Heading back to the Frances. Previously we walked the Frances in four stages with each stage apart from the final section from Sahagún terminating early for a variety of reasons. This time the intention is to leave Oxford on 29th June and not to return until the first week of August. This should give us plenty of time with sufficient flexibility to allow us to modify the route if we choose. Rather than walking the traditional Camino Frances we’re currently thinking of switching to the Invierno at Pontferrada. This would take us south of O Cebreiro with the final section following the via de la plata into Santiago and thus avoiding the last 100km from Sarria. Alternatively once we reach Léon, we might head up to Oviedo and back down the Primitivo. So many choices 😊.

We’ve the small matter of Menna and Andy’s wedding to negotiate tomorrow but once that’s over and Menna and Andy have departed on their honeymoon, thinking of the Frances can start in earnest.

Tom is flying out to Biarritz on the same day. He’ll arrive in St. Jean Pied de Porte in the morning and will take the opportunity to cut the journey to Roncevalles in two, staying in Orisson for the night. Dorothy and I are arriving later. We’ll take a taxi from Biarritz to St. Jean Pied de Porte in the evening and as previously we’ll walk to Roncevalles with breakfast in Orisson. All being well, the three of us will meet up in the albergue in Roncevalles.

So looking forward to going and once more entering our bubble. (Sigh).