On the road...

I have had limited internet access and the most frustrating thing is when I find a computer the keyboard is in French so I have to work with keys in different places. Hopefully I will find places with wifi soon and it seems the closer I get to Spain, the better chance I have.  Even so it is tricky getting my ipod to work to post.  The countryside is still very pretty, lots of wildflowers, cows, and trees. Followed a Roman road yesterday all day but the paving stones were gone. Still the road was fairly straight, level - something not often seen here so far - and passed two Roman public baths and a roadside well.

I am dreaming of swimming at the lake everyday - it has been hot - and missing good friends so far away.  btw - Harleys are big here too! I see them in every big town.

A few new lessons

I find myself in Golinhac today. It has been a cold and rainy day all the way from Estaing. Yesterday in Espalion I wanted to buy some candy and the clerk suggested she could not make change so I thought I would buy some local chocolate too. Then she charged me more than double. I was angry and upset so I left town. Today Marie discovered a washer and drier after I assured her there were none, but by the time we got there our ungracious roommate for the night and one other person had taken advantage of the machines putting us an hour and a half out for clean clothing. This of course means no shower till the warm clothes are done drying. At least we will get machine washed clothes, the first since Sauges almost a week ago. We do hand washing as often as possible but as it is still may and cold at night it takes two days to dry many things. There have been few opportunities to get wireless access so far on this journey. Most of the places that have it are bigger than the gites that we have been in. Many cities run a hostel, which are no too bad really, but inNasbinal we had reservations at a gite communal, the city hostel, and the mayor gave us the boot in favor of a group she wanted more. She moved us, very rapidly and unexpectedly on our part, to her brothers' gite. It was an alright place and at least had heat. Tomorrow we go on to Conques. It is one of the most popular tourist places in France. Reservations have to be made at least a week in advance anywhere we go. People flock to the historic towns on the weekend. It is beautiful in the countryside. Yesterday a farmer ran his sheep down the road toward me to a new pasture. His dog shepherded them from behind. It was very fun to watch and the farmer clearly enjoyed his life. We are following the Lot river. Though following may not be the best term. Daily now we go up and down over the breaks of the river, through dense woodlands and open pastureland. We are not so high in elevation as when we walked through barren, wind blown highlands with boulder strewn fields. It continues to be beautiful country.I calculate that we are averaging 10.5 miles per day so far.

Another few days on the trail

Getting accustomed to walking with a heavy pack takes longer than I thought it might. My feet get to hurting terribly. The countryside the last few days has been incredibly beautiful. Interspersed with small pastures are dense woodlands of spruce and birch trees. The terrain undulates between river and highlands. Cows in small groups pasture in small glades and cheese and grass-fed beef is on the menu each evening. The night before last I dined on grass-fed veal,penne pasta in a mushroom sauce at a former Templar hospital for pilgrims in a wilderness where daffodils and violas fill the fields with wild spring colors. A little rain and fog have broken the hot weather but it is easier to walk in cooler temps up and down the hills. As I write tonight I am in Amont-Abrac at a place called La Ferme d'Barrie where we had a local speciality known as Aligot,a potato dish made with local cheese such that it hangs from the serving spoon like a heavy syrup and yet it is very much a mashed potato. It was excellent and I had two helpings. Tomorrow we walk 16 miles to Nasbinals, the next town that has beds available. The towns can be few in this region. Me and Marie are having the heavy portions of our backpacks hauled there by car and walking with full portions of the top of our sacks. It may not be purist but it is practical. I'm not here to exhaust myself early on. I only want to enjoy my trip. So far I am the only US resident on the route. There have been a number of Canadians and I met a couple Mexicans. Many are French, of course, some are German, and I had dinner with a couple from Australia the other night as well. More wen Internet is again accessible.

On the trail

I was glad to get out of Paris and on the road. My late arrival in Le Puy en Velay meant I didn't have much time to look around but wandering the streets to find my gite d'etape (hostel) showed me how beautiful the cities were going to be in the countryside. I somehow walked right up to the gite in an old cobblestoned (what we would consider) alleyway behind the cathedral. There was a nice stone courtyard and the people were very accommodating. I slept in a cubicle with a bed, chair and closet. The next morning, early (7 am) we attended a pilgrim's mass at the cathedral, received a blessing and a pendant and were sent on our pilgrimage. The cathedral was very interesting being up on top of a high hill (the whole town was more hilly than anything in the northern Hills). A grate in the floor opened up to become a stairway to the front doors of the church and the stairs just kept on going. This church was dedicated to the black virgin Mary. They also had a stone that the Virgin is said to have appeared upon, in a nave off the main church.

Walked down through the main street of Le Puy meeting up with people as I went. I walked alone for some time, preferring to follow behind so I could look at things as I went. Once out of town there were farms everywhere. Livestock are grazed in small sections fenced off with electric wires. Sheep and cows and horses. The barns they have around here are stupendous (very pretty for barns) and as I moved through the countryside it was common to see the barn extended to and attached to a living quarters of the same stonework. Old style farmhouses. Sometimes these beautiful and old homes were in small towns of half a dozen homes.

The wildflowers are blooming everywhere. It has been extremely warm since I arrived. But the humidity here makes everything very lush and green. First I noticed lots and lots of dandelions in the fields. Then as I proceeded along there appeared a greater and greater variety of wildflowers. Moss grows ten or more feet up trees in the deep valleys of creeks. There are few bugs except where there are cows. But I saw a number of black slugs, about 4 inches long.

Stayed the first night in Montbonnet in a nice gite and met a Canadian couple. Travelling with them somewhat now. They speak some French and have been very helpful. I'm taking lots of photos of roadside crosses and the small Romanesque and Gothic churches in every small town. It's very interesting. More on that later.

Today was extremely foggy and rained a bit. It has grown very cool especially compared to yesterday. The change has been appreciated after sweating up and down huge hills yesterday. It is supposed to clear and be cooler tomorrow. It was hard to see anything of the countryside in the fog today.

Time to go to supper! Au revoir!

Dreaming of Paris

It's countdown time!  And time for one last huzzah before flying away!  It's finally here and I am so excited.  My closest friends have been soooo supportive and eager to be part of this adventure and I am very thankful that you are my friends!  Thank you, especially, to the goddess who has first hand witnessed my panic attacks about being in town and not freaked out.  The time is short to tell you all how much I appreciate your friendship and how well your enthusiasm has helped me along.  Life changes are never easy but this one is so important to me and I couldn't have done it without all your good will.  All my best to you.