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LIVE from the Camino Lourdes to St Jean Pied de Port

AcrossTheWater3008

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
C Frances x 2 - 2016, 2017
C Portuguese x 2 2016, 2017
C Muxia/Finisterra x 2 2016, 17
CdM
I arrived in Lourdes on 6 July 2018 following my flight from Stansted airport and the 2€ bus ride to the Lourdes train station. I stayed 2 nights at the mediocre Hotel Chalet St Louis for €61.40 (breakfast €5 extra per day). This hotel is close to the Sanctuary- 5 mins walk. I spent 2 days & nights exploring and marvelling the huge complex of the Sanctuary and it’s associated support services. The Sanctuary has a very well organised daily activities such as mass, processions, etc and the underground church also exudes that wowwww factor!

There is a shop in Lourdes called Centre d Information Jacquaire (33 562 92 93 52) on the beginning ofBoulevard de la Grotte selling the French credential for €3. The gentleman running the show is very kind and will also provide a printout of the routes and maps in French and is knowledgeable about the routes as he has walked Chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostela before. The tourist information in the Sanctuary also keeps a register of the pilgrims and has the same maps.

The start of the route out of Lourdes is almost opposite the Tourist Information itself - the Boulevard Pere Remi Sempe. At the very top of this road, turn Right into Avenue Monsigneur Théas which takes you into Route de la Foret.... soon after, one sees the white/red waymarks of the route to SJPDP.
 
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Day 1 - Lourdes to Asson 23.5 km (6 hr 15 mins)

I started earlyish on 8 July 2018 (0800 hrs) and the Sanctuary was filled with people, being a Sunday! On the way, I picked up a light weight walking pole for €7.90. My backpack was heavy for the route (8 kg - should have been 6.5 kg - for my weight!). It was easy walking out of the Sanctuary onto the way. It was a pleasant walk until I entered the woods where it was still muddy in places - despite the heatwave Northern Europe is currently going through... apparently there was a bad flooding around 13 June 2018 in Lourdes! There were fallen trees and I had to duck under these trees to get through. The river below was raging noisily ... I was the only pilgrim thus far and was being attacked by huge number of different insects - not pleasant! The waymarks were generally good, but I had to keep a constant look out for them as they are small and could be hidden! Passed some houses but there were no services until St Pe de Biggore, but being Sunday, only one little cafe boulangerie was opened for coffee. Luckily the lady spoke English and was able to direct me to the public toilet which was behind the Tourist Information (which was closed, being a Sunday). I decided to quit walking in the woods because of the insects and walked on the D526 to Betharram. It was a hot day - 28C! But I got to Betharram easily.... Whilst I would have loved to visit the caves, my weary body decided I should carry on.... I was standing outside the Notre Dame, debating whether to stay or carry on to Asson, when a French lady asked if I wanted a lift as she was going to Asson. I decided to go with her the last 5 km. At Asson I met an American priest and his brother who had arrived from Betharram. As there was no facilities in Asson, they decided to carry on to the next stop. A passerby called the lady (?Mme Loupy) in charge of Gîte paroissial for me and she duly arrived to book me in. I was the only pilgrim thus far. The charge was €10 and there was no mention of breakfast and I couldn’t ask her as she spoke little English and I, no French! Unfortunately the door knob was broken so we couldn’t lock the door to the room that houses only 3 beds (a double and 2 singles)! The sheets felt as if they needed a good scrub! At 1600 hrs a young French pilgrim arrived and she decided to have the double bed. She complained that the information provided by the Tourist Information was wrong as there were no kitchen or breakfast for the €10 cost. Plus the lady caretaker Mme Loupy was not very kindly towards her. The door was broken and we could not lock the door when out and the main gate was open! There was no security at all. I felt unsafe as the toilet facilities were in another building across the yard. Izzy (the French pilgrim) and I agreed we would wake each other up in the event of needing the toilet in the night. The tiny local supermarket opened at 1730 hours and we had hamburgers there (although pizzas appeared to be their signature product). I would not stay in this Gîte nor in Asson again.... The only credit to this sleepy town is the beautiful church of St Martin which was apparently built in the 15C.
 
