We left SJPP at 7:30 am in the dark, September 29, and arrived at Orisson about 10:45am. We are fairly fit and 70, but the steep grades slow down our normal walking pace a bit, plus I stop a lot for photos and videos. So you could maybe do it faster, or slower, but that pace suited us. For us it was an enjoyable pace, but challenging. We were glad for a break with refreshments and a bathroom!

@ Thank you.

Sure thing! Glad to help!

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement 😁

thanks! 🙂👍

You are so kind!

Hi Barbara, (My first reply didn't post for some reason! argh.) We have stayed in the big albergue in Roncesvalles (a small village, really) , as well as the Hotel Roncesvalles and the Posada de Roncesvalles. There aren't many choices there, and once we couldn't get a bed anywhere and before we left St. Jean Pied-de-Port we reserved another night in SJPP and arranged for a taxi to pick us up at the Virgin statue halfway over the Pyrenees. The taxi took us to SJPP then picked us up the next morning and took us back to the Virgin statue to finish our Pyrenees section. The link to the big albergue is alberguederoncesvalles.com. Most government managed albergues are called "Albergues de Peregrinos" plus the name of the town, or "Albergue Municipal". You can also look on hotel booking sites to see which ones are listed there. Even if they do not show availability on the booking site, they might still have a bed or room, but you need to contact them directly through their website. In general we suggest reserving your first night or two in Spain before leaving home, and a night in SJPP and your next night. This takes a lot of stress out of those first travel days for us. A good up to date guidebook like Brierly's also list some lodging, but things change so much with albergues and casa rurals, etc., pilgrims can't rely on the info being current. In general, albergues open around Easter and close mid-October. We have had better luck finding available lodging in the places before or after the daily destinations proposed in guidebooks. When it comes to finding a bed or room for the night, pilgrims have to be very flexible and think outside the box sometimes. Here's a short video about this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooDWXmN-lpp_is0si=xDW8mXHju4FsBEIg. We also have some planning videos about choosing when to walk that might be helpful as you think about it. Write with more questions. Buen Camino!

It was blowing hard! Probably 40+mph!

Maybe they do, but I bet they like being found if they wander off and their bell helps their shepherd find them or rescue them. Also, the bells allow them to range freely and not stay in the same fenced pasture like most farm animals. So maybe it's a trade-off for the animal. At least it's a pretty sound for everyone.

Good of you to be thinking ahead about this! I will write more later this evening when I have more time. ~Helen

Thank you so much!

You can ask questions in these comments. I get a notification in email when someone leaves a comment. 😉

@@1PZfan no, not our first time with headwinds in the Pyrenees! Three of our five times in the Pyrenees were windy like this, so we were familiar with it. Of course that didn’t make it any easier!😊👍

@CaminoProvisions thanks, I plan on doing the Camino again starting in SJPP, and will mentally prepare myself for that wind!

@@1PZfanBuen Camino!

@@SteveHodges55 thanks so much! We enjoy passing along tips to help! Excited for your upcoming Camino.😊👍

thanks, Shelley! Yes, and we have had that kind of wind on two other times we walked across the Pyrenees! It must be fairly common!

@@1PZfan thank you for sharing your memory! I love to hear others share their Camino stories!

😊👍

@@exploringthevines5869 yes! This section stays green ! At least in the three seasons we have walked it. Can’t say about winter since the route is officially closed.😊

@@anneokane7172 😊👍

@@shellymariepompa4176 kind words!

🙂

👍

Thank you!

yes, it was cold some of the time we were there!

@@MrRugbyprop1 the Burgos cathedral is a favorite of ours.😊

@@anneokane7172 thank you!😊👍

@@MrRugbyprop1 thanks. Hope it helps people.

@@MrRugbyprop1 might be a good idea. Thanks!

@@MrRugbyprop1 never have. We walked through some farms where there was a dog. But it was on a leash. Just barking. No problems.

@@MrRugbyprop1 thanks!

God’s grace is sufficient for what he sets before us. Grateful to be here in Santiago. Fun meeting so many pilgrims!

@@thatslife4me thank you!😊

@@anneokane7172 thank you!

Thank you for your prayers. Not sure what we will be able to do. Lots of time to pray for everyone and everything.😊

@@lgt391 thank you! Yes, the Castillo is a favorite here.

@@eugenebae yes! And thank you for following along. We are both sick with head colds right now so we are having to recover our strength. Glad you are planning to come again.😊

@@CaminoProvisions Sorry to hear that. Please take care.

We went to the SJPP Tourist Info Office and asked if they would call for us. (because we don’t speak French). The company was Express Bourricot . +33 661 960 476 email: [email protected]. My experience with taxis and luggage transport is that they often can communicate by What’s App when I use simple English, and they use simple French and Spanish 😊

@@CaminoProvisions thank you 🙏🏻

@@annaknapp5104 I pray all goes well ! Buen Camino!

Yes, Katie, we remember you well! Thank you for your well wishes! Buen Camino!

@@joansisneros8375 thank you for your comment. You have encouraged us!😊

@@xthinker88 there are many people more fit than we are for sure! In general, we do walk every day outside, or at least in a mall or on a treadmill. We also go at a pace that is slower than many, and take 5-10 minute breaks every hour or so. We rested and ate at Orisson, used their toilets, but did not walk all the way to Roncesvalles. We have done that twice in our lives, and know we can’t anymore. We listen to our bodies and do what we can do. In this video we were 68 and 69. 😊 We are leaving next week to walk again. This time we are 70, 71.

We bought it a few years ago online. I think it was through an anon the Camino de Santiago Forum. I just went on to look for it so I could send you a link, but I don't see it there any longer. We love it because it has just the right amount of detail for pilgrims (not highway details or things drivers might need). If there is a company name on the map, it is covered up by our frame. Sorry I can't be more help. When we are in Santiago in October, we will plan to visit Ivar, and we will ask him about it. I'll let you know anything I find out, 🙂

@@CaminoProvisions Thank you so much. I am on the verge of retirement and have been thinking about the camino for the past two years. It is a really scary decision and confusing to pick routes, timing, etc. Your videos are wonderful and I have your site in my bookmarks for future research. Good luck on your next walk!

@@cynthiaeaton4696 thank you! Have fun planning and dreaming. After watching our videos if you have questions write to us at [email protected]. Buen Camino!

@@cynthiaeaton4696 thank you for the encouragement about our videos. Keep dreaming, keep planning. If you still have questions write to us at [email protected] and we will do our best to give answers. Buen Camino!

@@allenannett5534 yay! That is very exciting. We love Porto!

@@pkc68 😊👍

@@nancykane8680 kind words😊

It's a privilege to pray for others. ❤

@@mimisalmon2913 How are you guys doing?! Great to hear from you! I think of you two every time the picture rolls by on my screen saver from the Navarra border marker where we took each others’ photos. 😊

@@CaminoProvisions doing great. Charles insists on working but I’m firmly retired and traveling quite a bit. I recently did the Portuguese Way from Porto and the Kumamo Kodo in Japan. The fall has us both cycling in Sicily and Sardinia and then I’m heading to Turkey for a few weeks followed by a trip to Botswana with Charles. I’m ending 2025 (so far anyway!) with a month hiking in England doing the Dale’s Way and Hadrian’s Wall and Scotland doing the West Highland Way. Safe travels and Buen Camino; I admit I’m a bit jealous of you doing the Frances again. What a wonderful experience.

@@mimisalmon2913 Wow!😃

Thanks ! It’s always good to know what is working for others. 😊