Chemin du Piémont Pyrénéen - Day 7

 17 September 2023

L'Hopital-Saint-Blaise to Mauléon-Licharre - 18 kms

Today we did enough for a Mallowpuff as Mum used to say. Today the path took us up into the hills. One seemingly endless incline followed by a steep sharp descent - repeated several times. 

Last night the Italian chap, after checking if it suited us, said he would set his alarm for 6.30am, so left it to him and went to sleep. Only he can't have set it correctly so all five of us got off to a later start than we had planned. 

We crossed paths with all three Italians throughout today's walk. We found the ascents very gruelling so we moved very slowly, however we found the descents much easier and moved quite quickly. The Italians were the opposite, hence the reason we criss-crossed each other.

Like most of the days on the chemin, today was very humid, as well as temperatures in the high 20s - yesterday it got to 30°. Humidity combined with the effort needed for the inclines is tiring to say the least but being up in the hills with views out to even more hills, or walking through the beech forest is so lovely making it all worthwhile. 

The walk was a mix of forest tracks and sealed roads - there was very little traffic so they weren't a problem. There were no settlements or villages at all, so no chance of water or food, we had to carry it all, and the supermarkets here in Mauléon-Licharre closed at midday as it's a Sunday so we weren't able to get any food.  We also haven't been able to go to Mass today as the timing was wrong for us.

Mauléon-Licharre looks much like Oloron-Sainte-Marie - they both have rivers through the town centre, and both have houses built right up to the rivers edge. 

We have found a cafe/restaurant that opens at 6.45pm, fingers crossed, so we plan on going there for dinner. The supermarkets will be open in the morning so we'll be able to resupply for the next few days. 

We arrived in Mauléon-Licharre just in time as there's been thunder, lightning and rain since. 

Leaving L'Hôpital-Saint-Blaise 

Setting out 

Gorgeous morning light.

Looking out to more hills.

Grandgirls - even Pappy thought this would would be a good Pappy house.

Here I am - negotiating a fallen tree 

The beautiful forest.

Our first real encounter with sheep. 

Airing feet and a quick snack time.

A Kiwifruit orchard.

I really like the buildings we're seeing. 

The path goes on.

Our first glimpse of Mauléon-Licharre. 

A few snaps taken on a quick walk around Mauléon-Licharre. 

St John the Baptist Church. 

St John the Baptist Church. 

Chemin du Piémont Pyrénéen - Day 6

 September 16, 2023

Oloron-Sainte-Marie to L’Hopital-Saint-Blaise - 25 kms

When we checked in at Oloron-Sainte-Marie our host asked if we would like her to drive us a wee way out of town when we started walking again. We said thanks but no thanks, but after seeing my blister we contacted her again and asked if her kind offer still stood. This was to be our longest day and we didn't know how  well I could walk. Shortening the day by a few kilometers made sense.

She dropped us off at Orin, a village 7 or 8 kms from Oloron-Sainte-Marie and we walked from there. It did seem strange to not walk out of town though, and my blister didn't cause any problems so in hindsight we could have walked it.

Orin was a lovely wee village and not many kilometers along the way we came to Aren, then, just a couple of kilometers later we came to Préchacq-Josaig, the last of the villages until L'Hopital-Saint-Blaise. None of the villages had any services, and nor did L'Hopital-Saint-Blaise when we arrived there. 

We stopped for a morning tea break at Préchacq-Josaig, sitting outside the Mairie which was shut, as was the church. So many of the small churches are locked. 

This part of the walk was through a cropping area on sealed roads but once past the villages the path went up in the hills through what seemed to be a beech forest. 

L'Hopital-Saint-Blaise is a lovely small village, and it's church is it's pride and glory and it's easy to see why. It was built in the 12th century - the timbered eaves were dated to the mid 1140s. The church has been offering refuge to pilgrims since that time - only now, the pilgrim accommodation is in a lodge further up the road. This is where we stayed. Three Italians stayed there also, a couple who we crossed paths with earlier in the day, and a woman walking on her own. The gîte sleeps 8 - 4 bunks in the one room.

As we entered L'Hopital-Saint-Blaise we met Debbie and Fred, the American pilgrims who were with us in Lestelle-Betharram. They weren't staying in the gîte. 

Photos are in reverse order again!

The hospitalero of the lodge.

The old timber which was used to date the church. 

Detail of the entrance arch.

The alter in the church. 

We went to the Light & Sound show in the church. It has a unique Hispanic-Moorish design. 

The gîte. Very simple but all we needed.

So good to be able to hang our washing in the sun.

On our way to the gîte. One of the Italians in front. 

Our first glimpse of L’Hopital-Saint-Blaise, the beautiful church. 

In the woods, near L'Hopital-Saint-Blaise now.

Lunch time.

Jeff had successfully negotiated his way over the incredibly slippery path.

Dodging the mud.

Many buildings have these metal pieces, in different shapes. They seem to support or hold the beams in place. 

I like the colorful shutters.

The Mairie, the town hall in  Préchacq-Josaig. We sat on the seat to the left and had a morning tea break here. 

The church in Préchacq-Josaig - it was locked. 

Most of the cropping has been maize but this is obviously a bean of some kind. 

Aren - all along our walk crepe myrtles have featured. 

An old Chateau in Aren. It appears to be lived in. 

The church in Aren. 

Walking into Aren. We haven't seen any big herds or milking sheds at all.

The Pyrenees are around us now.

I like all the different features of the buildings.

Orin

Detail on the church entrance arch,  Orin.

The church in Orin

 Our host dropping us off in Orin.