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Day 2 - Asson to Arudy 18.8 km (6 hours)

Izzy and I started from the Gîte at 0815 hours. It was a cooler day and we got to Bruges easily. We had breakfast and went on our way soon. We did a lot of woods walking and climbing, ascending to almost 600m just before Sante Colombo. The waymarks can be difficult to spot and we had to turn back a couple of times. I advised Izzy about using a stick and she was glad she picked up a sturdy branch on the way as she almost tripped on one of the muddy paths. We were glad to be walking together as there was a strange man about the woods looking suspicious... we would have been scared on our own as these woods were quite isolated. Although today’s temperature was a cooler 26C, it was still sunny and hot on the roads... we had to stop about 3 times as the ascent through the woods were quite steep. We both used our sticks well in aiding our progress. There is a water fountain in Sainte Colome and we refilled our very low supply besides splashing cold water on our faces and necks. After emerging from the woods after St Colome, we walked on the D934 to Arudy... which was reached easily! Izzy stayed at the Maison Paroissiale and I stayed at the private Les Chambers du Gave dOssau where I had a suite to myself. A friend and I had booked this suite but had then been unable to make the trip. I had asked Izzy to join me but she had booked the Gîte and decided to stick with her decision. Arudy is a beautiful town and certainly well worth a visit and staying to enjoy all that is on offer here!

Ps : did I mention I am covered in itchy insects bites? Wish I had my “tiger balm” with me as the steroid cream I have is not very effective! Izzy is itching too but not as much...
 
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Quite the adventure, AcrossTheWater! Thanks for sharing and please continue to do so if you are able...

I am stepping out from Lourdes in early August and have booked ahead (reservation only) with the Polish sisters in Bellevue (I hope it is easy to find as I have long travel from the southern hemisphere and arrive at 6 pm).

Are there other places to stay in Asson other than the Gite with the broken lock? Just wondering. I have made this pilgrimage before and at the time there was construction in Lourdes and I got lost on the way to Betharram--glad it is clearly marked now. This time I wish to stay in alternate accommodation, but I enjoyed the monastery in Betharram. There was breakfast and I could lock the door! It is a lovely way; Buen Camino...
 
Quite the adventure, AcrossTheWater! Thanks for sharing and please continue to do so if you are able...

I am stepping out from Lourdes in early August and have booked ahead (reservation only) with the Polish sisters in Bellevue (I hope it is easy to find as I have long travel from the southern hemisphere and arrive at 6 pm).

Are there other places to stay in Asson other than the Gite with the broken lock? Just wondering. I have made this pilgrimage before and at the time there was construction in Lourdes and I got lost on the way to Betharram--glad it is clearly marked now. This time I wish to stay in alternate accommodation, but I enjoyed the monastery in Betharram. There was breakfast and I could lock the door! It is a lovely way; Buen Camino...


Hi

The American priest and his brother highly rated the monastery in Betharram, which means you could give Asson a miss.... If I had to stay in Asson, I would go for hotel reservations. I don’t think there is anywhere else cheap to stay in Asson other than where we were...

Happy preparation for your Camino!
 
Thank you so much for this sharing your daily log - there is rather little information on this section in general, and I find your input very helpful indeed. My husband and I intend to leave from Lourdes on 17 August, Are you planning to walk to SJPDP or connect from Oleron with the Camino Aragones (longer, but very beautiful?). I think your log confirms what I have been a bit concerned about myself in terms of tricky waymarking and accommodation on the way. I'm so glad you found a suitable travel companion to this part of the Camino with. Bon Chemin.
 
