Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019

Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019
On the Archduke's Path in Mallorca

Saturday 22 June 2013

Saturday 22 June 2013 - Pyrenees GR10 - Day 8 - St-Jean-Pied-de-Port

We walked about 6 km with 200 metres ascent during the course of this rest day.                              

Weather: warm and sunny - John and David appear to have taken their rain cloud with them. 

We enjoyed a lazy day in this lovely old town. The sun shone to dry our washing and the forecast is set fair.

It was a shame to have so much rain over the past week - about twenty of the thirty or so hours of walking were in rain - but it did no harm to the sense of cameraderie.

We very much enjoyed our 'not so much an encounter, more a sort of holiday' with John and David, and our encounters with Bruno and Christof, Stuart, Dave, Pierre and his lovely wife, Panos and various other itinerants. We may meet some of them again if they have a 'day off' before reaching Lescun; if so it will be like meeting old friends.

What a contrast to last year's E5 trip, and this year's Apennine trip,  when we met hardly anyone on the trails.

I wonder who we'll encounter tomorrow. 

St-Jean is full of pilgrims about to set off along the Way of St James towards Santiago de Compostella. Ranging from decrepit old stumblers to spotty dreadlocked youths they are a rag tag group that look just like those depicted in the film 'The Way'.  Whilst we know some folk relish that sort of trip, we are glad to be walking the less popular but more scenic GR10. 

We enjoyed a fairly comprehensive tour of the walled town this morning, but I'll leave the detail to a slide show in due course. The top picture today was taken from the top of the Rue de la Citadelle, near where the pilgrims get their 'passports'. Below that is a view over the town from the 17th Century Citadelle, looking towards the Iparla ridge that we traversed in cloud and rain a couple of days ago. 

Sent from our GR10 trip - see here for our itinerary

2 comments:

afootinthehills said...

Hello Martin and Sue. Glad to see you now have lovely weather and may it last for the rest of your trip!

Phreerunner said...

Thanks Gibson
The walk recommenced today - in rain!
It will improve. ..