We are now in Basque country and the four leafed ‘lauburu’ symbol is much in evidence. The prefix ‘Ex’ is Basque for home and many of the houses are named in this way.
After a rainy night, we set out in mild, slightly overcast conditions on a mildly undulating (at least by Pyrenean standards) stage.
We continue to move through beautiful broad leaf forests, with oak, ash and chestnut trees prominent in the mix.
Our first stop was in Moumour, a lovely small town with a castle conveniently located in the centre!
This is where we also purchased supplies for lunch (baguette and cheese) and dinner (pasta, sardines and tinned vegetables).
This fellow tried very hard to bark fiercely as we
passed, but at the first word of greeting he rolled over to have his tummy tickled.
It was a shorter stage today and we enjoyed the gentler pace. We picnicked at the top of the only major climb of the day, and then descended to tonight’s accommodation.
It’s a private gite run by Elena who has been welcoming pilgrims for 25 years. Now aged 84, and widowed three years ago, she continues to welcome pilgrims into her lovely home - she is on the ground floor and we have the whole first floor to ourselves, including a bedroom each! The variety along the way is staggering. Elena invited us to share an aperitif with her this evening and, among many interesting things, we heard that until she was five years old, she spoke only Basque - she did not have a word of French. Amazing to see how powerful these regional identities have been.
Bon chemin
👣 🧡 👣 💜 👣
Great to see such peaceful progress through beautiful countryside. Here, by contrast, we are thinking of patronising whale watching!
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