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I arrived in Lourdes on 6 July 2018 following my flight from Stansted airport and the 2€ bus ride to the Lourdes train station. I stayed 2 nights at the mediocre Hotel Chalet St Louis for €61.40 (breakfast €5 extra per day). This hotel is close to the Sanctuary- 5 mins walk. I spent 2 days & nights exploring and marvelling the huge complex of the Sanctuary and it’s associated support services. The Sanctuary has a very well organised daily activities such as mass, processions, etc and the underground church also exudes that wowwww factor!

There is a shop in Lourdes called Centre d Information Jacquaire (33 562 92 93 52) on the beginning ofBoulevard de la Grotte selling the French credential for €3. The gentleman running the show is very kind and will also provide a printout of the routes and maps in French and is knowledgeable about the routes as he has walked Chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostela before. The tourist information in the Sanctuary also keeps a register of the pilgrims and has the same maps.

The start of the route out of Lourdes is almost opposite the Tourist Information itself - the Boulevard Pere Remi Sempe. At the very top of this road, turn Right into Avenue Monsigneur Théas which takes you into Route de la Foret.... soon after, one sees the white/red waymarks of the route to SJPDP.
I walked over the Somport pass to ponte la reina 2 years ago. Very quiet but peaceful.
 
Hi LGLG
No.... I have to return to London on 17 July and then walk with my daughter 30 th July from Ponferrada to Santiago... initially I wanted to walk Lourdes to Santiago but wanted to accompany my daughter on her maiden Camino.... so another time , will certainly think of linking up with the other Camino. I have been busy this year - walked Camino de Madrid in April as well as from Lugo to Santiago in May.

Enjoy your preparations for the Camino!
 
Day 3 Arudy to Oloron Sainte Marie 22.8 km 7hours 15 mins

We reached Oloron at 1445 hours. Had a wonderfully presented breakfast by my hosts ... different types of cheeses, locally sourced yoghurt and homemade brioche and brown bread smelt her newly baked bread last night whilst dozing off although sleep was difficult due to the itchy insect bites.

As agreed, after breakfast, my host drove Izzy and I to Buzy as apparently the way to Buzy could be hazardous!

It was a lovely cool walk through the woods to Ogeu where we stopped for coffee and toilet facilities at the lovely Carrey restaurant. The restauranteur informed us that route to Oloron through the woods by River Gave d’Ossau were covered in huge amount of horseflies due the the humid heat. As Izzy and I were suffering from severe itching from these insect bites we decided to take the road to Oloron. We easily found a small road to Herrere and then linked up the D319 to cross the N134 very carefully. We then linked up with the Rue das Augas which took us into Oloron Ste Marie, in humid weather of 26C.

We got to Relais du Bastet 06 44 80 70 96 12 only to look at the notice on the door stating the place would not be open until 1500 hrs. We were both very tired as had not slept well the night before but managed to have a leisurely lunch at the Bar De La Poste opposite, where there was good food choices at reasonable price.

The hostel was clean with a nice kitchen and the hospitelario were lovely.... There were altogether 4 of us pilgrims, one of whom has been wild camping along the way. We paid €12.50 each for bed and light breakfast. There were also good washing and drying facilities at the back.

I am itching so much from the insects bites and the steroids were not very effective. Got to the pharmacy and bought “Tiger Balm” ointment for an exorbitant €9.99 which normally costs about €1 in the Far East!

Tonight is also the semi final World Cup - France vs Belgium and I am back in Bar De La Poste, eager to know who would play against England () in the finals....

390762A7-B730-4301-8BC4-AF796E237F2A.jpeg
 
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The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Day 4 Oloron Sainte Marie to Hopital Sainte Blaise 23 km 7 hours 20 mins

Izzy and I are sitting in a Michelin star restaurant Auberg Lausset in Hopital Sainte Blaise! We also had a beautifully delicious lunch at a restaurant called Chez Germaine at Geus Oloron (05 59 88 00 65) all for €15. We are currently having a Bearn red ... still debating whether to have a meal as we are still full from the wonderful lunch!

