Have arrived in St. Jean...

Flights all smooth from Heathrow, to Paris, to Biarritz and now spent our first night in picturesque Basque country, St Jean Pied de Port...It was pouring rain in Paris with thunder and a bit of lightning! We were lucky the hotel had some amenities and I took a Hamam steam! On the flight yesterday morning to Biarritz we met a French man and his girlfriend who kindly offered us a ride into town on their way to Bordeaux. She is a translator and he the curator of a museum in Paris...Jean Michel and Lourdes...there hospitality was heartening! Biarritz was beautiful..big rocks jutting out of the ocean with a view of the Pyrenees in the background. We spent the day enjoying the beach, and strolling through the city. We took the bus to Bayonne in the afternoon and visited an 11th century cathedral and learned some things about the French Basque. Basque food is quite excellent... Also found the most amazing almond macaroons which are known in this area. I was really interested in the Basque symbols, their famous font, and the language which has no traceable foundation...Some words are recognizable in French and in Spanish but barely! Alexa and I are off to explore St Jean this morning before the impending rain. The weather conditions will be an important consideration for us due to lack of visibility, rainfall and possible thunder and lightning! Sounds a bit ominous I know but we are headed to the pilgrims office where we will get the lowdown on what to expect and advice about best departure time, etc. We have our maps and are mentally preparing. Will be in touch...thinking of Rich and Cole...we are constantly reminded of so many travels togther as a family...the cobblestone streets of Spain, Italy, Amsterdam...the Jutenheimen in Norway and our big trek across Bukkelegrat...love you boys!