Artieds to Arres, 18km
It could have been a really pleasant day’s walk, crossing broad tracts of farmland on the edges of the river valley. However, the relentless wind was energy sapping, although judging by the clouds building up on the French side of the mountains, Spain was the place to be! That assumption may change if AccuWeather is correct. Tomorrow I head to Jaca, which guards the entrance to Somport pass, and the forecast is for 1- 3 cm snow, changing to rain in the afternoon. Character building!
After a section of today’s path, some snow may be welcome. There was some bush whacking involved, and the water hazard pictured above was a water/mud combo. I went to plan B when the mud oozed to the top of my boots before I’d even reached the water part. Crossing on the tree branch with a back pack was interesting. It could have very well ended in disaster!
Arres is another town on a hill, one that probably deserves a beer at the top, but as the day had been caffeine free so far, a coffee was more appealing. Out of curiosity, as I walked past the albergue I tried the door. Not only was it unlocked, but the volunteer host was right there, seemingly excited to have a first guest for the season. The albergues officially open April 1, so I guess I got lucky. I might have been turned away if my log crossing resulted in a different outcome! The doors don’t open until 2p, by which time I’ll have finished writing this post ( and probably have worn out my welcome in the bar nursing my coffee!)
2saunter 