A calm morning and the walked to the airport. Standing there in the shop I was approached by a lady almost in my age bracket. She started to speak to me in Swedish, blaming that on the Haglöf branding of my shirt and backpack. It proved than she and her husband came from Sunne in Värmland. They had walked part of the Camino Francés and were now on their way back home. We had an interesting conversation where we shared Camino experience. And we found out that she was also in the same Camino Facebook group as I. With an earlier flight they were more in a hurry than I, so we changed addresses to be able to contact each other later.

Well the rest of the day is not so much to write about. Two flights later, bus and train and I was home.

En la mañana encontré una mujer que comenzó a hablar sueco a me. Ella y su marido era de Sunne in Suecia y habían caminado un parte de Camino Francés. Una conversación interesante. Nos compartisteis experiencias y más. El resto del día no es tan interesante. Dos vuelas y llegue a casa.

After breakfast I left my backpack in the hotel and went out for a walk to shop but discovered that the shops did not open until 10, and that was a bit too late. So, I went back and collected my backpack and went to the bus station. A number of people began to gather among the one with what I believed was a pilgrim backpack. I asked him in English where he was heading and where he came. From Sweden he answered, and I changed language. He told me that he had gone from Umeå to St Jean on his motorcycle. Four days I think he said. Then he had continued walking the Camino Francés about half the way to Santiago if I remember correctly. Now he was on his way back for this time and should go by bus from Pamplona to St Jean to collect his motorcycle and drive home. A remarkable way to do this.

Well, after some confusion regarding which bus to use I ended up at the right bus and went first to San Sebastian where I changed bus to Biarritz airport. There I left the bus and went to the hotel that I had found on the web located next to the airport. They had a room for me. So, after some reshuffling of baggage and resting I went out and walked the almost 5 km to the center of Biarritz.

A nice resort city with long beaches to the north and south, but with a rocky old central part peninsula with a small harbor. I visited the center and enjoyed walking around there. Visited some stores and then walked back.  A quiet evening.

En la mañana en la estación de autobús encontré un sueco que había caminado un parte de Camino Francés. Ahora volvía hasta St-Jean-Pied-de-Pont donde estaba su motocicleta. ¡Había conducido este entre Umeå y St-Jean! Para me autobús Pamplona, San Sebastián, Biarritz. Hotel cerca del aeropuerto. Hice una vuelta de esa ciudad turística.

People in the room were up early! This is Camino Francés! So, there is a morning rush in the darkness. Got me up too. Had some breakfast in a bar that I had seen the night before. Then out and back the way to Obanos I had walked the day before. Continued through some two or three more villages. Noted that they had their own albergues. Met lots and lots of people with backpacks. Should I estimate I’d say 500 – 600 probably. Remarkable!

Had my morning coffee in Uterga. Had to be my real breakfast this day. You had a good view of the surroundings since the way usually wen high on the hills. And you saw several villages/citys in the countryside around you. Maybe be they were suburbs to Pamplona?!  It’s not far. In the villages you pass you also note that Camino Francés gives business opportunities. You’ll find albergues, bars and various types of services, quite unlike the situation on Camino Aragones. It’s almost like the camino here is a “motorway” in several aspects, quality, service etc.

It was a cold morning, so I had to wear double sweaters not to freeze. Later I did reach the uphill towards Alto de Perdon. It was – as earlier – filled with rounded stones so you must walk with some care. And it’s somewhat of an art to walk both up and down. With a lot of practice from many bad and stony tracks it was no problem for me. But for a beginner…? It improved slightly towards the top of the hill.

Well, at the top near the famous silhouettes I they had introduced a service van where you could buy refreshments just like at the top of the hill from St-Jean! That’s new! A lot of people taking photos. One of them also helped me to take the necessary photo of me in front of the metal pilgrims. Sent a message to Bosse J, my old friend, who is using a photo of these rusty pilgrims as his signature.

The downhill was a bit easier. Beautiful view towards Pamplona and the Pyrenees up north. Still a lot of people walking south. Passed the village of Zariquiegui where the seemed to have good service. However, I did not stop but continued towards Cizur Menor, that I also passed. Saw the albergue that is used much.  Then the motorway, the university area etc. The city started to rise around me. Finally, the big park around the Ciudadela (Citadelle). Now I left the markings in the sidewalks that had guided me through the city so far. Then – with some difficulty – I located my old hotel Yoldi that I use one and a half year ago. The lady behind the counter even found my name in the database.  Shower, wash and search for timetables of the bus to Biarritz on my PC.

