St Jean Pied de Port (Basque Village)

What a wonderful day!!! This village (the name means St Jean at the foot of the pass) is a point on the "Way of St James" which is a pilgrimage path to a cathedral in Northern Spain. It is the last stop before the tough climb through the Pyrenees. The town's shops are filled with hiking gear...backpacks, walking sticks, provisions.
Not being a hiker, I took in the natural beauty of the town. The river Nive, the same one that flows through Bayonne, runs through the town creating some picturesque views.











As with most French towns, there is large building (usually a chateau but now used as a citadel or school) at the highest point in town and, since St Jean is in the foothills of the Pyrenees, the highest point was quite a hike up for me.






Of course, there were many stopping points along the way. Lunch break was on a bench in the shade with the massive wall of the citadel at my back. Other stopping points were for "must have" photographs or just for gazing at the awesome views.





Just as I reached the summit, I heard a little "beep beep" behind me and turned to see the tram which had just brought tourists up from the town below. I could have saved myself some climbing, but would have missed out on the cool sheep mowing the Citadel lawns and then, later, napping against a stone wall.


Quite a few of the shopkeepers are technically savvy with websites showcasing their stores and their wares. I picked up quite a few business cards. On my way back, I took time to enjoy the shops, the vendors and the artists.














I ended my time in the town with a little meditative time in the Church of Notre Dame, the one that gives special blessings to the hikers. It was cool and peaceful inside. I enjoyed the quiet and reflected on what a beautiful and exciting place the world is and how lucky I am to get to experience so much of it.