Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Day 1 St Jean Pied de Port - Orisson

Strangely, I slept really well in the refuge - much better than the
previous night in the Novotel at Birmingham Airport.
We had a fabulous communal meal cooked by Jacque's wife - vegetable
soup, local boudin (black pudding) served with potato purée and apple
sauce, brebis cheese and prunes in red wine with vanilla sauce.
Jenny might have slept well but the rest of us struggled.
We headed off to Orisson in the pouring rain quickly turning to sleet
as we climbed higher. The fantastic views were obscured by thick mist.
We were booked in to a tent. Not surprisingly it was not feasible,
they offered us beds in the laundry, no heating, shared double bed
toilet across a road. We said no so we were whisked off back down the
mountain to a four bedded room with a log fire and great facilities.
They will pick us up tomorrow and take us back to walk over to
Roncavalles. Mo
Jean Jacques, the patron of Orisson, regaled us with stories of deaths
on the mountain. People ignoring advice or worse getting sloshed and
setting off in gung ho fashion. He says today may be the worst and
tomorrow it might start to improve. If it does he is going to guide us
and the other pilgrims staying at Orisson over the mountain. On verra!

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