Camino Baztan October 2016

[timr]

I am heading to Biarritz in the morning and start from Bayonne on Friday. Just a "sub-orbital hop" as they used to say in the very early days of space exploration. I am finishing this time in Pamplona (and coming home through Barcelona where I am looking forward to a couple of nights).
I am not realistically expecting to meet too many people along the way. Though it would be a bonus.
I will post something when I get back.
Looking forward to it immensely.
Thanks again for all those who have posted their experiences on this little sub-forum. Every little helps.
Tim

 

[SYates]

Buen Camino, SY

 

[AcrossTheWater3008]

Buen Camino @timr

 

[NualaOC]

Buen Camino Tim! Sending happy vibes from the beautiful Primitivo. There are quite a few similarities between the two routes.

Don't forget the Sunday and Monday shop/restaurant closures in the rural areas. Stock up on food when you can (although the hospitaleras will help if you get stuck).

 

[petro]

Buen Camino!

 

[timr]

@NualaOC Thanks yes. I had noticed that I was following in your footsteps with regard to the days, and your comments on your (lack of) retail therapy opportunities had alerted me!

 

[KinkyOne]

I guess I will be very fortunate to hear about your Baztan experience live and first hand.

Tim is coming to Ljubljana (where I live) end of the month to run the marathon and we will meet, so you can understand my above sentence

Ultreia, Tim!

 

[basquelady]

I am heading to Biarritz in the morning and start from Bayonne on Friday. Just a "sub-orbital hop" as they used to say in the very early days of space exploration. I am finishing this time in Pamplona (and coming home through Barcelona where I am looking forward to a couple of nights).
I am not realistically expecting to meet too many people along the way. Though it would be a bonus.
I will post something when I get back.
Looking forward to it immensely.
Thanks again for all those who have posted their experiences on this little sub-forum. Every little helps.
Tim

We walked Baztán starting from Bayonne on Aug 17th. We did not meet any other pilgrims so had the lovely clean albergues all to ourselves. Take care and use poles would be my advice; there are parts that are tricky underfoot and if you fall, as my husband did, there is unlikely to be anyone around to help. Carry extra food and water as there are not the in between places which one gets used to on CF. We crossed over to Zabaldika on the CF from Sorauren. There's a pretty obvious track over the hills, about 3km, although it felt a lot longer due to the temp being in the mid 30s back then. Seemed a nice alternative to the last part of the Baztán. Hope all goes well!

 

[NualaOC]

@NualaOC

I have just reached Arizkun, (after Amaiur). Gerald Kellys says 27k. Tim Redmond says 32+K. I got very lost between Espelette and Ainhoa. Stunned by the scenery I guess. Without Google maps I'd still be there I think, although I could have retraced my steps and gone on main road I guess. But all just beautiful and I'd do it again so far. I'm frightened to look at my track. I was near to an albergue in St. Pée when I realised I was probably on the way to Irun.
It's good to be in Spain. Sooooo much cheaper.
Enjoy the night. I ate enough for two in Benigno in splendid isolation in the closed restaurant on a Sunday!.

Well done Tim, that was quite a hike! Especially with the big hill in the middle. I remember that we got quite lost when leaving Esplette, and again after Urdax.

Glad you're enjoying it - from what I can recall, the next two days are a joy.
Nuala

 

[timr]

@NualaOC
I have just reached Villava / Trinidad del Arre, so believe I am now on the Camino Frances. A little surprised at 3:30pm to be the first in the Marist Brothers albergue. Thought we would be running into crowds.
Four longish days from Bayonne to here on Camino del Baztan. Extraordinarily beautiful walk. For the most part, well waymarked, but still possible to get lost! Even very lost!! Moreso in France - but also in España. Quite a shortage of mud at this time of year. And long stretches without cafe con leche. But all very much worth it.
I'll post some notes when I get home at the weekend.

 

[NualaOC]

Well done Tim, delighted that you enjoyed the beautiful Baztan! And good that the mud is no longer an issue (not much of it on the Primitivo or Verde either at the moment).

The Baztan is a perfect mini-Camino for those of us who can get cheap flights to Biarritz.

 

[SYates]

... I have just reached Villava / Trinidad del Arre, so believe I am now on the Camino Frances. A little surprised at 3:30pm to be the first in the Marist Brothers albergue. Thought we would be running into crowds....

