Camino del Baztan: Part two Dantxarinea

 On our first day of walking the Camino, we followed the tow path, along the river Nive for 15 kilometres, towards the town of Ustaritz. Although the path was incredibly busy with cyclists and runners, we were the only scallop shell carrying Peregrinos. A sign of things to come. Stopping at Villefranque, we found a cabin, on the other side of the river, serving coffee and breakfast.

At Ustaritz, we turned inland towards Espelette. There is another variant of the Camino which takes you to Sara, however our path takes us on our first climb of 500m over five kilometres, crossing part of the Pyrenees range and after a steep decent, lands us in the valley town of Dantxarinea.

Dantxarinea is a border town, between France and Spain, that still has a Douanes Francaises customs office, in the middle of the high street. The majority of the town is in Spain, where petrol and food is cheaper. As a result, there are at least seven petrol stations and loads of Biko supermarkets, both clearly disproportionate to the number of inhabittants.

Hotel Ur-Hegian came recommended, and it was definitley the best place to eat or stay. The restaurant seemed to be big into Foie Gras, so it was a forgone conclusion that our hotel was still in France. The wine came from the Brana vineyards, sighted to the right of Saint Jean Pied du Port, best known as the start of the French Camino.

Harri Gorri Blanc, is an organic wine, made from 75% Gros Manseng, with 13% Petit Manseng and 12% Petit Corbu. Three new grape varietyies to try.

Harri Gorri translates from the Basque, as Red Stone. The red stone is due to the iron rich terrain, in the vineyards.

The wine has a bright yellow hue, and despite being aged for a few years, still has a clear rim.

The nose is a blend of lemons and grapefruits, but there are gentle floral notes and hints of white peach.

Taste wise, the citrus is joined with fresh crisp pear and gentle minerality, beautifully balanced with a remarkable purity.

Along our walk, my wife saw a heart in the pylon, I quipped "that is the power of love".