We were out of our Gîte this morning at 0850 hours and spent time at the beautiful cathedral... had our stamp too! The waymarks are opposite the cathedral... After a short while we entered the woods and were chased by hundreds of insects (?mossies and midgies) we stopped to apply our citronella and Tiger Balm but were still chased by the starving insects....! Sadly we decided to take to the road and followed the D936 from Orin and passed pretty villages Geronce (with its beautiful crochet hangings), St Goin, finally joining the D25 all the way to Hopital Sainte Blaise, crossing some insects infested woods..

Hopital St Blaise is a lovely little town with 2 great restaurants! But there appears to be enough diners willing to pay well for gorgeous foods! The church is also a UNESCO heritage site and the town was the hospital foundation to accommodate pilgrims...

We had to go to the church to be welcomed to the Gîte - costs €14 with a code to get in. There is a food dispenser next to the Gîte, otherwise the wonderful restaurants...

There is no WiFi in the village and no tv to watch the semi final of the World Cup - England vs Croatia

24D348EA-5C20-4A90-AFAF-5A96E1C602A2.jpeg

Photo of Izzy posted with her permission
 
Day 5 Hopital Sainte Blaise to Mauléon-Licharre 14 km 4.5 hours

Another beautiful today! Temperature was 19C at 0700 hours and it had rained in the night as our clothes were a little damp.. we had hand washed them and left them out all night....

It’s lovely just the two of us in the Gîte. As we had walked together since Asson, Izzy and I have got used to being with each other and understanding our need for chats and alone time.

We started walking at 0800 hours. One of the hospitelarios popped round at 0700 hours to ensure we were ok. We walked on the D25 and reached Hoquy at about 1030 hours partly through the woods ... the insects were out and looking for victims but not in their thousands - the cool 22C temperature helped to calm their excitement!

We had a good breakfast at the very modest Hotel/Restaurant Panoramic where we had very fresh fried breakfasts (eggs were locally sourced). The coffee was great with ample fresh cream! The kindly host was lovely and her smile more than made up the simple decor! After about an hour, Izzy and I set off on the D24 and reached Mauléon-Licharre at midday. We got the key to the Gîte from the restaurant Etchola where the young waiter handed us the key and told us to go Right and Right for the Gîte. The Gîte is a flat on the first floor of the school on Bonnere street, literally round the corner from the restaurant.

Mauléon-Licharre is a biggish town with a good pharmacy which caters for non French speakers as well as supermarkets like Lidl and Carrefour.

Izzy has a couple of blisters on her toes and I had one on the sole of my left foot and top of my foot as I had worn a new hiking sandals in the heat (without wearing them in) but both our blisters were bearable. I had used compeed which helped. I do not usually have blisters on my other Caminos!

The Gîte is comfortable with a well equipped kitchen and lovely shower. Another pilgrim joined us at 1800 hours... he had hitchhiked from the south of France to walk to Lourdes.

Marie, the hospitelario arrived at 1900 hours to register us and stamped our credentials.

There is a music and food fete this evening here tonight that we might attend..,, C23216A8-19D2-4F43-997F-4FC1B62E3ACE.jpeg

In Hoquy - posted with consent from Izzy
 
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Day 6 Mauléon-Licharre to Saint-Just-Ibarre 22.3 km 6 hours 15 mins

Today’s hike is enjoyable... the scenery were stunning and the constant uphill feels great!

Izzy and I started late today at 0900 hours after exchanging some news with our French roommate who was heading to Lourdes... telling us his aim was to get to Santiago de Compostela. I gently reminded him, if that was so, he was heading the opposite direction. He appeared to be a gentle sweet guy with his endless smokers ‘cough. And, we shared some laughs before he headed off to walk and hitchhiked to Lourdes.

On the way out, we left our Gîte key in the postbox on the flat door as requested.

