ostablat

hi everyone
we are in basque region now and it is unbelievable beautiful. there are rolling hills and white farmhouse with red shutters scattered all around the hills. add cows, sheep, a chuch here and there and you know what my last two days have been like: it is so peaceful and beautiful. tomorrow we will be at the foot of the pyrenees at hontos and then we walk over. the great thing is that bernard and annie have decided to go to the spanish side with us. also another woman who has often been with us. our little group has been together for weeks really and the day after tomorrow it breaks up. the french people are all going home. kathleen's husband is coming to roncevalles to get her. he is also bringing me new socks. isn,t that crazy?. so in two days i will be by myself. it is a little sad because i have been enjoying everyone: always someone to have dinner with, to laugh with, to get help from and walk with if we want to. it has been fun being with kathleen. but her heart is not into this now when she gets sore every afternoon. plus, she has walked 500 miles, not feeling that great a lot of the time. she is incredibly strong.
it has been very cloudy so we really haven't seen the mountains in their splender for the last few days. a few days ago, i realized that in the haze and clouds the mountains look like ocean waves: now when i see them, that is all i can see. i think we are only seeing a small bit of them. i don't know really.
anyway the next time i write i will be in spain, walking by myself meeting knew people, trying to speak a little spanish. the time has gone fast for me.
(i spoke with oscar a few days ago and he sounded so old. at the end he said- well, it's been good talking with you. what a boy. )
ok bye from france.
love,
nonna; mom; mary