France
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

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    • St Jean Pied de Port

      August 31, 2019 in France ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

      Everyone on the bus from Pamplona were pilgrims. Lots of back packs! Very winding road through the Basque countryside. You get to see what you will be walking. Beautiful city. I am amazed at all the different people. Went to pilgrim office for my shell(big one) to go with my patch , and two little shells from home.Read more

    • Day 16

      15.Etappe: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

      November 11, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      Der große Meilenstein ist erreicht 🥳
      Und das Wetter hat wieder suuuper mitgespielt (wir hatten ja auch alle aufgegessen, wie soll es anders sein 😅).
      Viel zu früh bin ich da, direkt in der Mittagspause vom Pilgerbüro angekommen und genieße so noch ein wenig die Sonne auf der Zitadelle. Der nette Herr im Pilgerbüro gibt mir allerhand Zettel mit Hinweisen für morgen und die nächsten Tage mit, so dass ich mich direkt wieder sehr wohl fühle. Und zum Schluss wird noch mein Rucksack gewogen - 10 kg 🙈 Jedoch mit Wasser und dem Einkauf aus dem letzten Ort (ca. 2 kg Süßigkeiten und Müsliriegel 😅).
      Auf dem Weg zur öffentlichen Herberge (denn nur noch die ist offen), treffe ich Ingrid und wir checken zusammen ein. Klaus und Pierre kommen an während ich gerade dusche, und da ist auch die deutsche Pilgerin, der wir schon seit ein paar Tagen folgen! Wir haben sie eingeholt, da sie einen Ruhetag eingelegt hat. Wie es aussieht, konnte ich sie mit meiner Schwärmerei vom Camino del Norte überzeugen und sie wird morgen wahrscheinlich ihre Reise Richtung Irun fortsetzen 😊
      Die beiden Jungs und ich schmeißen unsere dreckige Wäsche zusammen und nach einem leckeren baskischen Bier und kleinem Stadtbummel treten wir mit wohl duftender und trockener Wäsche wieder den Weg zur Gite an.
      Nach einem wahrscheinlich letzten gemeinsamen Abendessen (nun nur noch zu viert), schwingen wir uns in unsere Betten im 16-Mann-Frau-Schlafsaal. Die ersten schnarchen schon und die Hälfte unterhält sich noch angeregt in der Gemeinschaftsküche - es verspricht eine interessante Nacht zu werden 😅🙈
      Also Schlafmaske auf und Ohrstöpsel rein - morgen gehts rauf in die Pyrenäen! 🥳
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    • Day 14

      St Jean-Pied-de-Port

      April 10, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      We have arrived at St Jean PDP, day 1 of our Camino schedule! Checked into the very nice hotel where we stayed last time after the Vézelay walk, and into the exact same room, looking out over the river…sooo good. The only downside is that on Wednesday when we start walking the weather changes, and it will rain and maybe even snow for the next 3 days!! The first 2 days are only about 12 kms thank goodness, so we will try our ponchos and cope. We have walked in rain before, and it may be showers by the sound of it, and at least we are warned and prepared. (And we could even get taxi if it got too ghastly!).

      But today has been delightful. We arrived at about 12.30, couldn’t check in till 2pm, and enjoyed walking round the familiar streets of this charming town. Walked around the walls, found the amazing spice shop..all looks quite different in spring…leaves just starting, and the severely pruned plane trees look gaunt till their leaves all come out. There is also a lot of wisteria looking very beautiful.

      Warm and sunny for the moment, and Amr went to a laundromat, quite a walk away as the 2 previous laundromats seem to have closed…so he gallantly took lots of clothes, and C and J’s, and we can now start afresh on our ventures. They were still damp, but a few hours on our sunny balcony and they are all dry…

      Now back from dinner…last dinner with C and J…they leave on the train back to Bayonne tomorrow, and head off for their cycling trip, and we start walking on Wednesday. For dinner Amr and I had a salad with grilled chiperones, very delicious, and shared our first taste of arroz con leche…yum. Tomorrow is going to continue with cloudy but fine weather, so we can have a good relaxing day.
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    • Day 15

      Last day before we walk

      April 11, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

      A lovely leisurely day. Actually, we did do a bit of walking to keep our legs going, but very relaxed. First we walked with C and J along the wall, and up the path to the Citadelle above the town where hadn’t been before…magnificent view from up there, then made our way back to the hotel as C and J catching the 12.20 train. We escorted them to the station, via a coffee and hot chocolate stop, and waved them off after a fun week together!

