Left the others after breakfast. They should continue along the “Chemin Piemont” (GR78) towards St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, while I went south to pass the Pyrenees. I went back the same way as I had come into the city the day before (but avoided the hill). Reached the crossing and now continued along the GR65.3 up and down through the forest and several small villages that I realized, more or less, were suburbs to Oloron-Ste-Marie. All the time alone. The “Via Tolosana”, the GR65.3, does not seem to be much walked for some reason. At least not this part of the year. This portion of the Via Tolosana passes through “La Vallée d’Aspe”.

Traditionally this valley has been a major connection between France and Spain with a road passing over Col du Somport. Goods and people including ancient pilgrims from southern France thousand years ago passed this way and many before them since time forgotten.  Then the railway came as a major project completed 1928 and connecting the two countries using a major tunnel under Col du Somport. With an interruption for the Spanish civil war and the WWII it was used until 1970, when a bad accident that destroyed a bridge stopped the traffic. The cross-border traffic through the railway tunnel was never resumed. One reason being the parallel road tunnel built and inaugurated 2003.    

After a while the valley got narrower and the path followed a stony shelf along the river, up and down, between the villages Escot and Sarrance. I felt that with the speed I was able to keep on this type of track I’d have problems to cover the distance I’d planned. I did instead choose the edge of the road after having had lunch in Sarrance. Since it was Saturday it was not very much traffic on the road. Sometimes dull and during a section very narrow along cliff walls. The railway at the opposite side of the road here was covered by a metal net to protect it from falling stones. After while the road became a bit broader. Reached Bedous where the French part of the railway now stops. Normally I should have stopped here. But to ease the day after I continued some kilometers to Accous where I found a small and cheap motel at a crossing. Tired and frozen. It was a chilly day.

Warm shower and wash-up. A little sleep and then dinner at the same place. It was OK. Then a bit of planning and finally I started to write this diary. (The earlier parts I did recreated from memory).

Realized that there would be some roadside walk also the day after if I should reach the border in the pass with reasonable effort. Really two days for this valley is too little. I should have planned for three to enjoy this. Now it’s ten o’clock. Goodnight!

Caminaba solo este día. Después dejé Oloron-Ste-Marie continuaba a lo lejos de “La Vallée d’Aspe” y GR65.3 La Via Tolosana. Este valle es y ha sido muy importante por el tráfico entre Francia y España, desde tiempos antiguos. También para peregrinos desde más de miles años. Había calculado dos días para atravesar el parte francés. Pero este no es suficiente cuando utiliza el sendero de GR65.3, y yo no había más días en reserva reservadas. A cosa de este era necesario utilizar el arcén, a veces muy estrecho ente la pared de la roca escarpado y el rio (o el ferrocarril). Después mucho tiempo trové una cámara en un motel barato en Accous.

We left a bit apart. Blaž , the young Slovenian, the Koreans and me. Where and when the young lady went none of us knew. We saw no trace of her. A hilly path. Up and down. But we made progress. We joined up, Blaž from Slovenia and me. Started to walk together. Had coffee in Ogeu-les-Bains. And I even arranged to have an extra “sandwich” with cheese and ham to have as back-up in my backpack. Wise from yesterdays experience. Long walk along the river in a forested landscape. Had lunch (my sandwich) at some fallen tree trunks. Passed “le Pont du Diable” (the Devils Bridge, small version).

Passed the crossing with GR653 (or GR65.3 as it is called earlier and still in Spain) and then continued into Oloron-Ste-Marie. Rather big city. The GR, quite unexpectedly, passed over a hill and then steep down. For the city view, I guess.

Found the gite. Good reception – but no food. Blaž and I went out to buy some food. Located a big Carrefour shop and bought what we needed. The went back to the gite and fixed the dinner = spaghetti.  The Koreans joined us and later we formed a choir that sang Beatles “Yesterday” and the old academic song “O jerum, jerum, jerum. O quae mutatio rerum!” and more. Fun!

After that Blaž and I went around the city to the old cathedral – now seemingly abandoned and a bit in decay. Then back to bed. In the room there were now also two other French men that had arrived meanwhile.

Un día cuando yo un grande parte caminaba con el joven hombre de Eslovenia, Blaž. Un día cuando formábamos un coro coreano, esloveno, sueco que en la cocina cantó “Yesterday” de Beatles y el viejo canto académico “O jerum, jerum, jerum. O quae mutatio rerum!”.

All three of us went to the morning Mass. It took place in a small chapel that was part of the church across the street. Besides the priest, that was probably also a monk, it was only us three. A morning Mass in French for the three of us. Not bad.

