Diary week 2
Day 8 : 7 June Now at Espalion at Halte st Jacque. Another beautiful day..my first without rain, still lots of up and down..mossy stone walls and today wild cherries and tiny wild strawberries .At one point saw a young deer leap across the road in front of me and vanish into the woods. St Come d'Olt was lovely (0ne of the plus beaux villages de France. Amazing twisted church tower. Am now booked 2 days ahead for the first time and have long 27 k day tomorrow. Still having problems with my toenails..have made my big toes tiny caps of hikers wool and keep swapping from boots to sandals throughout the day. At the tourist office noticed that someone had written in the book that there are bedbugs here..hope not, it seems clean enough. It is on 4 levels with a narrow twisted staircase climbing steeply. Just looked out the window and noticed it is now pouring with rain! Good dinner st restaurant Jaja across the road.
Day 9: 8 June. Espalion to Golinhac. T oday felt like the steepest ups and downs.Am beginning to get to know a few people but language is a much bigger barrier than it was in Spain as the French seem more reserved, at least until you get to know them better. Bernard is a larger than life man who is very kind and solicitous of everyone.He is always where he is needed..except for tonight. He is sharing a small 2 bunk room with 3 women ..and I have already heard him snoring before dinner. I have my earplugs ready for a long night.
I am feeling very proud of myself tonight. One of the hardest things I have to do here is to phone ahead to book accommodation in French. Tonight I made 5 phone calls to book until Sunday night as it is another holiday weekend coming and I was warned that I should get in early. Luckily only one refusal and everyone seemed to understand me. I am about a day ahead of my timetable and find that I can now walk about 25 k reasonably comfortably. If I carried on at this rate I would finish too early but am still a little worried that the weather may be too hot to walk long distances later. I am staying at the gite at the camping ground.
Day 10: June 9 Golinac to Conques. Strangely it wasn't Bernard who snored last night but his friend Christiane, a tiny little French woman. For the first time I had problems finding my way out of Golinac..the signage was confusing. Luckily after retracing my steps I found someone else who was also having difficulty and we asked a local. This was pretty unusual as the signage is generally excellent. What I really like is that they have usually put crosses on the routes that you shouldn't take as well as the red and white stripes on the correct route. Fairly easy days walking today with perfect walking weather..not too hot or cold. Stopped at Spar shop along the way to buy fruit and saw the biggest dog I have ever seen..like a medium sized bear. It was quite a day for animals as I also saw cages of rabbits by the side of the road, donkeys, geese and here in Conques, two men leading dogs carrying tiny packs and scallop shells. Conques is a fascinating medieval town that looks as though it hsd come straight out of Grimms fairy tales..all twisted turrets and overlapping grey tiles and overhanging buildings.Like a little goblin city. It is also a tourist centre and it feels odd to hear people speaking English again. The Abbey is fantastic ..I am sharing a room with a French couple at the top of an uneven twisted stone staircase. Looking forward to dinner...I think I might be running a little short on protein, although there is always plenty of french bread and camembert (yes I know...poor me!)
Later..sat next to Ki at dinner..a Chinese Canadian man...so nice to speak english and not have to labour over every word. Not sure if my French is actually improving or if I am just more boldly speaking bad french but I seem to be able to make myself understood usually..even on the phone. Ki told me that last year on the camino his french brother in law got over 200 bed bug bites while Ki who plastered himself with tiger balm only got a few. Bed bugs are being taken very seriously now...in many places our back packs are sprayed and often they are not allowed into rooms.
After dinner I went to Vespers in the cathedral and was asked (as the only native English speaker in about 100 people I think) to read a short blessing in English (it was also read in French and German) which I did, sensitvely refraining from using the opportunity to make a statement about the Rainbow Warrior.
Day 11 June 10: Conques to Livinac. A long cool day with occasional drizzle and low clouds. Very steep muddy climb out of Conques..funny texts from Sheryl arrived at just the right time as I needed a lift. Decasseville a horrible jarring sprawling city after so many beautiful little villages. Somehow got lost and ended up walking through heavy traffic into Livinhac after asking an old lady the way. Swallows flying low across the fields which Johan says means rain..it was raining so perhaps he was right!
Arrived at Gite to find it listed as complet and my name not on list on wall and it didn't open until 5.30. Rang woman who said if I waited she would open another room up. Carol (who also has a son living in Oz) and I are sharing a large room with lots of empty beds. I visited epicerie next door for can of cassoulet and a potato: to micowave for dinner. Johan and Bernard and another had to go on to next village 8 k away.
Day 12 June 11. Livinhac to Fijeac. Good walking weather and not too many hills today.
