Chasing After Jess

After a very comfortable night, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of yoghurt, apricots, apple puree, cheese, jams, and freshly baked baguette in the beautiful dining room. A French businessman with a little black sports car joined us.

We were in no rush to leave since the supermarket only opened at 8:30 am, and we needed to stock up on food supplies. Our lovely hostess shared the amazing history of the old home, initially owned by the town notary and passed down through the family. She grew up in the town, bought the house in 2007, and after 3 years of renovation, opened it as a B&B in 2010. A mix of pilgrims and business travellers stayed here, but she only cooked for the pilgrims. After packing us 2 freshly baked croissants for our journey, we reluctantly said goodbye and set off.

It was cool after overnight rain, with a forecast for more. After stopping at the supermarket, with our packs noticeably heavier, we crossed the l’Adour river and walked through the lovely town of Aire-sur-l’Adour. We visited the beautiful Saint-Jean-Baptiste d’Aire cathedral before tackling a steep uphill out of town. We passed Avenue Nelson Mandela, marked with a mural and photo of Nelson Mandela on a South African flag, sparking interesting conversation. Some of the houses along the way were modern with arches and wrought iron balustrades, while others were traditional A-frame styles with stone walls.

After about 6 km, we cleared the outskirts of the town. The sun came out, and the track passed through grassy fields before descending through a forest into a lake reserve. The path wound around the lake, with benches to sit and enjoy the peaceful views, before exiting via a wooden boardwalk and heading back up into the grass-covered hills. It felt liberating to be in the middle of nowhere, simply walking and enjoying the peaceful isolation.

We soon returned to flat paths winding through fields of corn. A cool change and some rain meant we needed our fleecy and rain gear before arriving at our overnight stop, a beautifully restored farmhouse built in 1722 with magnificent gardens. We shared a delicious dinner of vegetable soup, chicken and mushroom stew with rice, and fresh raspberries from the garden served with crème fraîche with a pilgrim from Germany and two fellow countrymen from Canberra.

With only 7 days left on this track, I am filled with a sense of impending loss and sadness, grappling with the inevitability of the end, while trying to savor each remaining moment of this incredible journey.

Jess x