Day 2 – Col d’Ibardin to Sare

August 30, 2019 – Departed 9:45 – Arrived 16:45

Today the hike was longer but easier than yesterday. A reasonably good night likely helped. I also came to realize that part of my difficulties yesterday were due to improper nutrition: all I had in my stomach when I started at noon was a pain aux raisins and an orange juice I had got at the train station before 7:00. This morning I had a much more substantial breakfast and it fueled me through the day.

I am still having difficulties uphill – hills are not my friends, which I already knew: but from the beginning today I used the same technique as yesterday, alternating walking and resting as soon as the slope became too steep, which fortunately was not too often – although the elevation difference was significant. This worked great.

From the path at one point I could see the plain on the one side, all the way to Hendaye and Saint Jean de Luz, and the mountains on the other, undulating, green and lush. The path was definitely in the mountain though, as could have been expected. Compared to yesterday, there was also an abundance of streams and, in some places fountains, which I used to refresh my face and refill my bottles with cold water.

Today was a land of chesnut trees and horses. There are lots of chestnuts trees everywhere, with branches heavily loaded with fruits, a wonderful sight. As for the horses, they are an almost constant presence on the path and around. They are small hardy horses or rather ponies called pottoks that are specific to the Basque country. They are put to free pasture in the mountains. I could hear them because they have bells, but sometimes I just could not see them in the dense bush or the forest.

I took my time again today, taking pictures of the horses at the Col des Trois Fontaines, and waiting for the petit train de la Rhune to pass by – a small cog railway going from Sare to the summit of the Rhune mountain. Arriving in Sare I got myself some yaourth au lait de brebis and a nectarine at the village supermarket. Tonight I will eat at restaurant nearby which according to the manager here has a great menu du randonneur. Later Dostoievski will keep me company (I started Crime and Punishment yesterday).

I am staying at La petite Rhune, a wonderful gîte catering to hikers, campers and tourists alike. I will be sleeping in a 6-bed dormitory (at the moment the only other occupant is a Basque hiker from Spain). The place has a great swimming pool which I took advantage of, trying to relax my muscles with some weightlessness. Now, that’s life! Pool after a day of hiking! Quite different from my last hike in the backcountry of Northern Ontario! All for 23 euros. And the manager apologized because the bread and pastries for breakfast tomorrow morning won’t be fresh but will come out of the freezer!