Sarrance to Oloron-Sainte-Marie, 20.5 km
Another poncho day, but at least the deluge heard on the monastery roof last night had eased to heavy drizzle. The weather had, however, made the trails rather treacherous – especially the first section. Care was needed, along with good walking pole technique to ensure you stayed on the goat track. The alternative was a plunge into the river 100ft below. It was quite exciting, and I’m glad I don’t suffer from vertigo😜
Due to the weather (low cloud, drizzle or rain) there were few Polaroid moments. The track was flowing water in places where it probably doesn’t usually flow ( a bit like the West Coast of either NZ or Canada in the rain). Where there were paved surfaces to walk on, I took my time as the destination albergue didn’t open until 15H (3 p.m. if you’re not French). Despite the assertions of Google maps, there were no cafes enroute. It’s hard to find dry rest spots in the rain so walking at a slower pace is ok. Many villages have a bus service, and the bus shelters are of a generous size, therefore my only ‘pack off’ breaks utilized these amenities. The bus only comes a couple of times a day, so I wasn’t infringing on anyone else. One bus shelter had been converted into a ‘little library’. If my french was better I could have read instead of watching the rain!
Oloron is (or was, in its glory days) strategically located on the confluence of two rivers. These days it appears economically depressed, with unloved buildings, shuttered businesses and almost a ghost town feel ( apart from the traffic!)
The towns most notable business is the Lindt & Sprüngli chocolate factory. The town has the aroma of molten chocolate – novel at first, but maybe the smell becomes overwhelming after a while. It’s not dissimilar to the pulp mill aroma in Gibsons when the wind blows down Howe Sound (although molten chocolate is maybe more desirable than wood products!) Needless to say I strolled across town to the factory outlet store. The place was packed with a bus tour. Sadly there were few bargains – I think the Lindt chocolate in Carrefour supermarket was cheaper. It reminded me of the price of Toblerone chocolate in the duty free!
2saunter 