3 June - Barcelona

The private hospital where I lay for a number of days after my break and operation, was lovely. It had a settee with a bedside lamp, a fridge stocked with wine and drinks, and a TV.

The physio made me walk on my bad leg, which the Cape Town doctor would not let me do. The staff in the theatre were terrifying and rough. The nursing care was wonderful. My broken leg is now 2.1cm shorter than my 'good' leg.

31 May - Jaca

 View from my hospital bed - broken leg, waiting for medical insurance people to get their act together! Government hospital - wonderful!

16 May - Toulouse

Toulouse 

Wonderful examples of architecture

Two shops next to each other, one selling paper/board and the other selling games. I do not really recall a shop selling games, in South Africa.

The town square with market stalls

Camino arrow

The covered area around the town square, with paintings on the ceilings

28 May - Stage 8 - Villanua to Jaca

Text here is taken from the brochure from Amawalkers

The path to the medieval village of Castillo de Jaca forks at the entrance of Villanua. Exit Villanua at the modern part taking the N-330 road until kilometre 656, where you turn right and by forest roads along the hillside with beautiful views get to Castillo de Jaca by the highest part of the town.

The alternative route on the GR65.3.1 is on the left into the village (7.3 km) and is more strenuous than the alternative on the right. It is not as well marked, but the stretch is more enjoyable as it runs along the same valley to Jaca. The disadvantage is that it follows the N330 for about 3 km. The path curves around to the right next to the N330. After about three-quarters of an hour, it crosses the N330 at the right-hand turn-off to San Adrian, Aratores, and Borau and leaves the road as a small gravel path soon shaded by trees. Half an hour later you reach the upper village of Castiello de Jaca.

Castiello de Jaca, situated on the Pyrenees rocks, has been declared a Historical Artistic Heritage Site. It was first recorded in 1042 and is now an attractive village with streets lined with delightful stone houses. It is worth spending time exploring this beautiful village. It has a Romanesque-Gothic church of San Miguel and some remains of an 8thC Moorish fortress, and a calle Santiago, lined with old houses, some with traditional conical chimneys. There is a bar here.

The Camino follows the drovers’ road (cabañera) from Castiello on a short and picturesque walk (7.5 km) to the ancient pre-Roman settlement town of Jaca, the first large town medieval pilgrims would have come to when walking into Spain. The Pyrenees are now behind us although they will dominate the views to our right for some days yet. There is a short steep climb up to the outskirts of Jaca, which lies on a high plateau, and then a fairly long walk into the town.

Jaca is one of the oldest cities in Spain and was an important pilgrim halt on the way to Santiago. A bustling provincial town, Jaca has a magnificent Romanesque cathedral and the pentagonal Citadel of Jaca which dates from the 16th century. It was started by Philip the second in 1595 and built as protection against the French with an impregnable star-shaped design. Today it serves as the barracks for a branch of mountain hunters. Jaca is the cultural highpoint of the Camino Aragones (together with San Juan de la Pena) and it is the first real city and the largest, you will encounter on this route.

On a charming pedestrian street in the historic city centre, this modest hotel is a 1-minute walk from the Romanesque Jaca Cathedral and 3 minutes' walk from the star-shaped Ciudad la de Jaca fortress. Complimentary breakfast, a casual restaurant, plus an airy tapas bar/cafe with a sidewalk terrace.

The Romanesque cathedral of Saint Pedro founded in 814 but largely dating to 1063 was the first Romanesque cathedral of any importance in Spain. Jaca Cathedral is the first cathedral built in Spain, founded in 1058 by Sancho, king of Aragón and Navarre. This pilgrim church was built under the influence of the Benedictine monastery of Cluny in France. The church has many wonderful sculptures (capitals and timpani) made by the Maestro de Jaca between 1065 and 1080. In the cloister, there is a superb museum with Romanesque frescoes and sculptures from hermitages and churches in the Jaca area. There is also the Church of Santiago's which celebrates a daily mass for Pilgrims at 8 pm

We stayed at a lovely place in Canfranc - as we left

In Jaca we booked into our hotel and went for lunch. After lunch, I had a shower and a snooze. We went to visit the local church. On the steps leading into the church I slipped and broke my leg.

27 May - Stage 7 - Somport to Villanua

If you are returning to the Pass to walk to Villanua, have a look at the profile map below. From Canfranc Estación we continue south along the Camino Aragones. The path follows the Aragon River most of the way and the sound of running water is often heard along the trail. Canfranc – originally ‘Campus Francus’ or place of foreigners, a medieval frontier village. Almost totally destroyed by fire in 1944, the medieval street pattern remains with its pilgrim street, as does the church of Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion. There is a café and panaderia here.

Past Canfranc proper we descend into the valley, to the foot of a huge dam holding back the Rio Aragon. The medieval 12th century bridge at its base is still above water. The path to Villanua goes through Pyrenean landscape on a rocky path with beautiful mixed deciduous woods.

