GR10 Day04

After three strenuous days, we decided that an easier day was in order, rather than the GR10’s 16km and 1300m up and down.  A look at the map showed that instead of doing the ridge walk, we could simply walk along the country lanes in the valley below.  This was a great choice and we walked at a good speed, meeting only a few cars and cyclists.  All the time we were looking at the ridge above us, wondering how everyone else was getting on.  After about 10km we reached the “main” road, pleased to find that it had a pavement.  Even when there was no pavement, there was mainly a space with a dotted line separating us from the few vehicles.  Another couple of kms took us to Donostei where we stopped for lunch.  We had bacon and cheese quiche, and then a white chocolate and raspberry brownie.  (pronounced broonie.  According to the owner, “brownie” is allowed by the French Scrabble Federation.)  Then it was a few hundred metres to Saint-Etienne-de-Baigorry, our stop for the night.  We had walked 13km and climbed 300m.  We filled in time by sitting in the park, visiting the church, and then the chocolate shop where we both had a large ice cream.  Overall, a very pleasant day on the GR10.