Navarrenx: the French Basque Country
There is not a better smell in France that the French mint in the fields. I like to put some leaves in my mouth late in the walk. It is refreshing!
Leaving Arthez de Béarn was lovely. The path was quiet and serine. Arriving to Argagnon gave me a pick of the Pyrénées in the distance, and the Gave the the Pau river was clear blue.
Passing Maslacq, I entered a massive corn field. It was like a maze with not end. There was a fresh flowers smell in the air. A sunflower field covered the last kilometer. Walkers has been making faces on the flowers. They made me laugh with their creativity. I started listening a strong current of water for 300 meters. I thought that a water splinter has broken, when the river itself revealed to me. The currents where strong. I passed an abandoned house. I dreamed to repair it!
Passing the house was the test of the day, a big hill in rocks. I took it as normal, and kept going to discovered that there were 5 more hills after that.
I was thirsty. It has been three hours, and I like to drink after 4 hours walk. You know I like to have coffee and a chocolatinne by the third hour. At 9:30am, I arrived to the old abbey of Sauvelade, after running down the hill for one kilometer. The abbey has been abandoned. The chapel was beautiful. 300 meters pass the abbey was a restaurant, but the chef said that he would not serve coffee. I just kept walking up the hill, and more up the hill.
Something smelly came to the scene between Beduque and Boussaque, all the duck farms of France. The smell was strong, when I took the shower today, I just smell like a duck.
I stopped after the farms for lunch in a high point. A young man was running up the hill by me and stopped. I told him: common keep going. He laughed and walked. He came back, and o I said to him: keep running down, which he did. I did not know how deep this hill was until I run it down with my backpack. In the middle of the hill there was a spring of fresh water. An old man was filling several gallons. I wait for him to finish. The water was cold and refreshing. I drank a bottle on the spot, and refilled it.
Now I entered the village of Méritein, a lovely place to live. The houses are more modern here. There are 2.4 km now to Navarrenx. It is a fortified village with a wall. Therefore, it is very hot here. The wall covered the city, and the breeze that comes from the river Gave d’Oloron. France is very rich in water resources. Every path that I have walked has fresh water springs, and they are very strong.
Arriving to Navarrenx, I stopped at the first restaurant for a drink. When I went to pay, they did not speak French, but Basque. What? I though it was in Spain. But here in southern France border with Spain, they consider themselves Pays Basque too. It was very natural in me. I just gave the waitress the right amount of money, like I knew the language. Mmmmm.
I went to pay my gite for the night at a local bar, then I went to the gite and did the normal stuff: shower, laundry, and nap.
A family: a mom and two adolescents children will be my roommates tonight. They are from north west France. We had a great chat before dinner. There were very curious about Puerto Rico. I showed them the bioluminescent bay, and they were fascinated.
Around 4pm, I went out around the village to take photos, but the temperatures were so high that walking by the side walk you may get melted.
I bought so groceries and went to the gite to cook. I think I got cooked myself. It was hot!
After dinner, I came down to the patio. There is a big West Indies party tonight. It is Friday, who is going to sleep tonight? There is a big choral concert at the Church at 9pm. I think I am going to it, then I will be back to the street party. Just three days, and I will be in the Pyrenees…