From Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port

---

Started the day with a chocolate croissant from the Boulanger, being too mean to pay 9 Euros for breakfast at the hotel which would probably comprise the same. Followed by a leisurely stroll over the bridge to the main and more interesting part of Bayonne. Typically old French town of 3/4 storey buildings residing in shabby splendour along the side of the river and moving up into the narrow streets of the town, with peeling walls and Windows and shutters that look like they could do with a lick of paint. All part of the charm.



Next stop le Gare to get the train to St J P de P. I have to say all the French people I have met so far have been absolutely lovely. To be honest I think my attempted French is so comical it breaks the ice.

The journey to St J P P is beautiful. Travelling alongside a river, in view for most of the time, on the other side there there is a mix if mostly pastoral and some agricultural countryside with fields of sheep and cattleb grazing and the occasional crop (sugarbeet?) Interspersed with woodland. Its quite a bright day for most of the time so the leaves are glistening in the sunlight.

Then the mountains emerge from the cloud in the distance. In fact the mountains emerge from the cloud in the distance in quite an alarming way - much bigger than I expected! Judging from some of the faces in the carriage, which is full of pilgrims, I am not the only one to be momentarily daunted!

In less than an hour we arrive in St J P P.

---