gite between SJPP and Roncesvalle

[Mary Helen Kaizer]

I'd like to give a slightly different perspective of the option of stopping
at Huntto.  I did the camino in June/July this year so my experience is
recent.  Yes, the gite is only 6 km from SJPP, but it does break the back of
the somewhat daunting walk to Roncesvalles.  I arrived in mid-afternoon when
the gite was closed, but when I peered through the window, the owner showed
me to my room.  She is (or has) a wonderful cook and the dinner was
entertaining with a group of charming French pilgrims who had walked from Le
Puy, enough of whom spoke English to make conversation possible for
non-French speakers.  Several were continuing on to Roncesvalles the next
morning, so that I didn't feel that I would be utterly alone on the trip.

I did feel, though, that I should have spent more time in SJPP, as it is a
very attractive town, and agree that spending some time there and arriving
in time for dinner in Huntto is a better option.

One final point.  The Huntto option is an excellent one for people (like
myself) who do the transatlantic flight from Canada or the U.S., take the
train to Bayonne the same day, and the next day's early morning train to
SJPP, which arrives at 10:00 am or so.  That's too late to start for
Roncesvalles, of course, but allows time to have a look around SJPP and then
do the walk to Huntto.

I wanted to offer my opinion in small return for all the wonderful, if
sometimes contractictory!, advice and opinions I received in this forum
before I did the camino.

Mary Helen Kaizer

----- Original Message -----
From: Joe English <santiagowalkingaHOTMAIL.COM>
To: <GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 7:39 AM
Subject: Re: gite between SJPP and Roncesvalle


> On Sun, 1 Sep 2002 13:22:27 -0700, Joe and Lydia Banales
> <lydiaaBANALES.NET> wrote:
>
> >Could someone please clarify if the gite is on the Val Carlos route or
> >the Napoleon route. Thanks. Lydia
> >
> >
> As you now know the Gite is at Hunnto.
> Regarding staying there, if that is your intention, here is my tuppence
> worth ......
> I do not feel that one has put sufficient distance from SJPP for this to
be
> an adequate 'midway' point for those who are concerned about the walk to
> Roncesvalles. The distance is something like 6 km, and is by no means the
> most 'vertical' part of that particular section. Also if you get to the
> gite early in the day there is NOTHING to do there. It is literally a farm
> building on its own.
> When we left SJPP (at 10:45 AM on day one) full of trepidation, the lady
in
> the office in SJPP strongly suggested that we stay in Hunnto that night,
> and then move on in the morning. Our original plan was to walk to
> Roncesvalles, but she talked us out of it. Anyway when we got to the Gite
> it began raining, and poured for about an hour. The lady in the gite
> allowed us to shelter outside, and closed her doors and curtains. We felt
> very unwelcome. We had intended staying there, but her unfriendliness
> helped us decide to walk on to Roncesvalles. When the rain cleared we
> continued and got to Roncesvalles at about eight PM (I think).
> Now to the main point of my note (sorry about the negativity above)....If
> one were planning to use the stop at Hunnto, a good plan would be to arive
> at SJPP in the afternoon, spend some time looking around the town and then
> walk to Hunnto in time for dinner. I often regret that I did not spend any
> time in SJPP, as it is a beautiful town in it's own right. Like most
> Perigrinos I got in on the train and got on the Camino as fast as
> possible.  Next time ....
> Best regards
> Joe