The houses are changing and now look a little more Spanish with beams poking out through the walls and red half round tiled roofs instead of the round grey overlapping. Some nice little picnic areas along the way. Saw a green snake on the way in. Bernard said that only the red ones are dangerous. Arrived in Figeac and headed for the centre to find the office de tourisme.They gave me a map and showed me where to find Chez Celia Gite. It is in the old part of town..all high half timbered buildings and very cute. A wonderful shower (no longer attached to the wall but they rarely are) and real sheets and towels for 15 euro. Tiny little garden with washing lines and tables and chairs. The dormitory has 5 single and 1 double bed in a large sunny room with a beamed ceiling and tiled floor.Popped down to the Casino supermarket down the road to buy some food for tonight and the next few days.. a frozen chicken curry tonight..seems wrong in France but it
wasn't too bad. Ki is here too in one of the upstairs rooms. Met Ghislaine, a French Canadian..also 'tout seule'.
Day 13: June 12. Figeac to Grealou. Left early with Ghislaine as soon as the boulangerie opened at 7. She was so interesting..since retiring at 60 she has pretty much just wandered the world. She has not recovered from foot surgery and has to have her pack sent on each day.Were so busy talking that we missed several turns and probably walked quite a few extra ks. First hot day but lots of leafy green lanes and gorgeous blue butterflies just the same shade as some of the house shutters. Little round stone shelters for shepherds. Entering Grealou there were cars and people everywhere for a giant Brocante sale..almost a kilometer of road was roaped off. I had hoped to go back and have a better look but it took me sn hour or so to find my gite with help from a bus load of Belgians. It was completely unmarked and in the end I only found it by looking over the hedge and asking someone..and it turned out to be there luckily. I have sore feet today ..probably because I carried so much food as it was a Sunday followed by a holiday Whit Monday and I was worried I might not find much. Probably just as well that I did but have had too many microwave single serve meals..need to try and find some real food ...you wouldn't think it would be so hard in France. Just me and an elderly couple in the gite so spent the evening reading kindle books on my phone..it has been great for that.
Day 14: June 13 Grealou to Limogne en Quercy
Left early st 6.30 am, as was planning long 28 k day. A wee bit of drizzle but mostly fine. A bit low on food so ate yesterday's stale bread and chocolate for breakfast and lunch supplemented by the inevitable cereal bars.Just before noon caught up with Ki and walked with him to Limogne.Talking with him..he told me ancient chinese stories about butterflies and fishes... passed the time and was there before I knew it. The gite municipal is a big ramshackle building but seems clean enough although no special precautions for brd bugs..a bit of a worry. Found the room that Ghislaine had booked for us labelled and made myself comfortable. No hot water in the showers so filled a basin from the kitchen for a wash. Headed down the road into town where the shops were all closed because it was Whit Monday holiday but there was another Brocante sale ..lots of little stalls just starting to pack up. Had sardines and noodles for dinner. Have now done 300k and am feeling good..a bit tired and could do with a proper meal. My sports sandals are falling to pieces and I have mended them with some string from a drawstring bag...hope they last as I like to walk the last 7 k or so each day in them.
Day 8 : 7 June Now at Espalion at Halte st Jacque. Another beautiful day..my first without rain, still lots of up and down..mossy stone walls and today wild cherries and tiny wild strawberries .At one point saw a young deer leap across the road in front of me and vanish into the woods. St Come d'Olt was lovely (0ne of the plus beaux villages de France. Amazing twisted church tower. Am now booked 2 days ahead for the first time and have long 27 k day tomorrow. Still having problems with my toenails..have made my big toes tiny caps of hikers wool and keep swapping from boots to sandals throughout the day. At the tourist office noticed that someone had written in the book that there are bedbugs here..hope not, it seems clean enough. It is on 4 levels with a narrow twisted staircase climbing steeply. Just looked out the window and noticed it is now pouring with rain! Good dinner st restaurant Jaja across the road.
Day 9: 8 June. Espalion to Golinhac. T oday felt like the steepest ups and downs.Am beginning to get to know a few people but language is a much bigger barrier than it was in Spain as the French seem more reserved, at least until you get to know them better. Bernard is a larger than life man who is very kind and solicitous of everyone.He is always where he is needed..except for tonight. He is sharing a small 2 bunk room with 3 women ..and I have already heard him snoring before dinner. I have my earplugs ready for a long night.
I am feeling very proud of myself tonight. One of the hardest things I have to do here is to phone ahead to book accommodation in French. Tonight I made 5 phone calls to book until Sunday night as it is another holiday weekend coming and I was warned that I should get in early. Luckily only one refusal and everyone seemed to understand me. I am about a day ahead of my timetable and find that I can now walk about 25 k reasonably comfortably. If I carried on at this rate I would finish too early but am still a little worried that the weather may be too hot to walk long distances later. I am staying at the gite at the camping ground.