Indeed you are ;-) Lots of pilgrims walk into Pamplona and miss this little gem of an albergue - Enjoy the peace and quietness and Buen Camino, SY

 

[timr]

Indeed you are ;-) Lots of pilgrims walk into Pamplona and miss this little gem of an albergue - Enjoy the peace and quietness and Buen Camino, SY

I think you, like me, look out specially for the places other people miss.

 

[KinkyOne]

I had an honour to welcome Tim in Ljubljana because he's going to run marathon tomorrow starting at 10:30AM. I picked him up at the airport on Friday and we spent lovely afternoon and evening in city center with some bar crawling But very decent though, ended well before midnight!

Today Tim wanted to see our seaside and eat some fish so we went south some 100kms to Slovenian coastal area where we stopped for lunch in Izola (Isola in Italian). You guessed it right, once the town was an island hence the name that remains.



That's Tim on the left and me on the right. Sunny, no wind, some 15C, marina and promenade in the background, we holding glasses of local white wine Malvazija, Tim having mix of vegetables and grilled bream fish in front of him, while I ordered the same that I'm eating in this restaurant (one of the best but not the most expensive in the coastal area, BTW) everytime I come there, "garuži" (i.e.bolinus brandaris: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolinus_brandaris - sort of a sea snails) in onion sauce with grilled "polenta" (cornmeal mush). Delicious

Then I took him to "salinas" (I found this link very appropriate because it is in Spanish with English subtitles and could give you the feel of what we saw today/yesterday already:

) and finally to the penninsular mediaval city of Piran (Pirano). Both depicted in above link.



Finally we enjoyed the sunset that almost match the one at Cabo Finisterre.



Tim is well asleep by now I guess and he's going to run 42 kilometers tomorrow. Send him some good thoughts starting at 10:30AM.

Ultreia wherever you are and whatever you do!

 

[SYates]

Thanks for that lovely report and the pictures! Tell Tim I wish him good luck and safe arrival at the end point! Buen Camino, SY

 

[timr]

Happy to report that Marathon went very well. I didn't win , but that was never my plan. Most of all I enjoyed the day, and in addition my time was a personal best, by a few minutes. A lovely way to see a lovely city. Hard work in the third quarter, but I finally got second wind and was comfortable for the beautiful final 8k or so, which brought us back into the historic centre over the famous triple bridge.
Meeting with @KinkyOne was a treat and a privilege. And he was a most gracious, entertaining, knowledgeable and enthusiastic host. We divided our long discussions almost equally between Ljubljana/Slovenia and the Camino(s) and the Forum.
The trip to the coast on Saturday was wonderful, and gave me a last blast of Summer before returning to cold wet Wicklow.
Thanks to @KinkyOne for kindness and generosity. Ljubljana recommended to anyone who has half an idea of going there.
When I failed to get a place for the Dublin City Marathon this year (on the same day), I was somewhat disappointed. I am not now!

 

[KinkyOne]

Well, you know, Tim is kind of..., how should I put this..., nice guy. That's it.

OK, maybe he's a bit more than just nice, anyway he ran a marathon this past Sunday. Got to give him a credit for that.

Ah, one more thing I remember. I really did understand his English. I mean he's a "scouser" (=Liverpoodlian) living in Ireland. And I was still able to understand all he said. Can you imagine that?

After a bit of thinking I also have to admit he knows much about things, starting with medicine and span it all the way to Camino experience or should I say knowledge. But still, is that anything special? I mean here, on this Forum? You have to concur with that, don't you.

And when we went to the coast on Saturday, ahhh, and my sciatica gave me another burst of troubles he went on his own about the town without any sorrow for me waiting for him all alone in a bar. Is that something you would do to a fellow Caminoist?

But the more I think about him one more capability of his came to my mind. He was following me in drinking ad1: beer, ad2: white wine (no Tempranillo or Rioja here, sorry) & ad3: plum brandy. I think that would make him a great chap, bloke & mate at the same time.

Nothing special about him you would surely agree.

No, no, I forgot one more thing. He gave me a present, a very nice present in form of a book. This book is full of aerial photos of Dublin, beautiful photos. Wasn't that very nice of him?

Well, after I gave a little bit more of thinking about what I've just wrote I have to addmit that he's really great company and I would share walking the Camino with him in a heartbeat


Thanks, Tim!


PS (Tim, I tried to write this in kind of a humorous tone, but maybe just you and me understand it. )