The forecasts said rain early, then cloudy late morning with showers in the later afternoon.
I was prepared in full rain gear as I left Hôtel Le Commerce in Navarrenx. Today would be the fifth and last 18+, mostly 20 milers, in a row.
Le Commerce is at the opposite end of the square to the building that is part of Porte Saint Antoine, the picturesque gateway through the bastion. Here is a sequence of photos showing my progress through the Porte and ending overlooking the Pont de Navarrenx. I said, “Pretty cool,” to myself as I looked back after crossing the bridge.
The weather condition was partly cloudy at this time. The air was fresh and birds were singing all around. As I saw the glow at the end of this forest stand, I thought that I was to have good day. Symbolically — the end of the tunnel? I found out the tunnel was really long.
Lots of thoughts go through one’s mind when walking alone. When I saw these cows, my mind got twisted trying to recall the nursery rhyme, Little Boy Blue. Where were the sheep? Or was it, the cows are in the meadow and the sheep are in corn. Was this another example of a senior moment?
About a third of the way along, I came across this sign by the side of the road. The first line is in French, the second in Basque, and the third in Catalan (had to look the word up). I had just entered Basque land. Note the white and red “X” on the stone to the sign’s right. That symbol means wrong way as opposed to the horizontal white over red blazes meaning the correct way. In this case, it meant don’t go straight, take the downward path to the right.
At that moment, you can see that sky was partly cloudy with brilliant blues. Within five minutes, I luckily found shelter when a fierce downpour started and lasted 20 minutes. Getting up, my back acted up and was sore for the rest of walk — nine miles to go. It was 1PM.
It took me six hours to walk the nine miles. I took some Tylenol at a few rest stops. My lower back ached. I no longer walked with a normal gait. I thought that I was the tin man from the Wizard of Oz.
But through the ascents and descents of the valleys, the beauty of the Basque land revealed itself. The dark clouds provided such a dramatic backdrop.
I staggered into the Hôtel de las Paix at 7PM. I had been on the walk for almost 11 hours. I was glad that I made it before sundown. Sharon called me at 7:30 to find out if I was ok. Flat on my back, my condition was questionable. For my next walk, I’ll make sure that I don’t have consecutive 20 milers. One is enough at this age.
After resting and cleaning up, I went to the hotel’s restaurant with its charming and relatively quiet dining room. I could not miss dinner which was included in my package.
I went with the pâté maison, the local pink trout over creamy noodles, and fruit with a dollop of sherbet. This meal was very good to excellent. I complemented the dishes with a blonde (not blanche) Basque beer (what a superb taste) and a glass of Jurançon white produced about 8 miles away. I was contented.
I’ll take my time tomorrow. Only 7 miles.
