Lourdes tp Santiago
This is quite a long posting but may help future pilgrims who ask for the same advice:
These sites have info on the route from Lourdes.
http://vppyr.free.fr/vpp-index-etapes.php3 http://www.hautes-pyrenees-rando.com/new-gr101.html
This is a report back from a friend who walked the route recently:
Lourdes to Sarrance
I walked the Camino from Burgos to Santiago with my younger daughter in October 2003. When I arrived back home I knew I had to walk the Camino again ā a longer one - to find the peace and solitude that it offers. For many years I had also harboured a notion of visiting the Marian shrine at Lourdes and so I set about fitting these two dreams together. After a fair deal of enquiry and much help from many fellow pilgrims a fairly adventurous route emerged. Iād follow one of the routes described by Michael Sein Paterson (MSP) in an article Iād come across. The main feature of the route was a walk of about 20km through a part of the Eastern National Park in the heart of the Pyrenees between Gabas and the Col du Somport. I had been warned not to embark upon this part of the walk alone as it traversed very rugged country. Later l read that four bears had recently been released into the park. I donāt have a clue as to what danger they may pose if encountered.
The journey from Cape Town to Lourdes was uncomplicated: Heathrow; a bus to Stansted; a couple of hours wait for the Rhynair flight to Biarritz and then a quick walk to the railway station, about 2 kms away to board the train to Lourdes.
Lourdes: I left home not knowing to expect. The small town is crowded with hotels, souvenir shops and teems with people but once inside the sanctuary the marvel of Lourdes is astounding. On my first morning I wandered into the sanctuary shortly before 9:30am and was directed by a friendly attendant at the info office to the Pope Pius X Basilica. The basilica is underground, Itās a concrete structure 191m long and 61m wide shaped as an up-turned boat hull and holds about 25 000 congregants. When I arrived the International Mass had just begun. Being the last week of the European summer holidays it was nearly full. I think that it was the fullness and beauty of this celebration that attuned me to awesome spiritual encounters that I was to experience within the confines of the sanctuary during the following two days. The way of the Cross meanders along a wooded hillside and is adorned with life size statues along the fourteen stations. Candles, candles, candles burn almost as fiercely as the hope and faith of those who light them. In the vicinity of the grotto where the virgin appeared notices request pilgrims to be silent, but to no avail ā their energy is too intense to comply. Pilgrim groups from around the globe gather around identifying banners. At night the candlelight procession chokes the pilgrim with emotion. German, French and other choristers sing their hymns in fascinating harmonies under trees, in chapels and prayer processions. Masses are celebrated in all languages throughout the day. What is surprising is the great number of Asian and Oriental pilgrims. A few kilometers from the sanctuary are two shrines at the houses where the seer, Bernadette Soubirous, had lived at different times during her youth. Then of course there are the hundreds of sick pilgrims, some terminally ill. They journey to Lourdes to be bathed in the water seeking to be healed of their infirmities. Since the first recorded miraculous healing in 1858 another 66 miracle cures have been officially recorded as well as a great many other āunexplainedā cures. The protocols for the classification of both classes of cures are stringent. But pilgrims do not go to Lourdes seeking physical healing only, the greater number seek emotional and spiritual healing. Few leave disappointed. And so on my third day I left Lourdes with an inner joy and freedom that Iād never before experienced.
My walk begins: The info office at Lourdes has guides for the Camino from Lourdes to Oloron Sta Marie (only in French) as well as sellos. So duly stamped and with a French guide, which I soon discarded as it was Greek to me, I set off at mid-morning for Betharran after the English mass. Following MSPās guide I proceeded along the road, which at first went through an exceedingly large caravan park. But once through the park, walking on a narrow track along the Gave de Pau (river Pau), I observed much evidence that the park was not large enough to accommodate the summer holiday influx of pilgrims and so I dodged through mine fields of excreta marked by telltale white paper tracers. After a few kilometers I was able to look up and enjoy the striking beauty of the river as it meandered through woods. I came across the occasional mushroom seeker, fisherman and hunter but did not observe any evidence of their successes. Passing through the villages of Peyrouse, Rielhes and de Bigorre I arrived after an easy 15km at Betharran. A statue of St Roch dressed as a pilgrim greets visitors at the sanctuary (sello available) on the verge of the town. I found a comfortable hotel for 20 euros. The room was clean and comfortable with plush French bedding ā my last luxurious sleep for quite a while to come.
The route out of Betharran to Asson leaves from the sanctuary along the Crouix des Hauteurs (Way of the Cross). It is a steep climb through forests and each station of the cross is commemorated by a small chapel. The 12th station is dramatically depicted in life size by the crucified Christ and the two revolutionaries on Calvary. At the end of the Crouix des Hauteurs, a large chapel commemorates Christās resurrection.
After straying a few times and wandering over boggy farmlands I crossed the first serious mountain on a path between Bruges and Sta Colome. I followed MSPās directions to the letter but the path was not always evident and my ignorance of the French āGR routeā marking system added to my difficulties. After a long, soaking wet and arduous walk ā always alone ā I eventually arrived at Arudy, tired and weary, only to find ācompledoā signs at all lodgings. Thankfully, a lady at the information bureau sensing my plight phoned a priestās house and I was directed, in sign language and rudimentary French to a Mme Tost who was waiting for me next door to the post office at Louvie-Juzon. After another 4 km in gentle rain I was offered shelter, a cold shower and bed. Iād walked about 34 km that day and blistered badly on the balls of my feet. The next two weeks were to be painful ones! That evening whilst having a bite to eat at the hotel I noticed on TV that snow was expected in the mountains at 2000m and so I respectfully decided to back out of the route through the National Park and opted for the road route through the Col du Marie Blanc. Later when I got to the French / Spanish border I was to appreciate the wisdom of this decision ā to this day rescue parties might still be looking for me.
The next day, a Sunday, passing the village of Bielle I heard the sound of traditional music and stumbled upon a local āfiestaā. But it was early and with the uncertainty of what lay ahead I reluctantly left after an hour or so. The road from Bielle to the Col du Marie Blanc is steep, very steep and as I struggled the hairpin bends I heard the traditional music and peeling of church bells echoing from the village below. A few kilometers from the top of the pass I left the tar road and strayed onto a vast meadow surrounded by forests and the ever-present Pyrenees. The meadow was filled with magnificent horses, cows, sheep and many walkers. It was an incredible sight. Somewhat lost again a friendly walker accompanied me to a pathway that led to the Col du Marie Blanc. From there the walk was plain sailing to Escot and then Sarrance. In Sarrance I was welcomed at the cloister of the Sanctuary of Notre-Dame-de-Sarrance by a moody priest whose irritability preceded him and fellow pilgrims who shared their evening meal with me - Iād not expected all shops in the French villages to be closed on Sundays and so arrived empty handed.
My lonesome, but never lonely three-day walk had ended and I was on the Via Tolosana ā the Arles route. With 73 km behind me I only had 900 km left to Santiago.
My grateful thanks go, in no particular order, to: Sylvia Nilsen, Sandra Smith, Robert Spenger, Greba & Rory Bullen, Marilyn Scholtz and Hazel Jonker for their help and encouragement in planning this short journey which many said was not possible to walk.
Tom Hertog. tom.hertog(at)absamail.co.za
