18 mar

Walked another 20 kilometres, from Ostabat to Saint Jean Pied du Port and have arrived at the foot of the Pyrenees. The french part of the journey will be almost over. Just another 1000 metres to climb or something, leaving another 250 metres for Spain. But the uphill part of the Pyrenees is basically one day of walking, which I would not have thought before. Those 20 kilometres extra make 646 kilometres in total up to now.
One of the things I had been doing religiously for the first weeks of our journey is typing in the coordinates of our meeting place into Loesje (Loesje is our TomTom, our satnav). The last week Julie has gotten so much in control of Merlin that it isn’t necessary anymore to give her that little bit of support, but this morning I did it anyway. Come to find out we’re heading West of Greenwich! If one would have asked me I would have thought this would have happened somewhere in the middle of Spain. So now we are at the Balcombe side of Greenwich (and East Grinstead – where the meridean also passes) and not at the Forest Row side anymore. It seems like a step back into the past, and hopefully into the future. It is a nice division of the journey too. We’re done with France (almost) and the Eastern hemisphere, and are working our way into the Western front.
When I walked into SJPDP, through the Port St Jacques, there was a Pelerin information centre. A Norwegian woman – a senior pelerin, volunteering here for a week – helped me with the most basic information about the journey through the mountains. There’s a little bit of snow, but it should be okay for the next few days. On saturday it starts snowing again and then there is an easier route through the valley available.
I have promised Julie to take a day of rest. My leg is not really bothering me, but is still inflamed and sensitive. During sunny yesterday I walked in shorts with my sock pulled over the sides of my shoes, which also caused a sunburn. I have these tennis sock marks on my legs, below which the sun never touches the body. Except for yesterday.
So we’ll take a day off. But then the mountains are waiting, and after that a stretch of so called ‘plains’ where, the rain mainly stays according to the My Fair Lady song. Which is true, according to the Norwegian woman. At least in march.
So I bought a decent poncho. And then some decent waterproof gloves. And a warm hat. And one of those sweaters that Julie saw on all those well equipped frenchmen. And a thing around my belly where I can keep my camera and my (newly received) Camino credentials.
I’m all geared up now. Will take a day of rest. Feel like I’ve deserved it. There is a sense of accomplishment that I had not expected on this half way mark. Which is not really a halfway mark, because there are still 777 kilometres to go. Some might observe that this is a lower amount than could have been expected based on yesterday’s numbers and today’s walked kilometres. That’s right. We’re changing over to a new accounting system. As master bookkeeper I should explain the change. But I can’t. I don’t know where I went wrong, or where I was fooled. Doesn’t matter. I like that number, 777. It’s like the kilometres fly.
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