A tour around the city to eat and pay my respect to Ernest Hemingway at the city bullring and the streets used for the famous bull run at San Fermin. But the bar with his name had been closed. I even went up to the city gate towards the Magdalena bridge where pilgrims enter the city. Tour completed!

At the underground bus station, I bought a ticket to Biarritz the day after. I noted that the bus center seemed to be in some decay since several shops seemed to be in a closing process. I wonder why.

Una madruga cuando “todos” en el albergue comenzaba muy temprano. ¡Si este es el Camino Frances! Anduve a un bar que había visto la noche pasado y después andaba atrás. Pasé Obanos y unos pueblos más. Después pasé Alto de Perdón con sus siluetas de peregrinos y con todas estas piedras difíciles cuando subí la cuesta. Y – encontré muchas, muchas gentes. Quizá 500…600 personas. ¡Si este es el Camino Frances! Cizur Menor y Pamplona donde usaba el mismo hotel que hace dos años cuando atravesé Francia. Visité la estación de autobús y la plaza de toros con la estatua de Hemingway.

hour. But it had to work anyway. Walked on small paths mostly. A bit wider around some villages. It continued like that all the way to Tiebas where I finally could get some food. Had it together with the French couple that I had met in Monreal. But before I fund this place in Tiebas I had been sitting on a stone at the edge of a village to eat my spare backpack bread. Then came two dogs and took my piece of bread, two dogs with radio trackers on their collars. They belong to a hunter a bit away. But he did not see what happened.  Leaving Tiebas I met two pilgrims – at least I believe them to be that – on horseback plus one additional horse each to carry their equipment.

The steep paths ended after Tiebas. They were replaced by more civilized paths and roads through an agricultural landscape. But also, that rather hilly at the sides of the paths.

Later I finally came up to the famous place “Eremita de Nuestra Señora de Eunate”. I’ve seen it in many films but never been there. Even if you walk Camino Francés you can make a detour from the main Camino to see it. As a pilgrim you had to pay 1 € to get in.  I walked around the chapel as you are supposed to do and even tried to make a short video about it.
(It was not very good though and due to the limitation of this blog site I can’t show it here)

Continued up towards the village Obanos and onwards to Puente la Reina. I had now reached the Camino Francés proper. Felt good to be back after 13 years but I found out that I had forgotten much and did not really recognize everything. Reflected over how memories changes in the brain.

Puente la Reina, finally. Checked in at the albergue at the entrance and got a bed. It’s a big one with beds for hundred and maybe more pilgrims and it’s only one of several.

After the usual tasks I took a tour around the center with its medieval feeling of “the not so big city” to see what was there today. Visited a pair of the churches. Went over the famous bridge that has given the name to the city. Listened to good local live music and some dancing at the square and had a meal.

Back again there had arrived more people in the two-story beds, among them a gang from Denmark. I spoke to them a little in Scandinavian.

But the surprise of the evening came when I was down in the big kitchen/eating area. All of a sudden, a girl with a familiar face showed up. The girl from Asson! She had walked the other way along “Chemin Piemont” all the way to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port and then the Camino Francés. And – we ended up at the same albergue – at the same time. Improbable! The situation around us with a lot of people in the kitchen was not such that we could talk much. We shared some information about the two different ways we had walked. And we were both surprised to see each other again so unexpectedly.  

No encontré ninguno sitio donde era posible desayunar este mañana. El bar/restaurante de la noche anterior estaba cerrado. Y también la misma situación en los dos pueblos después. En Tiebas ya tenía un bar abierto. Y allí tuve mi desayuno muy retrasado con una pareja francés que había reconocido desde la noche pasada en el bar de Monreal. Pero el estaño ocurrió una hora antes cuando estaba sentado en una piedra al lado de camino. Estaba sentado para mangar mi ultimo pedazo de pan. Pronto descubrí que tuve dos perros a mi lado mangando estos pedazos. Dos perros con radio collares. Pertenencia a un cazador allá. El evento del día era “Eremita de Nuestra Señora de Eunate” un sitio famoso que he visto en películas y libros. Hice la vuelta obligatoria y también hice un video obligatorio. Un poco después el pueblo Obanos y Camino Francés y unos kilómetros más Puente la Reina que ahora vi a nuevo. Albergue, ciudad, puente, plaza… Pero el más remarcable, en la cocina del albergue encontré una mujer que reconocía. ¡La mujer de Asson! ¡Había caminado Chemin Piemont y Camino Francés por delante de St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, y había llegado a Puente la Reina la misma noche y a el mismo albergue y hasta la misma cocina que yo! ¡Que coincidencia! 