      So Amr and I first decided to check the route we need to take tomorrow morning. We always feel secure if we sort of sus out the way, and it was a good practice walk. (We can’t remember from 10 years ago of course)…then we sauntered along a path beside the river, which also I don’t think we have ever done…so so pretty, with the leaves just hinting green, and the Basque houses.

      We have bumped into many people who are setting off tomorrow, like us on a schedule, so we are all hoping the weather will not be too bad. Some Australians, Americans, Dutch…it’s a good camino feeling here and we are very excited. On the way back from the first walk we met 2 volunteers who paint the red and white markers for the GR routes. They struck up a conversation with us and gave good advice about how to avoid the road, even though we are taking the route via Valcarlos. He said his son was working in Sydney when covid struck, and he had trouble getting out of course when his job ended…is son said “now I know what it is like to live under communism”!! You can be sure we agreed with the sentiments!!

      So we are sorting out our bags - what to take with us and what to send, what to wear…we bought a half baguette with ham and cheese for tomorrow’s lunch - it will keep fine overnight in the cool on our balcony…as the shop won’t open till after we leave, as we will go fairly early to get some distance before the rain is predicted to start at about 11…who knows..very very excited!
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    • Day 5

      St Jean Pied de Port - Practice Rest Day

      April 17, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

      Practicing a rest day!
      Today was a serious practice day. Having rest days on the Camino revives the body and helps focus on “smelling the roses” and not just the destination. So we put in a big effort.
      When we first travelled together for 15 months in 1995, long before iPhones and cheap phone calls we used to write home every few weeks. This morning, Jane’s sister, Louise was reminiscing on those letters and that more than half the content was on the food we had eaten that day. We pretty much tried everything on offer. She begged us for a food day just to make it an even tougher day. So, here it is - a rest and food day. And, because it is a rest day we will let the pictures do most of the talking although some need a little explanation.
      In short, we spent the day in the beautiful town of St Jean Pied de Port (founded in the 12th century), the starting point of the Camino Frances. Welcoming, warm people who patiently listened to my broken French and answered me in perfect English, lovely food and daunting views of the Pyrenees mountains which we will tackle tomorrow! The town is filled with Pilgrims like us. We strolled along the ramparts of the old town walls. We sent off our excess Post Camino (PC) luggage to Santiago and ended the day with a Mass in the local church (beautiful 14th-century church of Notre Dame du Bout du Pont (Our Lady at the End of the Bridge), which is made of the local pink Arradoy stone and sits beside the gateway onto the bridge over the river). Mass ended with a Pilgrim blessing for the commencement of our Camino. The priest asked us all to say where we were from, Brazil, England, France, Switzerland, Australia, USA, Canada and Czech! His English was non existent so he called me (Ant) up to read the translated English blessing. He proceeded to issue instructions to me in French so I hope I didn’t exceed my authority!
      One of the pictures that might need explaining is the location where I did our clothes washing. The automated laundromat is outside, right next to the car wash! An interesting business model and I’m really glad it wasn’t raining.

      Ok Louise - the good bit …
      A traditional French buffet breakfast (had to try the normal and chocolate croissant), a ham and cheese baguette for lunch along the river finished off with a traditional cherry Basque gateau (Perhaps there was the odd almond or citrus macaroon in between?? )
      After a traditional Basque dinner and local red wine last night (veal stew and chicken) we had a beautiful fresh trout tonight from the local river and tried a different bottle of red. Love the 500ml bottles. Dessert the waitress asked? Why not? Jane had a vanilla basque gateau and I had fresh pear. Honestly there was pear buried under the ice cream and cream!
      Our conclusion - we are really, really good at food and rest! Really excited to tackle the big climb tomorrow.
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    • Day 6

      Orisson (7.5km)