As we leave the Gîte, we turned left up the road and followed the D918 until the red and white waymarks were seen on the left and we followed the signs which appeared to be the GR route too.. It was a beautifully warm day but pleasant walking through the woods. There were some insects but not the thousands we had encountered before. We took some gorgeous pics and took a number of rests in the shady parts of the woods. Looking down on to the beautiful landscape below was awe inspiring! Eventually we emerged out of the woods on the Burgans, we took the D918 to St-Just-Ibarre.... arriving after 1500 hours. We found our Gîte (Mme Barhouet 05 59 37 80 09) easily. Mme Barhouet speaks no English but Izzy, being French, has been an invaluable gem throughout the whole time! The huge house is clean and has several rooms - Izzy and I shared a room with twin double beds! All the rooms in the house appeared to have double beds. After a lovely shower we washed our clothes to be shown the drying area across the road in a communal grounds.

2 Italian pilgrims arrived a few hours later and they had walked from Hopital Sainte Blaise. There appeared to be a little shop in the village but, appeared to be shut when Izzy popped over! But, there is a lovely restaurant very near the Gîte. EBD1C0F8-182A-4443-8113-5A16D3C4D3DD.jpeg

E7FBE254-9114-4993-B906-D375244075FC.jpeg
 
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The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
eh, a great pity indeed you missed the opportunity to stay at the pilgrims' albergue in Lourdes

But I am glad indeed you're walking that path, it's just lovely !!

eh, you also avoided the Church gîte at Arudy ; that's like not stopping at SJPP

hmmmm, think there's something in your tactics needing revision, sorry

But what can I say, I'm not the one in your boots, just a bit frustrated by your account of missed opportunities and odd concerns

That section of the pilgrim Way is extraordinary and beautiful, lacking in neither hardships nor the trite nor in kindly beauty and occasional deceptive mountain-leap't challenge, in the very nature of the foothills of our own complex and difficult natures.

But to walk it simply hiking is to miss those exceptions.

My advice : stop deciding, but surrender and accept ; strange, with your experience, I thought that you would have learned that one by now ... taxis will not help you towards the destination that you seek
 
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eh, a great pity indeed you missed the opportunity to stay at the pilgrims' albergue in Lourdes

But I am glad indeed you're walking that path, it's just lovely !!

eh, you also avoided the Church gîte at Arudy ; that's like not stopping at SJPP

hmmmm, think there's something in your tactics needing revision, sorry

But what can I say, I'm not the one in your boots, just a bit frustrated by your account of missed opportunities and odd concerns

That section of the pilgrim Way is extraordinary and beautiful, lacking in neither hardships nor the trite nor in kindly beauty and occasional deceptive mountain-leap't challenge, in the very nature of the foothills of our own complex and difficult natures.

But to walk it simply hiking is to miss those exceptions.

My advice : stop deciding, but surrender and accept ; strange, with your experience, I thought that you would have learned that one by now ... taxis will not help you towards the destination that you seek

Hi

Thanks for your response... yes indeed, I missed the Albergue in Lourdes and the special Gîte in Arudy....

You are indeed correct. I have had some missed opportunities walking this route the way I would have done, had it had been planned that I was to do it solo...

A friend was to walk the route with me - he is strongly non religious and hence, would not stay in religious accommodations. We had booked all our accommodations on the route but then he found out he could not come. I managed to cancel most of the hotels, but not all! I would have liked to stay in the church Gîte in Arudy, but that was not to be....

I have enjoyed this Camino thus far, and, the lessons I have learned... plus meeting Izzy, my wonderful, kind walking companion... This trip, has indeed taught me a lot, much more than I had anticipated!

Ginette
 
Day 7 St-Jean-Ibarre to St Jean Pied de Port 20.6 km

We have reached St Jean Pied De Port..... it took us 7 hours 30 mins which included several stops as well as an almost 2 hour lunch at St Jean Le Vieux!

We left the Gîte at 0800 hours after the Italian pilgrims who had gone on their way. One had walked from Milan and joining the Camino Norte after SJPdP and the other from Assisi and then continue on the Camino Frances after SJPdP. Like Izzy and myself, they had met early in their walk and had got on really well but will go on their separate Caminos after SJPdP.