Left the other two and found my way out of the village after some wrong turns. I did not find a place to have lunch neither in Bruges nor Milfaget. Since I hadn’t bought my usual backup food – some bread and a box of tuna – I had to go hungry. Very hilly part of the GR where the path winded up and down the high hills covered with forest. Reached a small road where I passed three Koreans. Felt how tired I was due to lack of food. Fought my way up to the village of Ste-Colome. Not a shop or a place to find something to eat there either.

After the village I left the GR78 and walked into Arudy. The GR78 bypass that city for some reason. Very tired now. Sat down to rest at a bench at the entry of the city. Had some peculiar disturbances that affected my vision, probably due to lack of food. The surroundings became overexposed – very bright – through my eyes. But I recovered somewhat and slowly continued towards the center of Arudy. Understood where the gite was, but it was early so I went up to the center of the city first. Most places there were locked. The week after Easter is seemingly a holiday week in France so much is closed. Checked with a restaurant to eat something but it was not possible as late as I was.

Went back to the gite. Knocked the door and was let in. Got a bed, washed my things, had a shower and a bed. Alone in that room. But after a while I ran into the guy, Blaž, and gal i had met in Asson and understood that they had been placed at the second floor that was the main area. I also met the three Koreans again. Went out to have a meal across the square, opposite the first one I tried and that was said to be booked that night.

Participé en la misa de la madrugada. Solo nosotros tres y el cura. Después caminaba solo. Encontré tres coreanos. Pero el problema del día era falta de comida. No tenia ninguna reserva. Cuando llegaba a Arudy muy fatigado tuve problemas con mi visión. Todo el entorno era muy claro, mucho más que normal. Per encontré el albergue, recibí una cama y tenía una buena cena esta noche.

After breakfast at the accueil with the same persons as the night before I started my walk this day by going down to the Domain again. From the map in the GPS I had, it seemed that one could walk though the area and out the western side. But not! I tried several routes and gates. All locked! Probably due to security reasons. So, I had to walk back and out through a southern entrance towards the hotel area up the hill and then continued along the southern fence of the Domain.

Found GR78, the “Chemin du Piémont”, a relatively new chemin towards Compostelle (Santiago) running along the northern foothills of the Pyrenees from Carcassonne to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, passing, among other places, Lourdes and Oloron-Ste-Marie.  

Leaving Lourdes, I passed a big monastery and then a camping site by the river. A beautiful walk along the river on the GR78. Reached the small city St-Pé-de-Bigorre where I had my morning coffee at the square. Found my way out and continued over at the other side of the river. My GR continued along the side of a road with little traffic. I passed the entrance of “Grottes de Bétharram”. A very large system of caves that should have been well worth looking at, but not this time. Went into another small city, Lestelle-Bétharram, where I had lunch and then tried to continue the marked route. But that was closed and fenced off due to building works … without any advice how to handle this problem. I had to use the side of the road. And, at the side of that, found an older version of the GR. Using that I passed the closed off part.

Later, after many winding roads up and down hills, I arrived to the village of Asson where there should be an accueil. I found the place, but it was locked. I tried to phone the number noted at the gate, but did only reach an answering machine. Went around for a while, but went back again and sat down trying to figure out alternative plan. Then a young woman came, also she a pilgrim. She had been let into the accueil earlier and now helped me in. Two beds. I opted for the top one. At that moment a young man arrived. I gave him the top bunk and instead took a mattress for the floor. As usual I washed my thing and hang them to dry outside.

Later the hostess came. She stamped our credentials and collected the fee. I went out and found a pizzeria – and everything else combined – and had something to eat. That was the only possibility in Asson. Later that evening I talked a bit with the other two at the gite. She was from France and spoke good English while he came from Slovenia. I later learned that his name was Blaž Vurzer. It proved that he had just graduated as a medical doctor. Later Blaž went out to collect his washed clothes since it had begun to rain a little. I realized that I had the same problem, so I followed his example. Slept well.

Un poco de problemas cuando salí Lourdes. Descubrí que no es posible salir través el “Domain” al oeste. Todas las puertas hacia esta dirección eran cerradas. Tuve que volver.  Después un buen camino llegaba a Asson, pero aqui tuve problemas entrar el albergue. ¡Estaba cerrado! Per con ayuda de una joven mujer era posible. Un albergue muy pequeño. Sola dos camas. A me era necesito dormir en el suelo.

After a breakfast I left the hotel. Found the the path towards Ibos trough my GPS. It worked well and took me passed the Cathedral. I did briefly visit the morning mass. Then passing through the more administrative part of Tarbes, under the motorway, passing heaps of trash and finally out across the fields. I was on my way.