      April 18, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

      We’re finally actually walking. A lovely first day. Beautiful weather gave stunning views of the Pyrenees during our walk. A short but steep walk to begin with climbing 700m. Smashed it!
      In the evening all the pilgrims (60 ish) ate together at long tables with a shared meal. We each gave a brief intro and the reason we were on the Camino. Many interesting people and stories from many different countries.Read more

    • Day 13

      Congé, estamp. Accueil du Pèlerin

      May 1, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      14e journée: Un repos bien mérité avec l’étape des Pyrénées et plus de 1 200 mètres de montées.
      En attendant, on fait le plein de protéines pour demain car on va en avoir besoin.
      Ce matin on a débuté la journée en allant faire estampiller nos crédencials à l’accueil du pèlerin de Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (Association « Amis des chemins de Saint Jacques des Pyrénées-Atlantiques »). Ce lieu est particulier et important pour les pèlerins.

      « Ouvert depuis 1996, des bénévoles de plusieurs associations jacquaires y accueillent et y renseignent tous les pèlerins de passage.
      En 2015, 200 bénévoles de France, d’Europe et même des États-Unis, du Canada, du Brésil, de Corée du Sud, de Taïwan et du Japon se sont succédés pour recevoir près de 54 000 pèlerins. (Source: Bureau des pèlerins de Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port). On a donc reçu cette estampe dans notre crédencial respectif.
      Le monde est petit!
      On a magasiné au halle de S.J.P.P. du fromage et saucisson produits localement pour notre sac à dos et franchement ce sont des excellents produits. En quittant les lieux une dame était assise sur un banc. On remarque sur son sac à dos 2 écussons (drapeaux du Québec et du Canada). On discute avec cette dame. Le monde est petit car cette femme est Québécoise et était à la réunion du 8 mars à Québec au Montmartre Canadien. On a pris une photo de cette coïncidence.
      On a terminé notre journée en se procurant un bon sandwich et vin pour notre souper dans notre chambre. Ce fut une belle journée. On a aussi rencontré nos cousins français (Gilbert et Pascal ) pendant notre déjeuner.
      Demain les Pyrénées !
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    • Day 1

      Travel Day

      May 4, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

      Walk from Dad's to the airport went well, no rain and wind. Took 3 hours. It was a bit stop start at first cos something was rattling in my bag. What a pain in the arse. Flight to Paris was only 1h 30m then 1h 20m to Biarritz. Shared a taxi from the airport with 3 Irish folk and an Aussie. Booked into accommodation in St Jean Pied de Port. Gite Beilari. €43 for bed breakfast and communal evening meal. I'm in a small shared dorm. Worryingly the room is called Heizea which means wind in Basque.Read more

    • Day 3

      St Jean Pied de Port

      May 5, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

      I had scheduled a taxi to take me back to Bayonne in the morning to catch my 12:35 train to St Jean Pied de Port. Other pilgrims were already gathering at the station all with anticipation of arriving at the starting point of their Camino journey.

      This was another beautiful train ride and I again took in the sites as we wizzed by the beautiful lush, green countryside. It only took about an hour to reach SJPP and upon arrival I noticed that the town looked just like the pictures I had seen. Cream colored structures with brownish-red shutters and trim, typical of European charm.

      Not knowing where I was going, I was pleased that other pilgrims seemed to, so I followed them a short distance to the street where the pilgrims gather, and the Pilgrim’s office awaits the arrival of the excited pilgrims and are ready to share maps and other important information. Checking in at the Pilgrim’s office was first on my list as I knew they would place my first stamp in my Camino Credential.

      Next up was waiting for Albergue Beilari to open, where I had pre-booked a bed. Albergues are what the hostels are called and I chatted with other pilgrims during my wait. I could feel my excitement building in anticipation of what lay ahead. I’d prepared for this day and here I was making it my reality.

      Upon checking into Beilari I met Sue, a fellow pilgrim from the Camiga Facebook group. We realized that we had interacted in that group and were happy to make the in-person connection.

      Flor checked us into Beilari placing another stamp in our Camino Credential. We learned that shoes, backpacks and hiking poles were not allowed in the rooms, so we slipped into our sandals, emptied the contents of our backpacks into individual plastic bins and carried them upstairs to our rooms. It reminded me of the days when my kids were in elementary school and we’re given cubbies to store their supplies.

