Into the Pays Basque

April 26, 2024 – Aubertin to Navarrenx – 33 kms – Jasmin 1 Jeanne d’Albret

April 27, 2024 – Navarrenx to Saint Palais – 31 kms – Hotel de la Paix

April 28, 2024 – Saint Palais to La Bastide Clairence – 29 kms – Les Collines Iduki 

We dropped into the tourist office in Navarrenx (a beautiful town on the Chemin de Le Puy that we visited in 2010) a couple of days ago, and after we got our pilgrim stamp Ruth asked where the Basque Country began.  “Twenty kilometres from here” was the response.

Sure enough, 10 kms into my walk the next day I started to see road signs in three languages: French, Occitan, and now Basque.  Ten kilometres further on we were clearly in Basque Country, with the distinctive houses, fronton courts (like outside racquetball), and the tongue twisting Basque names.  We will be passing through the Basque Country for most of the next two weeks, until some distance after Bilbao.  It truly is like being in a country that is neither France nor Spain.

The countryside we are passing through is rolling and lush, mostly devoted to farms of various sizes.  The weather has also improved to the point that we had dinner outside this afternoon, something we haven’t done since we had some freakishly warm weather a couple of weeks ago.

Tonight we are staying in La Bastide Clairence, a medieval fortified Basque town that is on the list of The Most Beautiful Villages in France (as is Navarrenx).  We have taken way too many pictures of the old houses, encouraged by the strong sunshine we have rarely seen recently.

Tomorrow we continue to Bayonne, near the Atlantic Coast.  We will spend a rest day there, our first since we started.  As of today we have walked / cycled 785 kms in 30 days.