St Jean to Orisson

The last two days have been spectacular. I arrived in St Jean Pied de Port by train with many other excited pilgrims. The village is picturesque with cobblestone streets and quaint little shops. Time only for a quick dinner in order to be in bed and lights out before the 10:00 pm curfew (doors locked at 10:00). I fell asleep easily and was awakenedat 3:30 by a melodic chorus of snoring. After finding my earplugs I drifted off to sleep. The 8km walk up very steep terrain was delightful. I was thankful for the many runs in Gatineau park (thanks Qi) and for hills at the Arboretum. When I reached Orisson, a beautiful stone hostel with a spectacular view of the Pyrennes I was tempted to walk on, thankfully my walking partners convinced me to rest and within an hour I realized that was indeed a wise choice as I was tired and ready to drink in the quiet, the people and the delicious cafe au lait. At dinner each of the fifty pilgrims stood up to introduce themselves, where they were from, how far and how long they were to travel and who they were traveling with. Brazil, Spain, Canada, USA, Switzerland, Germany, holland, New zealand, Australia and England were all represented.