Izzy and I will go up the Pyrenees tomorrow to just after Orisson and then hike down. We will then get to Bayonne and to Biarritz for our flights home, which happened to be on the same day!

The route out of the Gîte this morning was easy to find. Mme Barhouet told us to use the route that went round the back of the Gîte but we decided to take the road. We arrived at the wonderful boulangerie patisserie at Bunus for fresh breakfast. The Italian pilgrims were already there, although their route was about 1 km longer. It is a hot day and the temperature is creeping up...

After breakfast, we continued on the D918 (with a couple of rest stops) and some of the GR65 where we stopped for lunch at St Jean Le Vieux. After lunch we went on D933 all the way to St Jean Pied de Port, and the Pilgrims ‘ Office to get our stamp. The temperature is 31C at 1530 hours!

We booked into the municipal Albergue for €10 each. There were a few vacancies when we booked in, but it is filling up well... The Italian pilgrims are also here and lots of other nationalities... South Koreans, Japanese, French etc
 
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A friend was to walk the route with me - he is strongly non religious and hence, would not stay in religious accommodations

Oh that's a great shame, even just because it's very silly to refuse offers of hospitality for such reasons.

And on a religious pilgrimage -- seriously ??

In a situation of despair of anywhere to sleep, I was offered just a spot on the lawn by an obviously radical Muslim man, whose wife (whom I never even saw) provided some sustenance for me from some secret area, and I was BTW unable to put the bag down indoors because of Sharia, and I was very grateful for his kindness, instead of declaring any such religious intolerance.

Such a shame, a very significant purpose of the Camino is to learn to see each other as we all of us are, each in our endlessly complex ways, not scrunched up into the tiny little boxes of the identity politics.
 
I 'm preparing for my 4th Camino, still with the intent to fill in some of the opportunities I missed before - both in a physical and psychological sense. I think it is very normal to miss certain things, to emphasise some at the expense of others. Each Camino is different and highly individual. I very much appreciate your contributions.
 
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Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

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our relationship to the God Source

VERY unwilling to discuss this, including of course because of forum rules, but I can't let that one by without at least some manner of return : there's no "God Source", the Divine isn't some New Age sci-fi hand-wavey thing co-invented by Paulo Coelho and Dan Brown.

Won't post anything more on this if you respond, but I do find that the attempts by some to redefine the Camino according to such ideology are starting to constitute an unhelpful influence upon some people's pilgrimages to Compostela.
 
Post deleted because of misunderstanding - no worries. I do not wish to distract from Ginette’s kind contribution to the forum.
 
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eh, a great pity indeed you missed the opportunity to stay at the pilgrims' albergue in Lourdes

But I am glad indeed you're walking that path, it's just lovely !!

eh, you also avoided the Church gîte at Arudy ; that's like not stopping at SJPP

hmmmm, think there's something in your tactics needing revision, sorry

But what can I say, I'm not the one in your boots, just a bit frustrated by your account of missed opportunities and odd concerns

That section of the pilgrim Way is extraordinary and beautiful, lacking in neither

hardships nor the trite nor in kindly beauty and occasional deceptive mountain-leap't challenge, in the very nature of the foothills of our own complex and difficult natures.

But to walk it simply hiking is to miss those exceptions.

My advice : stop deciding, but surrender and accept ; strange, with your
experience, I thought that you would have learned that one by now ... taxis will not help you towards the destination that you seek

Every missed opportunity provides a new One! Izzy sounds like a real gift for your camino experience. Go with your instincts. Negative comments are not helpful! Live your own Camino ...Keep your posts coming-Love the details! Safe and blessed Camino!
 
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VERY unwilling to discuss this, including of course because of forum rules, but I can't let that one by without at least some manner of return : there's no "God Source", the Divine isn't some New Age sci-fi hand-wavey thing co-invented by Paulo Coelho and Dan Brown.

