- Time of past OR future Camino
- started in 2012, hooked ever since.
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So glad you are enjoying. I wonder if the albergue in Espslette is ever going to open again?Well I have just walked the first day of the truly amazing Baztan. Thanks to @NualaOC for her great notes on her own journey. This really is an amazing short walk.
Flying into Biarritz, I was staying the night at the wonderful Aguirre Albergue run by the most amazing Socorro. I truly recommend her place. When you leave Biarritz airport take the Chronoplus Bus line C for Bayonne and get off at Poydenet (Socorro will give you directions). The woman, the greeting, the food especially the breakfast, are a fabulous start to this Camino.
The walk from Bayonne is for the first 13 or so km along a truly lovely river path. Lots of local people walking, running or on bicycles. Can't describe how lovely it was.
I am staying tonight in Espelette. The Albergue is closed but a lovely local hotel does a fairly good peregrino rate including dinner and breakfast. I have just had dinner and am very mellow!
Tomorrow a very short walk to Urdax and then Friday apparently it is going to be very wet , ho hum!!
Strange for me , although my Spanish isn't great, my French is worse, so today was always "sí, perdon oui"and gracias oops merci" . The french people have been wonderful and very gracious.
Tim great to hear about your own journey. Yes so far it feels like a bit of a French holiday route but the places, scenery and people are wonderful so although it feels more like a lovely walking holiday than a Camino ( part of el Mozárabe comes to mind, as my last short walk), what's not to love about it. I think they need more pelegrino traffic to reopen the Albergue, perhaps?So glad you are enjoying. I wonder if the albergue in Espslette is ever going to open again?I stayed in the hotel (the big family one with shutters and peppers decorating it). Lovely.
I'm in Macedonia (the region of Greece) having walked here from Albania and North Macedonia (the other one) on the way to Thessaloniki. (And eventually Istanbul and Jerusalem.)
I put the TV on today here and there was a feature on the annual Espelette pepper festival at Espelette. I thought it was one of the strangest places (in a good way) I'd ever been to. Espelette pepper everything! Carvings, liqueurs, chocolates, pyjamas, cuddly toys.
You have another bizarre treat in store when you cross the border. You'll think you have arrived in Las Vegas. And somewhere along the way there is a wall plaque to St Joseph - the patron saint of smugglers!!!
It's a wonderful Camino. Enjoy every minute. Tim
Thanks @VNwalking , enjoy your walk too. Yes I am going to enjoy my very short walk today in the dry and not think about tomorrow. I have split 1 day into 2 so today only going to Urdax. I have plenty of time to look at all the shops here before I leave and try to remember my way back to Souride!Buen camino, @laineylainey !
We Baztan 5 had a lovely time at that very hotel...fond memories.
I will be starting the Vasco Interior on Friday with @SabineP; we will be out in the very same bad weather - we'll be thinking of you, as you will be relatively nearby. Fortunately that climb out of Urdax is not exposed; it's mostly under the trees....if you were going over the top at Belate in that kind of rain it'd be seriously unpleasant...
Buen Camino, Elaine! I was thinking about you today on the Camino de Madrid and wondering when you were setting off.
@VNwalking is right - no need to go to Souraïde tomorrow. You’ve two choices:
1: Retrace your steps back out of Esplette and onto that main road. Follow the road signs for Urdax (pass a garage on your RHS) and after a few kms you’ll see the Camino trail on your left.
2. Try to find the quieter road that runs (sort of) parallel and to the left the main road. It also joins the Camino. Might be tricky if you aren’t using an app of some sort.
You need to be really careful tomorrow - there are lots of arrows, but not all are for the Camino. And most importantly: don’t follow any Camino arrows in Esplette. They’ll take you to irun!
Buen Camino!
Nuala, great to hear from you I hope El Madrid is a great walk?Buen Camino, Elaine! I was thinking about you today on the Camino de Madrid and wondering when you were setting off.
@VNwalking is right - no need to go to Souraïde tomorrow. You’ve two choices:
1: Retrace your steps back out of Esplette and onto that main road. Follow the road signs for Urdax (pass a garage on your RHS) and after a few kms you’ll see the Camino trail on your left.
2. Try to find the quieter road that runs (sort of) parallel and to the left the main road. It also joins the Camino. Might be tricky if you aren’t using an app of some sort.
You need to be really careful tomorrow - there are lots of arrows, but not all are for the Camino. And most importantly: don’t follow any Camino arrows in Esplette. They’ll take you to irun!
Buen Camino!
It’s funny, but usually when I walk I am very conscientious about details, where I’ve been, etc. But reading this and VN’s messages, I realize that last year when I was in the “Baztán 5”, I just slipped into dependent mode because you guys were so on top of everything. I don’t remember any of these tips at all. One thing I do remember Nuala, is that when you and I took a little “shortcut” we wound up going the wrong way and found ourselves back in France when we thought we were headed into Spain!
My memories, though, are of beautiful Basque countryside and towns. Hope you continue to have a great walk, @laineylainey
Buen camino, Laurie
The walk from Bayonne
Oh some wonderful news. My boots and socks are drying in front of an amazing fire in the fabulous hostel. Life is perfect.
Perhaps contact the tourist office in Urdax they would know whether booking is possible. We went there to enquire and check in for the monastery. It has a big dormitory and unless it's a public holiday time when there could be lots of Spaniards walking I'm sure you'd get a bed there.Thank you for your very informative and enthusiastic posts...on the basis of your comments I have decided to start my Camino Frances next September by walking the Baztan and joining in Pamplona
Really useful tips on accommodation and started to make some enquiries so it really feels like it is going to happen....flights are booked,so it is!
Is it possible to book in advance the Hostel at Urdax?
Perhaps contact the tourist office in Urdax they would know whether booking is possible. We went there to enquire and check in for the monastery. It has a big dormitory and unless it's a public holiday time when there could be lots of Spaniards walking I'm sure you'd get a bed there.
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