Photo: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Today was rest day for David and Josh in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. They arrived there yesterday (Friday), both extremely tired. During three days, they did not find any ATM machines; hence they were not able to draw money out. Not being able to buy anything, they walked 23 kilometers on Friday without any food, in the pre-Pyrenees. Fortunately, they were warmly welcomed in the evening in St-Jean at a pilgrims’ hostel, where they were promptly fed, and where they could settle down in nice comfortable beds. Today, they were able to enjoy their day in St-Jean, and witnessed a live bull run! (this is the Feria time of the year). They realized there were over 200 pilgrims in this town, and only 90% were just beginning their venture there, heading off toward the camino francés (the most used path in Spain). None of the pilgrims they have met so far will be taking the Camino del Norte, which is the path David and Josh will be hiking on. Today, they said goodbye to a number of pilgrims they had gotten to know along the way. Indeed, tomorrow, David and Josh will be going off their own way, on a path that is taken by very few pilgrims. They will be spending their next three days walking to Hendaye. Please pray for them as there are no villages or towns between St-Jean and Hendaye, they will have to live off the food they have stocked-up on for these three days of walk, and will most likely be sleeping outside every night. There may also be rain in the next few days.
They surely enjoyed their time in St-Jean today (Saturday), and were thankful to sleep in beds. Their previous ten nights were spent in very particular, peculiar places such as an abandoned basque school, in the house of the mayor of Aroue, in an Abby, in a church, a kindergarten school, a XIVth century donjon, a cemetery (as this was the only place where they could get water), a XVth century university turned into a hostel. Every night has been a surprise, sometimes good, sometimes bad.
Despite the pain and hardship, the two pilgrims are very thankful for what they have experienced so far. Every day has something new and interesting to offer: new landscapes, different challenges, new stories to tell. St James is getting closer every day, and many memories already fill the minds of the two hikers, as they can remember the many regions they have crossed (Velay, Margeride, Aubrac, Lot, Célé, Tarn et Garonne, Gers, Béarn, and now the Basque country), as they remember the different people they have met, and as they realize how much joy they have found in this simple life they are living. They have come to trust God for the simplest things. They realize more now how much they must trust Him, how much they depend on Him, even for a piece of bread in the morning.
The hardest part of the hike is yet to come. They are approaching the Pyrenees, and will then be going to Oviedo. Passed Oviedo, they will be in very mountainous areas. But all of this is still far away.
In any case, in the next week or so, they will not be taking the path indicated on the map at the bottom of this page. They will not be going down to Pamplona. They are going to Hendaye, and then from there will go toward San Sebastian in Spain. They are expecting to cross the boarder on Tuesday or Wednesday.
I will most likely be in touch with David on Wednesday (they should be in Irun on that day). Until then, the two hikers will be cut-off from the rest of the world.
Mathieu
Today was rest day for David and Josh in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. They arrived there yesterday (Friday), both extremely tired. During three days, they did not find any ATM machines; hence they were not able to draw money out. Not being able to buy anything, they walked 23 kilometers on Friday without any food, in the pre-Pyrenees. Fortunately, they were warmly welcomed in the evening in St-Jean at a pilgrims’ hostel, where they were promptly fed, and where they could settle down in nice comfortable beds. Today, they were able to enjoy their day in St-Jean, and witnessed a live bull run! (this is the Feria time of the year). They realized there were over 200 pilgrims in this town, and only 90% were just beginning their venture there, heading off toward the camino francés (the most used path in Spain). None of the pilgrims they have met so far will be taking the Camino del Norte, which is the path David and Josh will be hiking on. Today, they said goodbye to a number of pilgrims they had gotten to know along the way. Indeed, tomorrow, David and Josh will be going off their own way, on a path that is taken by very few pilgrims. They will be spending their next three days walking to Hendaye. Please pray for them as there are no villages or towns between St-Jean and Hendaye, they will have to live off the food they have stocked-up on for these three days of walk, and will most likely be sleeping outside every night. There may also be rain in the next few days.They surely enjoyed their time in St-Jean today (Saturday), and were thankful to sleep in beds. Their previous ten nights were spent in very particular, peculiar places such as an abandoned basque school, in the house of the mayor of Aroue, in an Abby, in a church, a kindergarten school, a XIVth century donjon, a cemetery (as this was the only place where they could get water), a XVth century university turned into a hostel. Every night has been a surprise, sometimes good, sometimes bad.
Despite the pain and hardship, the two pilgrims are very thankful for what they have experienced so far. Every day has something new and interesting to offer: new landscapes, different challenges, new stories to tell. St James is getting closer every day, and many memories already fill the minds of the two hikers, as they can remember the many regions they have crossed (Velay, Margeride, Aubrac, Lot, Célé, Tarn et Garonne, Gers, Béarn, and now the Basque country), as they remember the different people they have met, and as they realize how much joy they have found in this simple life they are living. They have come to trust God for the simplest things. They realize more now how much they must trust Him, how much they depend on Him, even for a piece of bread in the morning.
The hardest part of the hike is yet to come. They are approaching the Pyrenees, and will then be going to Oviedo. Passed Oviedo, they will be in very mountainous areas. But all of this is still far away.
In any case, in the next week or so, they will not be taking the path indicated on the map at the bottom of this page. They will not be going down to Pamplona. They are going to Hendaye, and then from there will go toward San Sebastian in Spain. They are expecting to cross the boarder on Tuesday or Wednesday.
I will most likely be in touch with David on Wednesday (they should be in Irun on that day). Until then, the two hikers will be cut-off from the rest of the world.
Mathieu