Won't post anything more on this if you respond, but I do find that the attempts by some to redefine the Camino according to such ideology are starting to constitute an unhelpful influence upon some people's pilgrimages to Compostela.
LIKE x1000
 
Every missed opportunity provides a new One! Izzy sounds like a real gift for your camino experience. Go with your instincts. Negative comments are not helpful! Live your own Camino ...Keep your posts coming-Love the details! Safe and blessed Camino!


Hi

Thank you for your kind response...Izzy is my little French “daughter” and we are still in contact. Am hoping that we will meet again soon! She is a wonderfully kind person, indeed, a gift in so many ways.

Am on the Camino Frances currently with my daughter.... she is enjoying it and especially loves the hike up O Cebreiro!

Stay blessed and happy, folks!

Ginette
 
Ginette! Buen Camino to you! I decided today to commence my Camino Frances from Lourdes but didn't know the route or any other info - a fellow pilgrim directed me to your post. The camino and fellow pilgrims are already providing! Thank you so much for all the detail and inspiration and best of everything on your continued Camino!
Janet
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Hey Janet

I wish you Bon Chemin! You are welcome...! Always happy to share whatever little knowledge I have!

Hope the weather will be good for your Camino! We are in Arzúa tonight and the temperature is a tolerable 18C now....the highest today was 27C, I believe so it’s been great for walking!

Ginette
 
Hello Jane
I too am live on the Lourdes trail \\now in mauleon and navigating a topsy turvy basque keyboard in the librqry near the gite:
tourist info office in lourdes very helpful with maps and accom numbers
the km seems modest;;;days are long up and down~~~so factor that in~~i mentally add another five kms now~~very wonderful~~loving the quiet days~~and cool too
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Hi

The American priest and his brother highly rated the monastery in Betharram, which means you could give Asson a miss.... If I had to stay in Asson, I would go for hotel reservations. I don’t think there is anywhere else cheap to stay in Asson other than where we were...

Happy preparation for your Camino!


Thanks for the tips I'm off to walk from Lourdes on 19th August, not long to go. Only to SJPDD then to Leon for the San Salvador.
 
I will be starting El Camino in Lourdes the first week of August (2019). Any advise I could get is appreciated. I am traveling alone and I understand that there is the possibility to get lost sometimes during this part. Any advise? Also on albergues along this route?
Florida Pilgrim 72
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Walked it last month in the reverse direction! No problem following the trail markers which are abundant in both directions. I always have the maps.me on my iPhone just in case I get lost since it uses gps and does not require cell service.

I HIGHLY recommend the pilgrim gite in Lourdes (you can even stay two nights so you can visit the shrine) as well as the parochial gite in Arudy. And don’t miss the last real beret factory of France (near the pilgrim gite in Oloron).

Are you walking to SJPdP or through Somport to the Aragon Valley?
 
The inconvenient with signposts is that sometimes the Camino and the GR markers don't follow the same route -the latter go sometimes for "scenic", hence more difficult options. And, contrary to Frances, there is not a "canonic" way, guides can differ. But the only real problem I found was in Rieuhles, where you follow a local hiking signposting -and I discovered too late that the Camino was just one of many; just read the instructions at the panel carefully, before crossing the main high road, and you will be fine.
It is a beautiful way, with some tough stages. Villages, farms, lots of sheep, too....
I went in late September, until SJPP, and it was quiet; walked alone most of the time. August is still hiking season, so you can expect more company.
 
Thank you for your advice and information. I am looking forward to this experience for a long time. Anything else I need to know is appreciated.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Are you heading through Somport/Jaca or to SJPdP?
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
We took the Arles at Oloron Sant Marie, so I only know the first three days of your route: Lourdes-Asson-Arudy. Stayed at the pilgrim gites at all three and they were fine.

There’s a post from 2018 making Asson sound scary and to be avoided, but that was not our experience. You SHOULD call each gite a day ahead or the morning you expect to arrive in each town, though, so they know that you are coming. If you do not speak French, have a tourist office or the previous night’s hospitalero do it for you. One option we didn’t do was to stay in the monastery in Betherram (instead of Asson), but others say it’s a nice place.

