It’s a lovely Sunday in France. The weather is cool but not cold. I attended a church here that was built in the 13th century. The service was in the Basque language. This is the first time I’ve heard the language. The nave had very tall domed ceilings and was beautiful in a very old way. The attendees were mostly older French or French-Basque people. The pipe organ was built in 1850 and has served the church these 176 years thanks to a 1933 enlargement and a 2005 restoration. The music filled the 800 year old nave magnificently.
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a fortified city. The walls of the city still stand strong and have many porte (gates). The cobblestone streets can be very steep and tests the fitness of hundreds of tourists each day. Each day there are hundreds of pilgrims lining up at the pilgrim office to register for the walk, most leaving the next day. I’ve been here for three days; tomorrow morning I will walk through Notre-Dame Gate beside the old church and down Rue d’Espagne until I get to the yellow sign that points up the hill. My climb will be underway. I will ascend about 2,500 feet over the following 5 km before my day is complete. The following day I will climb about the same elevation and walk the same distance before descending into Roncesvalles, Spain.
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