A flat walk. Ibos grew as I approached and I came to the square at the front of the church. Not many shops, but I got a piece of bread and a part of a pizza for the rest of the day.
I also found the GR101 the long distance trail that was looking for. Winding paths trough the forest and up to fields that proved to be a military training area. But no activity today. Then following the fields along small roads, forever. Until I got into the village of Bartrès where Bernadette the famous saint from the late 19th century grew up. From Bartrès she often walked downhill to Lourdes and then uphill home.

From Bartrès I continued along a small path or sometimes road that was said to be Bernadettes way to Lourdes. The one she used to walk frequently. Met and passed groups of young people with banner and dressed in colored “ties”. “Ties” in colors are used to identify to which group one belongs.

Followed streets and then staircases down to the river. Saw the sanctuaries at the other side of the river but determined first till look for my place to sleep, my pilgrims “accueil pèlerin” or “gite d’étappe”. Found it easily by means of the marking in the GPS. Was welcomed as “the first Swede” she, the hostess, had met!

Then I went down to the area with the “Sanctuaires Notre-Dame de Lourdes”, or the “Domain” as it is called. It became an impressive experience. Thousands of people. Saw many disabled, 3 basilicas and a couple of churches in the area. One of basilicas is underground in a low hill with place for 25.000 people. Masses were celebrated at many places both indoors and outdoors and in many languages. One of the outdoor Masses ended with all participants marching towards the underground basilica. I myself went into all three basilicas, even that big underground one where several thousand just participated in a mass. Meetings were going on also in in the other two. Unexpected by me and impressive.

I also visited the famous Bernadette’s cave, where she for the first time saw Our Lady of the “Immaculada Conceptiou” on 11 of February 1858.

I reflected on the importance of these sacred sites and their meaning for all the people visiting them. What is their significance to me, to us?

I returned to the pilgrim “gite” where I should spend the night. We were four persons sharing the evening meal. One of them a waiter from Madrid. He only spoke Spanish. The pair that hosted the gite spoke French, and only a few words of Spanish and English.

Un camino largo entre Tarbes y Lourdes via Ibos and Bartrès. Bartrès el pueblo donde nació Bernadette Soubirous, la santa de Lourdes. En Lourdes vi todos los sitios famosos, las tres basílicas, la cueva donde Bernadette vio la mujer blanca la “Immaculada Conceptiou”, interpretado como una aparición de Nuestra Señora. Y miles, miles gente. ¡Impresionante, más imprecionante que yo había creído!  

A long day that started at 4 am. The flight from Gothenburg to London went OK, but with a very tired man on board. Standsted airport had more people around than ever before and they had also introduced trains to the more remote terminals. And removed benches to sit on in the check in area. You are now also expected to do the passport control and check in the luggage yourself.
Tarbes has a mysterious airport. Lot of old jet aircrafts, even a 747, stood at the side of the runways. An airplane graveyard.
Lot of handicapped people on the plane. All wanting to go to Lourdes hoping for a wonder. So when all rented buses and taxis had disappeared it was only me left. Lesson of the day: never travel in France on the second day of Easter. Everything is closed and the first sign of that was that the airport bus never showed up as scheduled. So I had to take a taxi into Tarbes. The driver tried to persuade me not to go to Tarbes, but directly to Lourdes where they had better service. But he took me to Tarbes after all after I had told him that I wanted to walk from Tarbes to Lourdes. And as he said, everything was closed. But I got a hotel room and a pizza at the main square after all.
Was in contact with my two old German friends that now had reached Navarrenx near Oloron-Ste-Marie. Was unsuccessful in reaching Amelie and Anna back home, but I left them messages in various forms anyway. Amelie had her fourth birthday today. The day when she was born I was walking Via de la Plata through Andalusia. I wonder what she will be with such a grandfather?

Un día con vuelos, primero entre Gotemburgo y Londres y después al aeropuerto de Lourdes. ¡Y allí toda la gente continuaba hasta Lourdes con bus o taxi! Pero yo no. Deseaba empezar este camino a pie desde Tarbes. Pero dependiente que este era lunes de Pasqua tuve problemas con el autobús del aeropuerto. Por eso trové un taxi a Tarbes y después un hotel cerca de la estación ferrocarril.

2019-04-21 … I’m off then … well, almost …

Tomorrow morning the 22 of April I’m heading towards southern France to start a walk from Tarbes/Lourdes along a variant of Via Tolosana, later to join the classic medieval trail in Oloron-Ste-Marie. Then aiming at Col du Somport crossing into Spain. There following the Camino Aragonés towards Puente la Reina where Camino Aragonés merges with Camino Frances.