Food and drink can be limited, especially on Mondays and during non-mealtimes, so carry a supply just in case.

Otherwise it is a beautiful and fairly easy route
 
Thank you so much for sharing this. I can’t wait to be there and experience the beauty around there.
 
Yes thank for your information the 20th August my arrival day looms closer. 😊
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Yes thank for your information the 20th August my arrival day looms closer. 😊
Hi SusanMB and Alsacia, if you guys have the time, plan to stay in Lourdes couple days to take in the activities and see the sanctuary, grotto, and walk of the cross etc., and even take a healing bath! We just came back walking from Le Puy to Moissac then bus to Lourdes. We stayed at the pilgrim accueil Gite La Ruche, 21a, Rue de Pau for couple nights. The host Jean-Louis Doux is super friendly but speaks mostly French! Please do make reservation as I saw some pilgrims got turn away with the gite full. Able to speak or understand some French really enhance your experience! It is so beautiful there now I am planning to go back to Toulouse or Lourdes then walk to Somport, and do the Aragones route in September!
Bon Chemin!
 
Lourdes is quite an experience. I would not elaborate here; just say that I left the city very moved, but with mixed feelings. Anyway, it will not leave you indifferent.
I recommend that you visit the Lourdes parish, near the main square and the tourism bureau. It is a quiet place, with some statues related to the miracle, with a style sober and at the same time emotional. A good place to spend some moments of reflection, and (if it suits you) of prayer, far from the crowds.
 
There is very little to see or do in Asson while Betharram is quite scenic with its river and religious buildings. Our decisions on where to stay are nearly always based on travel time, so if the monastery works for you distance-wise, it’s a fine choice.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Betharram: it offers the option of private or communal dorm; I chose the latter (actually, I was the only one in a big cavernous room...) There is also an optional dinner; the food was, uhm, healthy (the monastery doubles as a nursing home, and I guess the food was the same for everybody) ), but I enjoyed the company of the elder of the community, who had many stories about old times in this remote village. Additionally, you will be invited to share the friars at Mass (also, optional).
Take notice also that the entry to Betharram albergue is not evident; there was no signpost when I was there. It is a narrow corridor between two buildings, just opposite the old stone bridge.
The church and the adjacent monumental via sacra are very worth visiting.
Betharram is a not long walk from Lourdes (around 17 km), so extending the stage to Asson may make sense, if the albergue is ok.
 
Hi SusanMB and Alsacia, if you guys have the time, plan to stay in Lourdes couple days to take in the activities and see the sanctuary, grotto, and walk of the cross etc., and even take a healing bath! We just came back walking from Le Puy to Moissac then bus to Lourdes. We stayed at the pilgrim accueil Gite La Ruche, 21a, Rue de Pau for couple nights. The host Jean-Louis Doux is super friendly but speaks mostly French! Please do make reservation as I saw some pilgrims got turn away with the gite full. Able to speak or understand some French really enhance your experience! It is so beautiful there now I am planning to go back to Toulouse or Lourdes then walk to Somport, and do the Aragones route in September!
Bon Chemin!
Thank you Simon Shum.
 
Lourdes is quite an experience. I would not elaborate here; just say that I left the city very moved, but with mixed feelings. Anyway, it will not leave you indifferent.
I recommend that you visit the Lourdes parish, near the main square and the tourism bureau. It is a quiet place, with some statues related to the miracle, with a style sober and at the same time emotional. A good place to spend some moments of reflection, and (if it suits you) of prayer, far from the crowds.
Felipe do you recommend a Hostal at Lourdes? Is there a pilgrim’s albergue? I will arrive in 2 weeks.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Alsacia, I happen to have the above photo in my file. Hope it shows the phone numbers of the gite. Felipe may have other info. Bon Chemin!
 
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