After breakfast out and down the hill to Candanchu. It is a rather big ski resort with a number of hotels located at less than a kilometer from the border. Lots of houses and service. Saw a pist machine creeping up one of the snowy “pista de esquí” of the mountain at the other side of the resort valley.
Continued downwards partially on the Camino (yes, we are in Spain now) partially on the road. Here the Camino and the GR63.3 differs a bit. The GR is probably better but goes further away from the villages. The Camino was not very good.
Eventually did I reach “Canfranc Estación” a fairly big place with what seemed to be apartment houses. Maybe used as a resort. And of course, the railway station with its monumental station house. Earlier Europe’s third station in size. Why? Well, you needed to change train here since the railway tracks in Spain and France have different width. And this was the main connection between the two countries. Was built between the two world wars and was again inaugurated 1944. But today almost 50 years after the bad accident that closed the connection – a ghost house, that one now tries to revive. Restoration is on its way. I wonder what it will be used for. There was a lot of money invested in this link between the two countries. Today, as far as I could see no trains at the station. But I checked and it is used for local traffic from this station, like on the French side.
Continued to Canfranc the old village that before the “Estación” was an important connection point for the travel across the pass. Today almost nothing but some old buildings. Continued down to Villanúa, that I suspect means the new city. A somewhat peculiar place divided in two parts. I had lunch there. I also forgot my GPS on a bench at the entrance and discovered that when I had eaten. Happily, I found it again at the very bench where I had forgotten it.
The Camino goes back and forth over the main road, so you had to change side at several occasions.
Walked into “Castiello de Jaca”. A beautifully situated village with part of it in old style situated in a steep slope of a hill. Not dead like some of the other villages.
Later along the river in a partially dull entry to Jaca. Searched my way to the albergue (yes, as already said, we are in Spain now). A good place and fairly modern with separated places for sleeping. Went out to have a pizza after having done the usual shower and wash up. Jaca seems to be a city that is alive. On my way back to bed I stopped and checked the bookshelf of “left over books” in the albergue. Found a Norwegian one with the interesting title “Pippi Longstocking and Sokrates” (Pippi og Sokrates) in one of the the shelfs. Read a bit in it. Very interesting and funny comparison between these two personalities – on the surface so different. I’ll try to get hold of it when I get home.
Muy cerca de la frontera, después una revuelta, hay una estación de esquí, Candanchu, más grande que yo creyera. Continué el Camino bajado el sendero hasta Estación Canfranc. Esta estación muy impresionante – el segundo más grande de Europa – ahora es un monumento en renovación con solo tráfico regional. Después pasé todo este valle con pueblos como Villanúa y Castiello de Jaca hasta Jaca, la ciudad misma, donde trové el albergue.
Peregrino 