2022

Post-pandemic travel opened further this year, so Joanne and I decided to go to Europe but keep the trip simple.  Our main goal was to spend some time in Estaing, France, a town that we had passed during our walk on the Chemin de Saint Jacques (Way of Saint James).  We also wanted to sample some new places in Spain and France and started by flying into Madrid.  Here's our route.

This was the first time that we took our dog, Groucho, born during the pandemic, on flights.  To get him into Europe, we had to get him checked by a veterinarian and the paperwork approved by the FDA.  FYI, the FDA seems to wait until the last possible day to sign and FedEx the paperwork.  In Madrid, we took Groucho to a veterinarian who issued him a Spanish pet passport.  So it is now much easier to get him into a EU country.

At my daughter's suggestion, we went to the town of Haro in the Rioja wine region.  It was a great suggestion because the wineries are within walking distance of town, so no drinking and driving.  The wineries also have some excellent snacks.

From Haro, we drove to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a French town at the foot of the Pyrenees, in Basque country.  It is also on the Chemin de Saint Jacques and is where I started my second walk to Santiago in 2008.  Along the way, we had some good Basque food.

One problem was the intense heat, even in the mountains.  Our hotel did not have air conditioning, so sleeping was rough.

We then went to spend a few days in an Airbnb in Monségur, France.  It was advertised as having air conditioning, but only had two fans.  

We meant to visit Bordeaux, but there were fires in the area, so we went to St. Emilion instead.  Monségur is a small, pretty town with a nice market and some good restaurants, so overall it was a good stop.

On the way to Estaing, we stopped off in Rocamadour, a very touristy walled town.

After a night at the wonderful Chateau de Labro, we got to our Airbnb in Estaing, which thankfully did have real air conditioning, in the bedroom.  Estaing is small (population about 500) and looks like a medieval village.  There are a few restaurants and cafes, and some pleasant walks in the area, as well as a community pool.

I had to fly to New York for a few days to do some work, so Joanne got to enjoy more days there than I did.

From Estaing, we drove to Pamplona, Spain.  I've been to Pamplona several times, but this time we stayed at an Airbnb right in the old city, by the city walls, which was perfect.

Next, we drove to Barbate, which is near Tarifa on the southern coast of Spain because Joanne's niece was there to spend a year teaching English at one of the local schools.  Along the way, we made an overnight stop at the fantastic Hospes Palacio de Arenales hotel.

On the way back to the Madrid airport, we stopped in Cordoba for a couple of great days.  What a beautiful city.