This part, and most of the Aragones Way, passes through villages with a real Alpine feel to them and the hilly (some would say mountainous) terrain offers stunning vistas of mountain peaks and valleys. Most of the villages you pass through are rather small and are built on the top of hills or along the river.
At Villanua remains of the ancient Roman Road survive. There is a witches’ Guixas Cave is at the entrance of Villanua. We walk past the booth that sells the tickets and from there we can choose to turn right and head towards the modern part of Villanua, or go straight through the old town of this locality where there is a bar for refreshments. We recommend the latter because it is more interesting and historical. There is the C12th church of San Esteban with a fine statue of Santiago. Alfonso will collect you from Villanua and take you back to Canfranc Estacion for your 2nd night at Casa Le Tuca.

We were collected by car and taken to Canfranc.

Lady sunbathing high in the mountains at Somport

Cold water gushing down the mountain

Taken to a small farm / gift shop

Outside Casa Le Tuca

 

26 May - Stage 6 - Borce to Somport - 25 km

 4.5km to Urdos, Col du Somport 14 km: Canfran Estacion 7 km

Text from the brochure 

The elevation from Oloron Saint Marie to the Col du Somport (1420 m/4659 ft) is higher than the climb between St Jean Pied de Port and Roncesvalles (1304 m/4278 ft.). The difference though is that you climb it over three days instead of one or two days. Most of that elevation climb is from Borce, which is at 643m/ 2109ft. You have a choice of 2 routes from Borce. You can either walk along the valley-side path through the woods that hide much of the magnificent mountain scenery of the upper Aspe Valley, which is better seen from the road (14 km), or you can stay on the RN134 above Urdos (16 km) which is fairly quiet with little traffic other than buses. In bad weather the road is definitely recommended. Also bear in mind that the weather can change quickly. Besides deciding on the valley path or the road, today you have some choices regarding distances.

1. You can walk from Borce to the Somport Pass 18.5 km where you will be met by Alfonso Navarro who will take you down to his Casa ‘Le Tuca’ where we will stay in Canfranc Estacion for two nights.

2. You can get a bus from Estaut, which is on the other side of the highway from Borce, to Urdos and walk to the pass or to Canfranc from there. Time table at http://car.aquitaine.fr/91-les-horaires.html

Walking from From Borce:

The path from Borce to Urdos is not particularly difficult but it is relentlessly uphill from here to the Pass. There is no official GR from Borce to Urdos and the way continues along the N134 for 2.5 km through a gorge so take care. Urdos is the last stop before we reach the Col de Somport on the border with Spain. This is a long frontier village straddling the road where the valley widens out – it has a hotel, grocery, post office and buses. NB – no supplies after Urdos until Somport.

The path climbs steadily up along a good dirt trail and passes through forest and lush green fields with cattle and sheep. You might hear the cow and sheep bells in the distance.

If you are on the road, you will pass the intriguing Fort du Portalet- a fort, built between 1842 to 1870. The fort, built by order of Louis Philippe I, guards the border of the Pyrenees and protects access to the Col du Somport. Fort du Portalet is located on a cliff face underneath the Chemin de la Mâture (literally "The Mast Road") ... and circles a large, man-made lake with rather strange teal coloured water. After the ruined Auberge de Peilhou, the mountains sides close in.

At Les Forges d’Abel after another 3 km is the mouth of the Somport tunnel. The road winds and climbs more steeply for 4 km and then follows the edge of the plateau for 3 km before the final ascent to the Col du Somport, the border between France and Spain at a over 1600 m. Now we can officially cross into Spain and you are officially on the Camino Aragones. There is an albergue and a bar to buy refreshments. On the rocks above is a modern statue of a pilgrim and ermita del Pilar, a small shrine erected in 1995.

From the summit at the Puerto de Somport, the GR 65.3 (no longer the GR 653) descends steeply to Canfranc Estación on a path above and parallel with the E7 and the valley of the river Aragon. You can also walk on the road which is well marked with yellow arrows and red and white way markers (GR65.3). Just below the Puerto and before the Puente de Santa Cristina, via some steps and a beaten path, you will come to the ruins of the Santa Cristina pilgrim hospice mentioned in the 12th century Liber Sancti Jacobi (Book of St James) that flourished as one of the most important hospitals in medieval times built during the reign of Pedro I. You will also pass the village of Candanchu, which is the oldest and most attractive winter sports resort in the Aragonian Pyrenees. After 3.2 km from Somport, you pass a bunker on the left and thereafter reach an isolated chimney at 1400m. The bunker was one in a line of bunkers built 1944-59 to protect against possible invasion from north of Pyrenees, dug by Republican prisoners and soldiers under orders from Franco. The Chimney of Funderia del Anglase is the last relic of industrial complex dating back to C16th.

Canfranc Estación grew around a neoclassic International Railway Station designed by Spanish architect Fernando Ramírez de Dampierre and built in the 1927 (filmed in Doctor Zhivago), which operated until 1970. The village is dominated by this huge railway station and hotel which was built to service the rail line between France and Spain. Opened in 1928, the line closed in 1970 following the collapse of a major viaduct on the French part of the line. All facilities are available at Canfranc Estación

The images below are in the wrong order. 

Canfranc station. Crazy history

Somport

Border

We walked on the road as it was safer than amongst the wet trees and stream

Teal coloured water - most strange

Somport - the border

Walking up to Somport

Starting off

Tour of Canfranc station