Report from St Jean Pied de Port

Hello all Winers

I've learned: never say anything, never write anything, if you've had some wine recently.  You will say something stupid and you'll regret it.  Well, here goes.  I just tipped some back with a chap from Holland, and I'm gonna write something anyway. To lessen the risk of saying stupid things, I'll do it in point form.

TRAVEL 

• So far, 2 plane rides, 2 train rides, a day knocking around Paris, another day in St Jean Pied de Port.  A medical emergency on both flights, with consequent delays.  The second flight (Calgary to Paris) was fun.  Sat beside a guy from Esquimalt who did forestry in BC for his career and knew Bob Duncan.  Chatted a lot during the flight.  Also read Malcolm Gladwell's latest, which cost forty bucks in Calgary.  

• Missed a train connection in Paris, which meant I had to take an overnight in a sleeper unit.  Glad I did; it was an experience, let me tell ya.

• And then another train ( 1 1/2 hrs) to where I am now.

• I have never been in Europe before; everything you lay eyes on is a first.  I'm sure you all know what that is like.
  

FRANCE

• Lots of people smoke here.  I'd forgotten the smell.  Kinda like it, to tell the truth. The restaurants have weird hours.  No food before 7 or so, not much after 9.  I can already see my ribs.

• The cars are all Renault and Peugot and Citroen...lots of diesel, some vw and bmw, a couple of Ford vans.  No Teslas.

• The town where I am is a tourist hub and an agricultural hub.  Result:  lots of heavy machinery making its way just feet away from cafe tables.  My favorite: a large tractor pulling an aromatic trailer of manure, right past the table where I was having a beer.  For some reason, that made me very happy.
  

LODGING

• I am staying at the Hotel des Pyrenees.  A refuge for sure, but ungodly expensive.  Probably on the net somewhere.  I will be staying in crowded dorms henceforth.  Can't afford to live like aristocracy.
  

PEOPLE

So far, I have run into:

• A forestry guy from Victoria.  Very interesting fella.

• A brother / sister duo from the Kootenays, in their sixties.  They are both intelligent and kind-hearted.  Seen them two or three times, and will again.

• John from California, a young fella, savvy about travel and the internet, wanted to bum a smoke from me.  

• and tonite, an extended conversation with a guy from Holland.  Shot the shit about everything and nothing in particular.  Sat on a patio overlooking the terraced hills of rural France.  Enchanting.
  

WALKING

• So far, walked a few miles in Paris and a few clicks around here, but the real action starts tomorrow with a 25k jaunt over the Pyrenees.  Thanks to Judith, I am getting my backpack sent via courier, so the uphill stuff (worst on the entire trek) shouldn't be so bad.

• In short, magical.  Enchanting.  Those are my adjectives thus far.  That might change tomorrow when my aging carcass encounters the Pyrenees, but so far so good.
  

I'll try to include a picture of St Jean Pied du Porte.

Thanks for listening.