From Navarrenx, we headed to Saint-Palais, where we would spend the night. We traversed the bucolic French countryside on a trail with few hills, which was nice for a change. Soon we began to catch glimpses of the Pyrenees in the distance, a particularly bittersweet sight as we would end our 2025 journey there.
Saint-Palais:
Saint-Palais was the capital of the Kingdom of Navarre in the 16th century. Today, it is a market town of 1,840 people with pleasant plazas and quiet streets.
The original City Mill was built during the 13th century, when Sancho the Strong ruled over Navarre. It operated as a mill until the 1990’s when a fire destroyed the main building, leaving only the waterwheels as a silent monument to the site’s history. Years later, an apartment complex arose from the ruins.
Dam and former mill at the town entrance.
The main square, the Place de Foirail, contains several lovely buildings, as well as the town’s main hotel, the Hotel de la Paix, where we stayed. The hotel is built in a traditional Basque style, with a mixture of stucco, stone elements, decorative brick, and boldly painted balconies. Restaurants, cafés, and shops line the square making it a lively spot to dine or enjoy a glass of wine. Like many towns in the region, shops close during the mid to late afternoon, so we had the square almost to ourselves when we arrived.
We enjoyed a lovely dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, then went to bed early in order to be ready for our final day on the chemin.
Hotel de la Paix.
Building on the Place de Foirail.
Place de Foirail.
Place de Foirail.
Ostabat-Asme to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port:
Our last day on the chemin dawned bright and beautiful, and while we were ready for the trip to end, we wanted to enjoy every minute of the walk. Realizing that the distance from Saint-Palais to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, at 19 miles, was a bit too long, we took a cab to Ostabat-Asme and began our walk there. The route was absolutely stunning, winding through quaint villages, tranquil farms, and wooded copses, with the Pyrenees looming ever larger as we approached.
Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste, 19th century.
Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste’s interior.
Typical Basque architecture.
Typical Basque architecture.
Atypical Basque architecture (notice the green trim).
Climbing into the hills.
Saint-Jean-le-Vieux:
Église Sainte-Pierre, a “typical” Basque church, 16th century.
Église de la Madeleine, 14th century.
Église de la Madeleine’s richly colored interior.
Okay, we found some pavement too! Boy, was I glad to have that dorky umbrella – the sun was relentless!
A typical view along the way.
A cozy shelter for Pilgrims.
Shelter interior.
Horses left free to range at will.
Even sheep seek shade!
After a 14-mile walk, we finally arrived in…
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port:
I’m not sure what I expected from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, perhaps a somewhat tacky tourist trap? Well, I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, the town has its share of camino-themed tchotchke shops, but there was plenty of charm, too. The historic town is perched on a steep hill so the exercise continued during our two-day visit. I think the images speak for themselves, so I’ll (mostly) let them do just that.
Porte Saint-Jacques, the official Pilgrim entry to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
Just inside the Porte Saint-Jacques.
We stopped for a welcome drink and enjoyed the company of some lovely Australian ladies who were leaving the next day to begin their walk to Santiago de Compostela.
Notre-Dame du Bout du Pont, Gothic, 13th & 14th centuries.
Notre-Dame du Bout du Pont’s interior.
Charming path in town.
Evening falls on our last night…
Lest we take this pilgrimage thing too seriously, below is the note we found affixed to the door of our intended dinner spot. Left by Jean-Pierre, the owner! As we gazed dumbfounded at the note, Jean-Pierre came running up to apologize in person. He truly felt terrible and kindly pointed out several other dining destinations. He also invited us for coffee the next day, which we had to decline since we were heading to Pamplona, a deviation from our original SNCF (French railroad company) route, whose railroad workers had just gone on strike.
C’est la vie!!!!
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