[Gocamino] Re: St Jean Pied

[Robert Spenger]

Eldor,

I heartily agree that, in the U.S. at least, the SJPP start has been  
emphasized all out of proportion to its real significance. I think  
that part of this may have resulted from the formidable presence of  
the late Mme. Debril. I did not have the opportunity to meet the  
lady, since I crossed the Pyrenees at Somport when she was still the  
guardian of the gates at SJPP, but I have heard and read many tales  
of her vigilance in that capacity.

I am puzzled by one statement in your message. You stated that the  
Basque name of SJPP was Ostabat, but Ostabat is also the name of a  
much smaller village about 20 km to the northeast of SJPP. I stayed  
there in 2002 after starting from Saint Palais. The Raju guide to the  
LePuy route refers to it as Ostabat-Asme (Izura), but the Michelin  
road atlas simply calls it Ostabat. The guides also comment on its  
importance as a pilgrim stopping place in the middle ages. The fact  
that it is only about 5km down the road from the triple confluence of  
pilgrimage routes probably had a lot to do with that.

Do you have any additional information on this confusion of names?

regards,

Bob S.

On Aug 26, 2005, at 7:26 PM, Eldor Pederson wrote:

  St. Jean has no special qualities which recommend it as a starting  
point. In the Medieval era pilgrims from outside Spain would have  
been walking for days, or more likely weeks, before reaching that  
cute but otherwise undistinguished Basque village (it would more  
appropriately be called by its Basque name Ostabat).