The last two days have been a pleasure as we approach the Pyrenees and the Spanish (Basque) border.
Salies-de-Béarn is a beautiful town, obviously very wealthy in its past. It is known for its salt (hence the name) which is mined by pumping water into the underground deposits here. Also, hot springs with salt concentrations ten times as high as the ocean have attracted many people.
Saint-Jean-Pied-De-Port is the starting point for most of the pilgrims who walk the ‘French Way’ of the Camino de Santiago. Lovely walled town, full of shops, small hotels and restaurants. The Camino has several routes, and the ‘French Way’ is used by about 60% of all walkers. It is a challenging walk, and it starts with walking through the Roncesvalles pass through the Pyrenees. Walkers climb to about 1000m over 20kms or so. Not easy.
The video below shows our ride leaving Salies-de-Béarn on Sunday morning through the market, a bit of our journey, and a short video riding through Saint-Jean-Pied-De-Port.
