Jour 9 : Saint Palais

“And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord.”   Judges 18:6

Well it started out well--a lovely coolish morning. I was planning two shortcuts, and then a walk on an unmarked path to St. Palais that I had printed instructions for.  Unfortunately, I got lost on my second raccourci to St. Palais, never did find the unmarked trail that goes there, but did make it! 

 

The first shortcut went fine

 

as seen through the keyhole!

After this sign there was not a single trail marker

I'll try and figure out what I did wrong tonight, but I think I missed a turn and went too far north. It only started raining 4 km out of St. Palais, but now I know why it is so GREEN around here. I am running into lots of pilgrims from the Vezelay route trying to figure out how to get to Ostabat.

entering St. Palais

Saint Mary Magdalene Church

The local public library.  I seem to spot these pretty readily.

I am staying at a former monastery, "Les Franciscains." 

Saint-Palais, or Donapalu in Basque, in situated in the heart of what was once the Realm of Navarre, and has been its capital since 1521. It is named after Saint Pelagius of Cordoba [Spain], martyred for his Christian faith in the 10th century by refusing to convert to Islam and/or for rejecting the advances of a Moorish caliph to whom he had been held captive.  He was later canonized.

The town is on the Vezelay and Paris/Tours pilgrimage routes to St. Jacques de Compostelle, and just a few kilometers from the Le Puy Route which is why I was taking the unmarked route to join it.