Programme for Bidassoa 2017

Thursday, 7th September

Arrival of long distance travellers.

8pm Informal welcome by committee members of Friends of the Comte

Line
at the Bar de la Marine, Place Louis XIV, Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

Friday, 8th September

10.45am Remembrance ceremony at the War Memorial, Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

Laying of wreaths.
11.15am Vin dhonneur at the Town Hall, Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
12.30pm Coach departure from the bus station (opposite the railway station)
for the Place Paul Bert, Bayonne.
1pm Lunch at restaurant Guernika (formerly Chez Gachy) for those who
wish it, followed by exploration of the narrow streets of old
Bayonne.
4.10pm Coach departure for the cemetery.
4.30pm Meet at southern entrance to Saint Lon cemetery for remembrance
at the graves of Edouard and Cyprienne DASSIE, Lulu SABOULARD
(ne Dassi), and the LAPEYRE family. Coach departure for the
Residence Comte.
5.30pm Meet at the Rsidence Comte, Anglet, for remembrance in front
of the new Comte memorial. There is also a panel that tells of the
life of the Villa Voisin, and its past as the nerve centre of Comte
operations during the German occupation.
6.30pm Ceremony at the War Memorial, Anglet.
7pm Gather at the Anglet Town Hall in front of the commemorative
plaque.
Speech by Mr Claude OLIVE, Mayor of Anglet, followed by Mr Jean
Dassi, President of The Friends of the Comte Line. Vin dhonneur
in the Town Hall Function Room. Comte memorabilia will be
available on sale.
8.15pm Informal meal at a venue to be confirmed.
10pm Coach departure for Saint-Jean-de-Luz. End of daily programme.

Saturday, 9th September

8.30am Coach departure from Saint-Jean-de-Luz bus station for Marine

cemetery, Ciboure-Socoa.
9am Gather at cemetery for remembrance at the graves of Kattalin
AGUIRRE, her grand-daughter Marie-Christine ELGORRIAGA and
Florentino GOIKOETXEA.
(Private cars can be left here)
9.30am Breakfast at Restaurant Belarra, Socoa (maximum 120 people)
(only for those who have subscribed)
10.30am Departure of walkers for Urrugne.

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 Coach departure for all non-walkers (veterans & followers) to
Urrugne.
12 noon Ceremony at War Memorial, Urrugne, followed by Vin dhonneur
kindly offered by the Urrugne Town Hall for all veterans and
followers. The walkers resume their walk at the close of the
ceremony. (For the non-walkers, lunch will be taken in the room at
the rear of the Tourist Office.)

12.15pm Rustic lunch for the veterans and followers.

Walkers stop for a snack (provided by themselves) in the mountains,
after which the hike continues as far as the Bidassoa, stopping at
the memorials to Count dUrsel and 2nd Lt Burch, USAAF.
1.15pm Coach departure for the veterans & followers for a short visit
to:
Mayalen SORHUET (ne LARRETCHE) and her brother Jean
Baptiste from JATXU BATA farm, whose family sheltered 120
Allied aircrew.
Bidegainberri farm. This was the last safe house in France
before the mountain crossing and its where Andre De Jongh,
Frantxia Usandizaga, Juan Larburu, and 3 RAF aircrew FS
Stan Hope and Sgts George Ross & Bill Greaves - were
arrested in January 1943.
2.30pm To the memorials at Biriatou for Count dUrsel and 2 nd Lt Burch,
USAAF, for remembrance, in the presence of elected
representatives from Biriatou, with a minute of silence. Brigitte
dOultremont will make a reading selected by the grandson of Count
dUrsel.
3.30pm Walkers wade through the Bidassoa at San Miguel (Crocs or similar
recommended)
The days programme will finish with a riverside sardinade for all
participants.
6pm Departure of coaches to Errenteria and Saint-Jean-de-Luz for all.

Sunday, 10th September

7.30am Coach departure for the walkers from Saint-Jean-de-Luz bus station
for San Miguel. (Those travelling by car from Anglet will join the
group at St-J-d-L)
Coach returns to Saint-Jean-de-Luz to collect veterans and non-walkers.
8am The walkers set off from the Bidassoa via the mountains to Sarobe
farm.
10.30am Coach departs with veterans and non-walkers from Saint-Jean-de-
Luz bus station to join up with walkers as they stop for a snack
(provided by our sponsors) before setting off for Sarobe farm at
Oartzun.
12.30pm The veterans and non-walkers will exchange the coach for a minibus
in the car park of the restaurant TOLARE JATETXEA, Oartzun to
enable them to access Sarobe farm (chez Paco)
1pm Walkers stop briefly at Pacos farm (Sarobe). Please give priority to
the veterans and non-walkers inside Pacos home.

