Camino Baztan - Day 4

 28 September 2023

Elizondo to Venta San Blas - 18 kms

Wow, we're in a fabulous place tonight. We're in an accommodation up in the hills with nothing else around. 

Carlos and his wife Xefe are so welcoming and friendly. The French/Canadian trio are staying here tonight also. Xefe is doing all our washing and Carlos will cook our dinner. They are like mother and father to us all ...but they're around our age or younger. Carlos is so funny - we're using Google Translate to talk to each other. He said they are Basque, not Spanish. Right now he has given us a Basque alcoholic drink to try. It's called patxarán and is made with endrina, as far as we can make out they are sloe berries. Carlos initially gave us some commercially produced patxarán then some he made himself. Es muy bueno. 

It's been a fabulous day altogether. We were expecting a hard day climbing but for three quarters of the walk there we had as many descents as ascents, the camino only started climbing for the last 3 or 4 kilometres and even then only the last kilometre or so was steep, especially the last 100 metres. We were expecting to reach around 900m but we're only at 715m.

The path took us on roadsides and onto tracks. We walked through forests and villages. We crossed paths with the French/Canadian trio several times. We stopped together for a midmorning break. 

After a foggy fresh start it got to around 26°C today and was very sunny but for much of the time we were in shade. 

The French/Basque trio have just arrived. Our Camino family will be together again tonight.

I have added the photos for day 2 and will add photos to day 3 when I can.

Leaving Elizondo around 7.30 this morning.

The Baztan River in Elizondo. 

And out into the fog.

A small settlement before Ziga.

Near Ziga

Jeff with the French/Canadian trio - Guyon, the  Canadian on the left,  Gérard, Jeff and Michel near Ziga. They are great fun.

On our way again. 

Ziga

And out into the country again. Most of the signs are in Basque only. 

Coming into Berroeta.

Many of the houses have dried thistles on the door. In Baztan mythology the thistle protects their homes from danger from the big creature who lives in the Baztan Forests. 

Today we had stinging nettles, yesterday we had gorse and blackberry vines to contend with. 

In Almandoz

We were taken with detail on the carved wooden beam on this house. 

This photo shows the fill piece.

Almandoz - all of the churches we have seen in Spain, so far, have been locked. We had become used to the churches open to visit in France. 

Nearing the end of today's walk. 

The French/Canadian trio. We arrived at our accommodation around 1.30pm and had to wait for over an hour before we could check in.

We were being wind blasted while we waited 

Our accommodation - there's nothing else around. 
 

Carlos took our photo. 

Camino Baztan - Day 3

27 September 2023

Urdax to Elizondo - 19 kms

We had a lovely meal last night, all 12 of us pilgrims, in the old Monastery at Urdax. The French trio that we had crossed paths with earlier were there - only two of them are Basque - they are sisters, neither French nor Spanish. One of them explained that they grew up in a home where only Basque was spoken.

Another trio was made up of two French men and a chap who is French Canadian - he can speak English but it doesn't always come easy to him, then there were four Spaniards - a couple and two women walking together. It was a fun evening. 

This morning was a bit of a scramble as we all got ready to get on our way again with the different groups leaving at different times. We were on our way just after 8am.

Today was fabulous. The path took us straight up into the hills. Yesterday we climbed to 400m, today we climbed to 600m - both a warm up for tomorrow's climb. We then had a steep descent and found ourselves in the beautiful village of Amaiur where we had lunch at a hotel. Already at the hotel were the two French and Canadian men and just after we got there the other trio arrived, the Frenchman and the two Basque women - one of whom placed our order for us, speaking Basque. 

We walked through beautiful wooded areas, especially when up in the hills, with views out to farmland and little settlements from time to time, as well along roadsides and through villages. 

We had one nasty experience when we were challenged by four very aggressive dogs, one in particular came charging towards us. We kept our heads down and kept going and all was well in the end! And our snake encounters continued.

Coming down from the hills we entered the Baztan Valley, and are in Elizondo tonight, the main town in the area, with the Baztan River running through it. 

It was a hot humid day once again, the temperature was 30°C this afternoon. Cloud cover protected us from direct sun which helped us to manage. We're rather tired tonight though 😊

Setting off from Urdax, the Monastery and albergue in the background. 

The path took us straight out into the country. 

We were 763 kms from Santiago de Compostela at this stage. 

We had chestnuts, hazelnuts and acorns raining down on us.

We had a morning break in the woods - water and Espelette pepper chocolate. 

Making the most of a water fountain - they are few and far between. 

Coming into Amaiur. 

At the hotel in Amaiur. L-r: Guyon, French-Canadian; Jacques, French; Michel, French;  Marie-Claire and Françoise,  sisters, Basque; Jeff: Gérard, French - he jumped out the window for this photo. We had a fun time together. 

Gérard insisted that I take this photo. He said that the window perfectly framed the view.

Leaving Amaiur. 

...and back in the countryside. 

We walked through the small village of Urrasun.

This area used slabs of rock for fences.

It was near here that the dogs threatened us.

Another small settlement 

At last, walking into Elizondo.

We had a view of the Church of Santiago from our room. 

The Church of Santiago in Elizondo. Sadly it was locked. 

Elizondo 

An Elizondo house. Elizondo had a very strange feel about it - maybe it was because we had both read the Baztan trilogy before leaving home. The books certainly aren't my usual genre. I think the stories, which included Basque mythology,  biased our thoughts as far as Elizondo was concerned.  It may have been just because we were so tired after the day's walk too though.