Rest stop - no pain au raisin today
cos we're trying to be good
We are in Saubeterre de Bearn and it's raining. Such a change after the red hot heat of yesterday. We were a bit pathetic today because we decided yesterday we wouldnt manage 24 km in the heat so we booked a taxi to take us to a halfway point so we could do a sensible 13km leisurely. Then the sun didn't shine after all. We arrived here at 2 pm and met a young German guy doing the chemin in reverse. He'd already done 28 km from Ostabat in the morning and was going to do the 24km to Orthez in the afternoon. Oh to be young! Anyway we gained brownie points (the St Jacques sort) by giving him a decent map to get there. The bibliotech and Cyberbase are both closed. There appears to be some kind of holiday going on here. But there is one bar open so ....
We are staying in a Chambre d'Hotes for Pellerins which is a quirky place run by alternative boho type folk so it feels easy.
Statue of St Jacques at L'hopital d'Orion
To get to Saubeterre - the only way is up
These are our signposts now:
borne de St Jacques
How we used to look (pilgrims)
We can see Saubeterre up there
No shortage of mistletoe
How often are those villages at the tops of steep climbs huh?! You are getting so close now to the join-up with all the pelerins from the Le Puy route, and I guess the crowds are going to come as a shock!
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