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Women had stayed there as well, reading the visitors' book, so I don't think it's a problem, fortunately. I was slightly surprised, as in some places it clearly is.Being a man you were put up within the walls of the monastery and had your meal with the monks. Where do they house female pilgrims?
According the the landlord of the hostal, I was the first pilgrim on any route to stay there in over a year.
While the crowds overpopulate the Francés! This sounds like a superb way across the mountains into Spain. As always, thank you for your inspiring posts, Alan!It was odd to think that I was one of very few pilgrims in the last 50 years walking along a path that had previously been busy for a millennium.
kDo you have a pic of that ruined bridge? I assume there is no need to cross what remains of it, right?
So many thanks Alan for what you put yourself through to inform and inspire us!!!k
Unfortunately the bridge was completely destroyed by Napoleon's troops, so this is the best shot I could get looking back up the gorge from where the bridge was. It's not very good as I took it when I was lying on the ground with my eyes closed trying not to think what would happen if I slipped.
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May I totally disagree?It's not very good as I took it when I was lying on the ground with my eyes closed trying not to think what would happen if I slipped.
k
Unfortunately the bridge was completely destroyed by Napoleon's troops
I'm beginning to think this might be inching up on the list. Roman ruins, gorgeous gorges, monateries, and mountains? Yes, please.It's a gorgeous walk. You go past the ruins of a Roman villa too.
If memory serves, the ruins are on the other side of the river, so you can see where it was but you don't get close unless you go walkabout.I'm beginning to think this might be inching up on the list. Roman ruins, gorgeous gorges, monateries, and mountains? Yes, please.
The piggy-in-the-middle can be quite a proud moment. I'm lucky enough to speak fluent French and can get by in German and Spanish, thus particularly on the Podiensis I was often took the role of translator, although as I walked it in September 2016 it was usually myself being questioned as to why the English wanted to leave the common market! I continued to experience some of that last year on the Primitivo. I'm still at odds as to which route to plan for next year: the Olvidado? the VdlP (from Salamanca) and there are many other less-trod sections that I'd love to try, including walking from Lourdes via the Aragon. I remain surprised that more don't choose this route.Leyre monastery to Sangüesa vía the Foz de Lumbier
It was still dark as the monks started singing Lauds, but just daylight as they finished, and we processed again to the refectory for an excellent breakfast, eaten in total silence, not even a reading from the rule. Then Padre Javier blessed me, hugged me and sent me on my way. I promised to send him a postcard from Santiago, hope I remember.
I was just heading up off the road when a car from the Policia Foral stopped me and strongly recommended I go to the Foz on the Yesa road rather than up through the forest. I showed them the wikiloc trail @Mikel Olivares had walked, which they looked at suspiciously, then reluctantly muttered "hmmm, puede ser" a few times, and I went on my way.
It was a lovely walk, steadily upwards through the thick woods of the Sierra de Leyre, with at least four different varieties of oak. Nearing the ridge i looked down for the last time at the monastery, and also back to the twin peaks of San Juan de la Peña's sierra from two days earlier - surely the only place in the world where two 1000 year old royal mausoleums from two separate kingdoms are in line of sight of each other?
The descent to Lumber is less of a pleasure, as there are some steep sections on loose scree, but certainly no worse than several parts of previous days. It's a pleasant town where I had a surprisingly good early lunch - duck confit, excellent apple tart etc, washed down by a delicious San Martín de Unx white.
The gorge itself is about a km from town. Utterly spectacular. The path follows a former railway line and you reach the Foz through a 500m tunnel. And then high cliffs on both sides, the river gushing beneath you, vultures overhead, just wonderful. Another tunnel takes you out at the far side, and I didn't see another person the whole time I was there. Just at the far end, a cliffside path with metal chain to hang on to leads you to the ruined pilgrim bridge over the river, looking back up the gorge. Not best done if wet, or if you suffer from vertigo.
Another hour and I got to Sangüesa, rejoining the Aragón and passing the outstanding tympanum of Santa María la Real. My 10x-great-grandfather Henri II d’Albret was known as el sanguesino, which I assumed meant "bloody", which always surprised me as he wasn't, certainly not by the standards of the time. Turns out it just meant he was born in Sangüesa.
There's an excellent albergue and the hospitalera was trying to encourage people to go by the Foz the next day, which I enthusiastically supported. Three Spaniards, a French couple and me, and we had a very convivial evening, although as the Spaniards spoke no French or English and the French spoke no Spanish or English, I ended up slightly as piggy in the middle.
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