Day 43 / Saint-Sever - Orthez/ 42.50 km
I wake up at 6.00 but stay in bed until 6.30, the time the bakery around the corner opens. I have breakfeast and pack my things. Around 8.00 I say farewell to Yvonne. Maybe we will see each other again within 2 days as I plan to take rest day in Orthez tomorrow. I step outside. Running is shorts is fine but in the morning somewhat chilly. I leave the village via a departemental. The weather will be great. The map says it’s around 45 km to get to Orthez. My right feet is still not 100% but with a dose of Ibuprofen runnable. The landscape definitely has changed compared to the Landes : Green fields, mixed forests and I the in the distance the Pyrenees, a huge pilgrim magnet.
The first stop is in Hagetmau, a small, but pleaseant city. When I arrive a bio market is taking place and I have my first strawberries of the year. They are sweet and full of flavour. I have a coffee, get a stamp in the tourist office and buy lunch for later. I leave Hagetmau. Before leaving I apply some sunscreen as the sun is shining.Later in the afternoon the temperature will be around 25 º. Today the height meters are increasing, steep ascents are followed by steep descents which are not always runnable. The landscape remains beautiful, the Pyrenees get more and more visible. People are getting killed along the way.
I have a short lunch at a small village around 12.30. The Compostela signage has changed but not is not aways consistent. In a small village there is some heavy traffic of old Citroën cars. I wait until the traffic dissolves before continuing my way. Another 8 km to Orthez.
Entering Orthez I pass the Tour Moncade, a remainder of the castle of the Viscounts of Bearne. The Tower is open. You even can go on top for 4€. I explain to the guard it’s to expensive for a pilgrim but reality is that I don’t want to climb the 30 meters to the top. I’m sure the view on the top is great. Maybe a next time.
I have planned to stay 2 nights in Orthez. The weather is sunny, people are sitting outside, having lunch or simply a drink. I go to a hotel in the city centre, I ask the owner if I can see the last room which he says is available. He sighs and asks me why I want to see the room. The lack of hospitality is such I leave the place.The alternative is the Pilgrim’s municipal gite. By principle you can only stay one night in a gite (except when you are dying), so I will have to delay my resting day. When I arrive at the gite it seems that the key needs to be collected.....at the sighing owner hotel. I get the key. The gite is great and located in a medieval building called “Hotel de la Lune”.
Later I learn from the Gite-volunteer that the hotel owner is probably not friendly as his business has been declared bankrupt last week....I change my plans. Tomorrow I will go to a gite in Saint-Palais. The day after I will be Saint Jean Pied the Port where I book a small apartment for 2 nights. Two stages of 35 kilometres. I’m looking forward to arrive in SJPdP and cross the Pyrenees into Spain, finalising the French part of my little run. My shoes are also looking forward to Spain, more and more holes are appearing where no holes should be. They will need although endure another 5 running days. I have no plans to run barefoot.
The remainder of the afternoon I do the usual pilgrim things ; shower, washing clothes and a small siesta. In the evening I have dinner in a Chinese restaurant. The half bottle of wine is almost as (in)expensive as the evening menu, both are more than acceptable.
Lessons learned :
- A good pilgrim is a flexible pilgrim.
- The closer a pilgrim is to SJPdP the harder he runs, the less pause he takes.
Song of the day : Romeo and Juliet -The Killers
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