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1.15pm Resumption of descent towards Oartzun where coaches will be
waiting in the car park of the restaurant TOLARE JATETXEA, Tornola
Kala 20, 20180 Oartzun to take the walkers to our lunch venue at:
MERKATUZAR, Pablo Iglesias Hiribida 3, Errenteria.
2.30pm Our final meal together will be taken in this ancient hall and it will
mark the close of our 18 th Commemorative weekend. Our Spanish
friends from the mountaineering club URDABURU will be celebrating
their 75th anniversary and to mark it there will be a display of photos
and videos.
6pm Coaches (from Ospital and Bengoetxea) leave with all
participants for Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
_______________________

ORGANISATION
In order to ensure that the weekend runs smoothly, there will be coach
transport available for all participants in the Friday ceremonies and the hikes on
Saturday and Sunday.

We would like to know in advance if you wish to join us for the meals on Friday
evening (at a venue to be confirmed), and that on Sunday afternoon at
MERKATOZAR, Errenteria.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: You will appreciate that we need to confirm our numbers
with our various suppliers in advance therefore we would ask you to help
us by signing up early and ensuring that your subscription has been
received by the Treasurer by 25th August 2017 at the latest. We regret
that we cannot accept any subscriptions after that date.

- TARIFS -
Formula N 1: 115 for the 3 days, including all transport, the meal on
Friday evening, the sardinade on Saturday and the Sunday
afternoon lunch.

Formula N 2: 75 for the 2 days, including all transport, the sardinade on

Saturday and the Sunday afternoon lunch.

Formula N 3: 25 for the Saturday, including the transport and the

sardinade.

Formula N 4: 50 including all transport, and the meal on Sunday

afternoon.

Formula N 5: 25 for the meal on Friday evening. (no transport)

Membership of the Association: 15 Comte T shirts

special price: 5 each

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 ACCOMMODATION

For those interested in camping on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at

moderate prices.
Mobile homes for 4/5 people.

For further information and bookings, contact the campsite directly:

<JUANTCHO>, route de la Corniche (D912), 64122 URRUGNE-SOCOA

Tel: +33 5 59 47 11 97
juantcho64@gmail.com

* Please note that the organisers are not responsible for making hotel
reservations participants should make their own arrangements.

Finally, a word to the wise Saint-Jean-de-Luz is situated in a tourist region and

the season is far from being over in September - youd be well advised to book
early.

_____________________

Sign Up Form (Required)

First
name_____________________________Surname____________________________________

Address:________________________________________________________________________
__

_________________________________________________________________________________

Tel:__________________________________
Email:______________________________________

Number in party_____ Please circle whether Walker or

Follower
Formulas: (please circle your chosen formula and your payment
method)

115;
n 1: 75;
n 2: n 3: 25; n4:
50; n 5: 25.

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Please add 15 if you wish to become a member of The Friends of the
Comte Line

Please note that payment must be made by 25th August

2017 by one of the following methods:

1) Bank transfer to the following account:

Banque Michel INCHAUSPE, 48 boulevard Victor HUGO, 64500-ST-JEAN-

de-LUZ.
IBAN (International Bank Account Number) FR76 1795 9000 2885 0220
2690 108 BAMYFR22

2) Bankers cheque payable in France

3) For those outside the Eurozone only: pay cash on arrival to the
Treasurer

I have read, understood and agreed the conditions of the event and I will
comply with them.

SIGNATURE

DATE_______________________2017

Please return your completed Sign Up form(s) (one for each member of your
party) to:

Hubert KIRSCHHOFFER,
1bis avenue de Montbrun, 64600 Anglet, France
hubert.kirsch@wanadoo.fr

For the Walkers

While the walk should not be particularly demanding,

its not a Sunday stroll either. Walkers should follow the
advice of the organisers and the guides.

Walkers should be in regular hill walking practice and

be in possession of suitable equipment hiking
shoes/boots, a stick and wet weather clothing.

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 Walkers should comply with advice given by the
organisers and the guides. As we will be fording the
river Bidassoa, walkers are strongly advised to have a
change of clothing and footwear (such as Crocs)
suitable for a river crossing.

Each walker should ensure that he/she has sufficient

drinking water (minimum 1 litre), dried fruit and energy
bars for munching en route.

Finally, walkers are reminded that they are ultimately

responsible for their own safety and accordingly they
would be well-advised to arrange their own individual
insurance cover.

Liability rests with the individual, not the organisers.