A rainy and cold morning. I bought a can of tuna at the petrol station since the food shop was still closed. Walked the track that here passed between the hills covered by windmills. The swooshing sound from the windmills was around me all morning.

With the rain-poncho on everything went fine. But the day was chilly and windy. Rather few villages during the first two thirds of the day. There should have been a bar in Izco. But where they had hidden that bar I could not find out. Equally empty in “Salinas de Ibargoiti”, that yet had some size. Too close to Pamplona??

Monreal appeared after what was felt as a long walk. A rather big village, but seemingly the same problem. Got myself a bed in the albergue, fixed my washing up. But I had to dry my things over my bed. Was out searching for a place to eat but did not find anything, just a small store for food. Later, I did discover that the bar that belonged to the church also served food, hiding behind an anonymous sign outside. And the same person had the responsibility for both the albergue and the bar-restaurant.

A nice evening meal together with some ten pilgrims from all over. I had seen and spoken to many of them earlier.

Una mañana fría y con lluvia. Caminaba por un parque eólico con el sonido de las aspas rodeándome. Uso un poncho de lluvia. Funciona muy bien. Pera faltaba los bares para un almuerzo. En los pueblos que pasaba tenía ninguno. Al fin Monreal. Trové el alberge y después anduve en el pueblo para trovar un restaurante. Pero ninguno. Hmm.. La ironía era que había uno bar-restaurante, muy anónimo, al lado de albergue en una casa de la iglesia. Una buena noche en este sitio con cena con peregrinos del albergue.

A breakfast that was a little of a disappointment, but nevertheless OK. The three French guys walked out in front of me. Over the river and up the not so steep hills actually up to 860 m according to the info at the top. A bit uneventful today also.

Had lunch in the village of Undues de Lerda. A bocadillo. A French couple that I had met before arrived meanwhile. We did not speak much. Long walk into Sangüesa.

There I with some help of the Internet found the hostel I looked for. At the other side of the river. Good but no special service. No food so you had to fix that yourself. Was into the city to shop across the bridge over The Aragon river. Otherwise nothing especial. Cleaned up my e-mails. Prepared for rain the day after.

Un día sin muchos eventos. Llegué en la ciudad de Sangüesa y trové un cámara en un hostal – para trabajar – en el otro lado del rio Aragón.

A pleasant breakfast and the down the hill. A rather uneventful day. The only thing the broke that was the lunch in Artieda. Was alone in the bar at the top of a hill. At the way down I met the French couple from yesterday. I walked on along an old road that eventually continued along the big reservoir of the river Aragon. But you could not normally see the lake, so you had to feel that it was there. The day ended up at another old fortress. Bigger that the one from the day before, but in a sad state of disrepair. However, renovation had started but not got so far. Could be something to look at in the future.

The albergue was located in a house next to the fortress. The house also contained a museum that I did not see. Met the remains of the French gang (3 persons) that I now share room with. Eventually a good dinner where we used a lot of languages. English, Spanish, a little German and French. Conversations about everything and nothing. A little of what I like about the Camino.

Then to bed. Had to hang my wet washed cloths at strings across the bed due to rain outside.

También otro día con una fortaleza en el final del día.  Pero más grande y más destruido. El albergue estaba en un edificio a lado de la ruina. Una buena cena donde hablé – más o menos – todas mis lenguas.

I had lunch a small bar in Santa Cilia de Jaca and then continued.

Long march out from Jaca along streets and then close to the road. A different landscape from the day before. Almost flat and uneventful. Occasionally I do see the river Aragon. For a while I had company with a guy from Barcelona. But he had problems with his legs and feet. Two cardinal errors: no training before the walk and new shoes! And he had walked from Col du Somport yesterday. He probably had to give up later during the day.

The latter part of the day got a little more thrilling when the tracks along the road changed to a small winding path along a steep slope of a hill. Eventually it reached Arrés a small restored fortress with an equally small connected village at one of the peaks of the hill. In one of the old buildings was the albergue located.

