our walk across the Le Puy Route, taking us to the final stay in France . . . Orisson. Au revoir to talking the Chemin de Saint-Jacques and to hearing greetings of Bon Chemin.

Hello, pilgrims, says the local.

beautiful stretch between Ostabat and St Jean-Pied-de-Port

tunnel of trees

Remembering friends with a stone placed at the cross

Entering the walled town of St Jean-pied-de-port

iconic pic on the bridge

Not flat any longer

Heading out in the monring

Crossing the Pyrennees takes two days. The first covers one-third of the distance and two-thirds of the elevation rise.

Climbing and seeing the rains ahead

Hard day's walk. BEAUTIFUL!!

Arriving in ponchos at Orisson to spend the rest of the day and overnight.

Having coffee with a friend I met on the way up the trail. She did not have a reservation and so walked the rest of the way over the mountain in the rain after her rest.

Not a luxury accommodation, but glad to be out of the rain, resting our hill-climbing legs for the journey over the rest of the mountain tomorrow, and with a bed to sleep on in a room shared with 6 others, none of whom was a snorer.

Communal dinner with all the others at Orisson that night