      Our room consisted of two sets of bunk beds made of red metal and two single beds located in an alcove with a curtain for privacy. Sue and I each grabbed bottom bunks while Ron and his wife Sue, from Australia, were told to take the alcove area. We all fitted our mattresses with the disposable, fitted sheets we were given, and inserted our pillow into a disposable pillowcase. We had access to a hall bath with a shower, a toilet closet and a single sink. Later two more women arrived and claimed the top bunks, so we now had a total of six of us in the room. Thankfully there was an additional bathroom downstairs that, we too, could use. The scramble for an open toilet, shower or sink, when you needed it, had begun.

      I spent the next couple of hours walking through the streets of SJPP, getting euros from an ATM, and having my suitcase, that I’d be needing at the end of my journey, sent ahead to Santiago. The town oozes with charm and I attempted to capture some of it in photos.

      I visited the Pilgrim store to purchase a Swiss Army knife to cut bread and cheese, and open wine, which I’d been told, are all necessities on the Camino. I also stumbled upon a canelé shop, which is a French pastry with a custard center and a caramelized crust. Being a favorite of mine, I purchased a small box of ten to enjoy later.

      At 7:00 pm it was time for dinner, and all fourteen of the pilgrims staying at Albergue Beilari gathered for a group meal in the dining room. The evening started with an aperitif offered up by Joseph, Flor’s husband, and then he led us in a game of throwing an imaginary ball to each other to introduce ourselves. The games continued and we learned where each pilgrim was from and for some, why they had chosen to walk the Camino.

      While, multiple countries were represented by the pilgrims around the table that night, I was especially fond of Steven, his wife Angela, her sister Genevieve and their sister-in-law Yvonne, all from Australia. They were walking together as a family affair and we’re all a joy.

      The delicious dinner consisted of a pumpkin cream soup, a salad of shredded carrots and purple cabbage and greens, all vegetables fresh from their garden. Spanish tortilla, which is an egg torte with potatoes, was the entree and local red wine was included. The meal was finished off with a yummy chocolate mousse and we all wished we could have seconds. We all helped our hosts by clearing he table before heading back upstairs to get ready for bed.

      You learn quickly that most Albergues have a curfew of 10:00 pm, and if you’re not in by that time, you will be left sleeping on the street. Beilari was no exception!

      We had a big day ahead of us beginning our ascent over the Pyrenees mountains and getting a good nights rest was essential. Unfortunately, our sleeping room was so stuffy that night that I didn’t get more than 3-4 hours of sleep. Not exactly off to a good start, but my adrenaline did kick in, thankfully. 🙏🏼
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    • Day 4

      Travel Day 4: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

      May 17, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

      I landed in Saint Jean “at the foot of the Pass” early this afternoon. I’m not sure these photos will convey how very vertical much of this town is. It’s so picturesque! Rather touristy in a French way - I’ve never seen shops that specialize in espadrilles or foie gras before, but here we are. (I indulged in neither!)

      1. and 2. Rue de la Citadelle descending and ascending from my hotel. In #1 you see the Pyrenees in the distance and in #2 you can see people finding the queue for the pilgrim’s office, where one goes to get the credencial stamped and a traditional scallop shell to hang on the backpack.

      3. The famed Porte Notre Dame, under which pilgrims have walked for centuries.

      4. Just beyond the Porte Notre Dame flows the Rive Béhérobie.

      5. I’m in a hotel one more night. This introvert is going to find the alburgues (hostels) a challenge and I’m waiting one more day. The keys to my room and the outer door aren’t much like American hotel keys!
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Sant Chuan Piet de Puerto, Donibane Garazi, Sant Joan de Peu de Port, Nive-Franche, サン=ジャン=ピエ=ド=ポル, Сен-Жан-Пье-де-Пор, Fanum Sancti Ioannis Pedeportuensis, Sent Joan Pè de Pòrt, 64220, Сен-Жан-Пє-де-Пор, سینٹ-ژاں -پید-دے-پورٹ, 圣让-皮耶德波尔

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