Day 11. Morlaas to Pau
May 1 (May Day)
(11.9 miles or 22,167 steps).
Had we gone all the way to Lescar, total was to have been 19 km. We probably did 15 or 16.
We were not sure what to do today. It was May 1– a holiday and all shops, bus service and just about everything was closed. As we walked out of Morlaas, two young men were selling small bunches of lilies of the valley and other spring flowers “as gifts” for May Day. So, of course I had to tell them about bringing flowers to the neighbors on May Day “quand j’etait une jeune fille.” We decided to start walking to Lescar, the next stop on the Chemin, and about 19 km away. The problem was that the municipal gite was run by the tourist office, which was closed on Sunday and Monday, and since today, Tuesday, was a holiday, we were unable to reach anyone. So, we set out, saying that when we reached the hippodrome in Pau, we would decide what to do. I’d discovered a Chambre d’Hote just a short distance farther toward Lescar, where the only options other than the gite were an Ibis Budget, where apparently one books oneself into a room upon arrival with a credit card, and there is no staff on hand. This, and one other budget hotel were a bit off the Chemin. We weren’t sure we would have the technical know-how to manage the Ibis Budget. No answer from the Chambre d’Hote, and a phone call resulted in a voice message, which could well have said we will be away for a few minutes and we’ll call back, or, we are closed until next week or month or forever. In any case, I’d have to look up my phone number to provide for call back because I don’t know it.
Once around the hippodrome, we sat on a rock by the side of the road for 25 minutes, while I looked for “hotels near me” — all of which were within a mile, but in the opposite direction from the Chemin. I looked at Uber — no cars available. A man walking two little dogs tried to be helpful, but wasn’t very. I think he wanted to talk about his dogs. Kent conversed with him, while I kept searching for hotels, and Kent understood even less than I did of what he was saying.
At last we hoisted the packs back on and headed away from the Chemin and toward the hotels. In almost no time, we came to the first one, a very sleek modern 4-star Kyriad Zenith, and without investigating the 3 or 4 other options farther up the road, we walked in and booked a room. There is a restaurant that will be open tonight. The desk clerk said it was about 6-7 km from here to the historic center. He could get us a taxi, but after showers and snuggling under the lovely sheets, I think we’ll wait until tomorrow, and after the expensive 14 Euro breakfast buffet for which we signed up because of its promises of fruit, eggs and bacon, etc. After this, it will be back to the simple life of the gites and the sharing of meals and accommodations with fellow pilgrims.
However, I am ahead of myself. After discussing the day’s options with Emmanuel this morning, we washed the dishes and headed through town. I stopped to peruse and photograph the impressive tympanum of the cathedral, while Kent warmed himself by a sunny wall across the street. We soon warmed up as we climbed upward out of town, traveling through a more rural landscape than I’d anticipated. Just when we really needed a break — I find I can go about 2 hours in the morning without a stop, and less in the afternoon, -- there was a very nice wooden bus stop.
Eventually, we walked through the Bastard’s Forest, which was quite lovely, finally coming out at the immense hippodrome, a huge racetrack on the other side of a footbridge over a huge highway.
It was at the end of a circuit of what must have been close to half of the racetrack that we ended up at the Rock of Decision. We had had sun and clouds, cool temperatures, probably nothing over 60, and some gusts of wind, but nothing to match yesterday’s.
It was a short day, really, but the uncertainty of our resting place for the night made it seem longer.
Emmanuel wrotes that he had hitch-hiked to Pau this morning. We hope to connect tomorrow at the gite in Lacommande, where, if we are lucky, a local winery will be open.
The television news was all of May Day riots in Paris. Our peaceful walks in the green countryside seem remote from it all.
Day 12 Voie d’Arles May 2, 2018
Pau to Lacommande
Tourists and Pelerins
(11.8 miles, 26,016 steps)
About 18 km.
Using Google Maps, we took the bus into the center of Pau this morning, where through almost no planning on our part we exited at the foot of the funicular, which we rode up to the promenade along the Boulevard du Pyrenees. The 14 euro breakfast, by the way, was not worth it. We were still full from last night’s hamburgers in the hotel restaurant, and the food was not that fresh or wonderful. Last night and this morning we also could not escape the television news of riots, burning, and arrests in Paris over the May Day holiday. It all seemed far removed from the peaceful green world through which we have been walking.
People on the buswere helpful. God must watch over the clueless pilgrims, as we managed two bus rides with no errors. We looked at the amazing Chateau of Henri Quatre, who was a larger-than-life figure in these parts a few hundred years ago, then caught another bus to Lescar, getting off just where Kent figured we could catch the Chemin again. It was good we were not walking that road lined with US-style businesses. Along here was where we would have stayed, had we not walked away from the Chemin last night.
When we exited the bus, we immediately saw the red and white Grand Randonnee marks! In short time we were in the woods, where we crossed the river Adour and then a highway.
We had a bizarre meeting in a watery culvert, too low to walk through upright, with a pilgrim walking from Sevilla to Arles. All of us had difficulty getting through. I took my pack off, holding it in one hand and my poles in the other, and made it through without falling off the narrow ledge and into the water. It seemed odd that we should meet our only pilgrim heading in the opposite direction in this almost impassable spot.
Shortly before noon we arrived Artiguelouve, where we found a little grocery and bought pasta, tomato sauce, an onion, cheese, and a baguette. We ate our Brie with the baguette, and sipped citrus sodas while sitting at a table on the porch. School was letting out, and we watched parents gathering the children. A young woman wished us us, “Buen Camino.” She had walked five days on Del Norte, and said it was “fantastique.”
Out of Artiguelouve we entered true country, climbing for s long time past an elegant winery then into the woods. Around a corner and in the open, we once again were awed by magnificent Pyrenees views.
A long, very steep down, first on pavement, and then on dirt track was hard on the knees. About 3 pm we arrived at the historic hamlet of Lacommande, where we are staying in a lovely gite on the grounds of the church, with a beautifully restored and repurposed pilgrim hospital dating from the 1135-45.
The Maison des Vins du Juracon across the street is open. We enjoyed wine-tasting and purchased a bottle of white.
There is a fine shower, a washer and dryer, and a small kitchen. Perfect!
No cell service, however, and I think no internet, either. Ah — yes internet! But I’ll have to go outside and it is getting cold!
Later: we had a perfect pilgrim evening. There were 4 of us and two bottles of wine — one white and one red. I made a large quantity of bow tie pasta, with a tube of tomato paste, an onion badly cut with dull knives and sautéed in oil, and cheese diced (no grater), and all mixed together with a bit of what I think was marjoram from the garden outside.
Emmanuel showed up, a bit damp from rain, just before we were ready to eat.
I guess we haven’t learned the name of the 4th pilgrim who is walking from Arles and will leave after tomorrow for St Jean Pied de Port and then the Del Norte to Compostelle. (It is Olivier.)
Everyone contributed to the meal, and the new pilgrim and I shared photos on our phones, laughing as we found we had taken many of the exact same shots.
We warmed up in the kitchen area, and now it doesn’t seem so cold back here in the dorm room. I don’t think I’ll go outside to connect to internet tonight.
Tomorrow to Oloron Sainte Marie, and then the route will turn from heading mainly west to heading south toward the Pyrenees. It will be steeper and more challenging walking tomorrow.
I have awakened at 3 am, and unbelievably am too warm under my light sleeping bag and heavy gite blanket. I’ve taken off my socks.
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