Well received by the hospitalera and the hospitalero, really well! But the place was cramped. The French gang from Jaca was there already in beds both top and bottom. Together with the hospitalero we went for a tour around the old fortress including the small church, and the connected small village. Very interesting to see and to share the stories about the place. In the church they had a special prayer “Pilgrims Blessing”, originally in Castillano but translated to many languages – also Swedish. I promised to improve the translation and send to the hospitalero. (Remark: I did so after I had got home)

Dinner together followed by a joint effort dish wash in the good spirit and fellowship, something that I always appreciate in albergues. Some work and the to bed. A bit cramped and a bit of snoring around. But slept well.

El paisaje fuera Jaca al oeste es un llano con colinas al fondo del sur y el rio Aragón en el norte. Hice compañía con un hombre de Barcelona que había empezado su camio en Col de Somport el día anterior, pero sin entrenamiento y con calzados nuevos. Dos errores, que este día había resultado en problemas con sus piernas y pies. Y a causa de este caminaba muy despacio. En la tarde después había caminaba a lo lejos una ladera de una colina, llegué a Arrés, una fortaleza vieja. También contenía el albergue un poco estrecho, pero con una hospitalera y un hospitalero muy buenas. ¡Gracias!

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.

Breakfast at the hotel and then along the road again. Did choose the roadside to keep the speed. I had realized that the GR itself could be difficult sometimes and definitely slower. Then you have to sacrifice the beauty. If you need to do three days walk in two, you must rationalize. Consequently, I did follow the road through narrow passes between steep rock walls and in between these through somewhat broader valleys. The railway, or rather what is left of it today, above Bedous follows the road, sometimes at the left sometimes at the right side of the road. A lot of tunnels and bridges. Sometimes the banks of the old railway and some bridges have been “stolen” by the road to allow it to be broader.

I reflected about the old railway bank and wondered if it could be converter to a walking path to improve the GR653. Ought to work in general with some additional arrangements like stairs for removed bridges and maybe also for the tunnels.

A bit later I reached Borce that seems to be a nice and well-kept village. Here the famous GR10 crosses. The GR10 run high up in the Pyrenees from east to west. Had I been younger I’d liked to walk it. Had planned to eat in Borce but continued to Urdos where I had lunch.

After Urdos it was not so far to the northern entrance to the road tunnel (Tunnel du Somport) and also the entry to the old railway tunnel – now abandoned.  But before that the old road towards the pass turn to the left. I did follow that for some few hundred meters. Then I turned over to the track of the GR653 instead. At first it was very good but higher up it became more narrow and steeper and trough water passing over and sometimes close to the abyss. That is a trial for a man with vertigo. I found it a bit difficult but managed to walk it anyway. I reached the road leading to the pass and followed that for a while. I was a tired now. Passed two Muslims who had left their car to pray in the direction of Mecca. After a few curves more I was at border in the pass Col du Somport at 1640 m. 

50 m into Spain I found the gite. Had a beer and spoke to Birgitta over the phone. Then I was lodged together with a man from France that did not speak any other language. Shower and a bit of rest on the bed. Took a walk around the place to take photos and make a snowball. There was certainly snow up here. Also, a place to honor “our Lady” and – of course – Santiago (saint James). His special red cross was there. This pass has seen pilgrims to Santiago since more than thousand years.

My neighbors were a young couple. Mostly with eyes for each other. Probably biking. Mailed and sent info to “all”. This was after all the “high point of this walk.

Time for dinner and diary. Clouds were now covering the snowy peaks. And this where I stop for today.

He continuado utilizar el arcén también este mañana. Borce es un pueblo, sin duda agradable, done GR10 cruce GR65.3. GR10 es un sendero alto a lo lejos de Pirineos altos. Almorcé en Urdos. Un poco después este pueblo comienza el sendero atravesando el Paso de Somport. Elegí este, a veces estrecho, a veces escarpado y con precipicio al lado. Una prueba para un hombre con vértigo. Pero el mismo paso “Col du Somport” (1640 m) estaba fácil. Mucha nieve, pero no en la carretera o en el sendero. En una colina cerca del paso hay un monumento de Santiago y Nuestra Señora que visité. Trové un albergue 50 metros después la frontera.