The Ashes

Had a great relaxing day today, just preparing for our walk and buying some last minute necessities. Decided to buy a full length poncho and Shaz got some weather proof pants as the forecast is for rain and 5 degrees heading over the Pyrenees tomorrow. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr Should be a great day, bit nervous to start the walk finally. Breakfast is at 630am, then we head up the road and buy pilgrims lunch bag as there is no towns that we pass through tomorrow and then were on our way.

A lot of history in this town, Saint Jean Pied De Port, walked around the fortress, it was built to keep the Spanish from invading France. Tha city walls are still standing and in great condition.

Thier is a shallow river running through the town and there are several bridges. We stood on two of the bridges and looking down into the water we spotted over 15 trout on either side of each bridge. Bloody trout everywhere and not a fisherman in sight. Unreal. Upstream there are plenty of willows, heaps of work over here to do too.

Looking down into the shallow water, trout everywhere. 

Food good here, we go to little cafés and get Pelerin (pilgrim) meals. Set menu of soup, followed buy a meat dish, desert and wine for around 11euro. Great value. Already meeting lots of people from all over the world. The town has a special buzz about it as there are heaps of people ready to start the walk, all probly a bit nervous like us. 

You might be wondering why this post is called tha Ashes. We went for dinner and sat down next to three blokes who just happened to be poms, from Sussex. We'll it didn't take long for the banter to begin and next thing you know we had a bet, last one into town tomorrow night shouts drinks. Hence , let the ashes begin. They are starting earlier than us by about an hour so we have our work cut out for us. Tomorrow's walk is 28km so we have good chance of catching them.  And when they left the cafe before us they even shouted us a carafe of wine to try to slow us down. Well as Aussies we said thanks, drank the free wine and said, bring it on mate, let the ashes begin! C'mon Aussie C'mon 

Looking out of our room towards our destination for tomorrow in the distance