First 2 days: Sept 7-8

Left St Jean De Pied de Port (pic #1) Tue AM & arrived in Orisson by lunch; the longest 6 miles (10 km) I can remember ever walking, due to 85+ temp & 30+% humidity. Was glad I stayed put for the afternoon instead of continuing on to Roncesvalles, another 11 km of up, then 4km of steep downhill. Beautiful view from Orisson (pic #2).
Day 2 has been misty and cool, perfect for the 15km trek to Roncesvalles. Missed some great views, I'm sure, but this allowed me to focus on the sweet cows, horses, and sheep grazing about. One of my new favorite sounds is the cow bell (worn by both horses & cows); even if I couldn't see them, the sound let me know they were out there, grazing leisurely. The trail also took me through a beautiful beech (mostly) forest. (pics 5-6).Read more