And yet more Paris

As well as doing all the usual cultural things, today we ate Berthillion ice cream, Laduree macarons and watched the world go by from the cafe opposite St Surplice's ( the church featured in the Da Vinci code) and children sailing boats in the lake at the Jardins du Luxemburg. Beate is now on her way back to Germany..
very sad
We worked out that we have now been together in 7 countries..I wonder where we will meet !next time?

More Paris

Beate is the perfect tour guide for Paris..she had so many good ideas ..and we didn't queue once.

Paris

Lovely day..up early and simply walked until I had had enough..visted Notre Dame and walked along the Seine...didn't bother with anything that involved queuing. Eventually caught Metro back to hostel then headed off to the Gare de L'est to meet the train of my German friend Beate who I met on my first camino 10 years ago. We haven't seen each other for seven years but it doesn't feel like it. We walked up to Sacre Cour and then found some pizza for dinner..with lots of catching up.

And now in Paris

All train connections went smoothly..even the Metro.I am armed with maps and ready to start exploring tomorrow!

and I have finished

At St Jean Pied de Port now.. very odd feeling as everyone else that I have been walking with for the last weeks is going on tomorrow to climb over the Pyranees while I do battle with French trains again and then try to meet my German friend from my first camino; Beate in Paris. I am staying at L'Esprit du Chemin which so far I am very impressed by... full of all kind of thoughtful touches... even a peppermint on my pillow and some shelter for my clothes in the shower! I am tired and sore and generally happy to not be walking tomorrow.. people tell me that your body settles down after a couple of months of walking but I am not sure if I will ever find this out..It has been a wonderful experience but I am ready to come home.

At Gaineko Etxea

Diary week. 5 July 4
Had tried unsuccessfully to make a booking at Arroue but should have done it before the weekend. I did the maths and decided to carry on to Arroue despite the fact it was a smallish gite and quite a few people I talked to already had reservations or were planning on stopping there. I walked for a short while with young Pierre-Benoit who told me he never makes bookings on the theory that no one would want him to have no where to sleep..apparently this has worked for him so far..he is a young engineering student who is carrying his violin as he plans to carry on to Ireland and play in pubs. He looked a bit like Ton with his long legs and curly blonde hair. Then I walked with Swiss Marco who was also reservationless. We arrived to find a list on the door announcing that there were 3 beds "disponsible" and that some one would be around at 5.30 or so to collect the money. We were a little worried that the last 3 beds might be assigned to some one else over the phone but as I couldn't get any phone reception and Marco's phone card didn't seem to work in the phone box, we have simply added our names to the list and moved in.
Later...that seemed to work..they seem to have cupboards and a fridge full of food for pelerins to buy and it is also possible to order baguettes and pain au chocolate to be delivered fresh in the early morning.

Tuesday 5 July. Arroue to Ostabat..a funny days walking as it was very hard to tell from MMDD just how far it was as there were so many variants and the don't mark distances on the variantes. What I thought would be about 25 k seemed much less..not a bad thing as the last hour or so was pretty hot. We are now well into Basque country..every placename has a Basque variant..usually full of Xs. It has also gotten hillier over the last day or so. 
I was told a few days ago that there might be difficulties with bookings in Ostabat as several trails all merged here but that doesn't seem to be the case..in fact Regula and I are so far alone in a 9 bed dortoir.

Navarrenx

Diary week 5 1 July
Last night's municipal gite at AA was not very inspiring ..like a motel packed full of beds that you could hardly squeeze between...but they sagged in just the right places and temperatures had cooled down so I had another good sleep. Wifi only worked if you were close to the reception so I spent much of the evening perched on the stairs catching up with emails. After feeling part of a small group for the last week or so it felt strange to see so many new people...and not French either. For the first time I heard Spanish ...and there seem to be a lot of Swiss people on the Chemin now.

This morning my blisters were healed enough to wear my boots again and after several short 20 k days my muscles are a lot better too. Another nice easy day with lots of cornfields and tiny villages..all very tidy and prosperous looking. As I arrived at a church this morning where lots of pelerins had stoppef for a rest someone said in French .."good..the whole family has arrived now!". Sadly arrived to late to hear Regula who likes to sing in empty churches..they have wonderful accoustics.
sometimes she even sings in English ..but nothing I recognize.  Arrived at the Gite municipal in Pomps about 1.30...a converted sports hall. I am in a room that has been converted from a changing room.  Off it is a shower room..nozzles sprouting from the wall and water puddles on the floor along with 2 beds.  No one wanted to sleep there! As we gathered in the kitchen I  met Craig from Texas who Margaret had told me to watch out for. Long talks that afternoon, dinner outside. Slept badly as no curtain so room was too light and there were sounds of water pipes everytime someone used the loos next door.

Saturday 2 July Pomps to Maslaq. Left early before breakfast and stopped 2 hours later at a marche along the way to buy cherries and pain au chocolate. Can now see the Pyranees towering off in the distance.Craig caught up with me along the way and we walked a couple more hours to Maslancq before stopping at a picnic table for an early lunch then he headed off for another's couple of hours to Souvlade and I stopped at gite. As I always do I checked the bed for the black marks that tbe bedbug pamphlets describe as being bug droppings. There were so many that I assumed that they couldn't be. I had a shower,  did some washing and had a rest before discovering my first bedbug. I squashed it between my fingers and found blood ..don't know whether it was mine or the previous occupent's. After finding another couple I dragged the mattress and my bedding outside into the sun and then visited the epicerie to see of they sold "quelquefois pour les punaise de lit" but they didn't so I tried to ring the woman in charge but didn't get much joy there either so rang and made a booking at Souvelade, 8 kilometers away.I decided that I wouldn't be able to sleep, imagining them crawling over me through the night.  I left just before 6 in the evening and had a very quick walk, arrived about 7.40ish.The sun was still very hot and I needed myi umbrella. Lovely walk through the woods beside a river. Souvelade felt cleaner and gave me my own room with views of the abbey.

Sunday 3 July. Souvelade to Navarrenx.Left with Craig and chatted all the way..only 14 k because of my previous nights walk, and didn't get lost once. Had to wait until 12 for bar to give admittance to municipal gite but it looks ok.

at Navarranx

Cant find wifi so am on french keyboard.. last few days have been lovely apart from a close encounter with a bed bug that lead to me walking an additional 8 k last night to escape.. no bites thqt I know of so far