Day 10: June 9 Golinac to Conques. Strangely it wasn't Bernard who snored last night but his friend Christiane, a tiny little French woman. For the first time I had problems finding my way out of Golinac..the signage was confusing. Luckily after retracing my steps I found someone else who was also having difficulty and we asked a local. This was pretty unusual as the signage is generally excellent. What I really like is that they have usually put crosses on the routes that you shouldn't take as well as the red and white stripes on the correct route. Fairly easy days walking today with perfect walking weather..not too hot or cold. Stopped at Spar shop along the way to buy fruit and saw the biggest dog I have ever seen..like a medium sized bear. It was quite a day for animals as I also saw cages of rabbits by the side of the road, donkeys, geese and here in Conques, two men leading dogs carrying tiny packs and scallop shells. Conques is a fascinating medieval town that looks as though it hsd come straight out of Grimms fairy tales..all twisted turrets and overlapping grey tiles and overhanging buildings.Like a little goblin city. It is also a tourist centre and it feels odd to hear people speaking English again. The Abbey is fantastic ..I am sharing a room with a French couple at the top of an uneven twisted stone staircase. Looking forward to dinner...I think I might be running a little short on protein, although there is always plenty of french bread and camembert (yes I know...poor me!)
Later..sat next to Ki at dinner..a Chinese Canadian man...so nice to speak english and not have to labour over every word. Not sure if my French is actually improving or if I am just more boldly speaking bad french but I seem to be able to make myself understood usually..even on the phone. Ki told me that last year on the camino his french brother in law got over 200 bed bug bites while Ki who plastered himself with tiger balm only got a few. Bed bugs are being taken very seriously now...in many places our back packs are sprayed and often they are not allowed into rooms.
After dinner I went to Vespers in the cathedral and was asked (as the only native English speaker in about 100 people I think) to read a short blessing in English (it was also read in French and German) which I did, sensitvely refraining from using the opportunity to make a statement about the Rainbow Warrior.
Day 11 June 10: Conques to Livinac. A long cool day with occasional drizzle and low clouds. Very steep muddy climb out of Conques..funny texts from Sheryl arrived at just the right time as I needed a lift. Decasseville a horrible jarring sprawling city after so many beautiful little villages. Somehow got lost and ended up walking through heavy traffic into Livinhac after asking an old lady the way. Swallows flying low across the fields which Johan says means rain..it was raining so perhaps he was right!
Arrived at Gite to find it listed as complet and my name not on list on wall and it didn't open until 5.30. Rang woman who said if I waited she would open another room up. Carol (who also has a son living in Oz) and I are sharing a large room with lots of empty beds. I visited epicerie next door for can of cassoulet and a potato: to micowave for dinner. Johan and Bernard and another had to go on to next village 8 k away.
Day 12 June 11. Livinhac to Fijeac. Good walking weather and not too many hills today.
The houses are changing and now look a little more Spanish with beams poking out through the walls and red half round tiled roofs instead of the round grey overlapping. Some nice little picnic areas along the way. Saw a green snake on the way in. Bernard said that only the red ones are dangerous. Arrived in Figeac and headed for the centre to find the office de tourisme.They gave me a map and showed me where to find Chez Celia Gite. It is in the old part of town..all high half timbered buildings and very cute. A wonderful shower (no longer attached to the wall but they rarely are) and real sheets and towels for 15 euro. Tiny little garden with washing lines and tables and chairs. The dormitory has 5 single and 1 double bed in a large sunny room with a beamed ceiling and tiled floor.Popped down to the Casino supermarket down the road to buy some food for tonight and the next few days.. a frozen chicken curry tonight..seems wrong in France but it
wasn't too bad. Ki is here too in one of the upstairs rooms. Met Ghislaine, a French Canadian..also 'tout seule'.
Day 13: June 12. Figeac to Grealou. Left early with Ghislaine as soon as the boulangerie opened at 7. She was so interesting..since retiring at 60 she has pretty much just wandered the world. She has not recovered from foot surgery and has to have her pack sent on each day.Were so busy talking that we missed several turns and probably walked quite a few extra ks. First hot day but lots of leafy green lanes and gorgeous blue butterflies just the same shade as some of the house shutters. Little round stone shelters for shepherds. Entering Grealou there were cars and people everywhere for a giant Brocante sale..almost a kilometer of road was roaped off. I had hoped to go back and have a better look but it took me sn hour or so to find my gite with help from a bus load of Belgians. It was completely unmarked and in the end I only found it by looking over the hedge and asking someone..and it turned out to be there luckily. I have sore feet today ..probably because I carried so much food as it was a Sunday followed by a holiday Whit Monday and I was worried I might not find much. Probably just as well that I did but have had too many microwave single serve meals..need to try and find some real food ...you wouldn't think it would be so hard in France. Just me and an elderly couple in the gite so spent the evening reading kindle books on my phone..it has been great for that.
Day 14: June 13 Grealou to Limogne en Quercy
Left early st 6.30 am, as was planning long 28 k day. A wee bit of drizzle but mostly fine. A bit low on food so ate yesterday's stale bread and chocolate for breakfast and lunch supplemented by the inevitable cereal bars.Just before noon caught up with Ki and walked with him to Limogne.Talking with him..he told me ancient chinese stories about butterflies and fishes... passed the time and was there before I knew it. The gite municipal is a big ramshackle building but seems clean enough although no special precautions for brd bugs..a bit of a worry. Found the room that Ghislaine had booked for us labelled and made myself comfortable. No hot water in the showers so filled a basin from the kitchen for a wash. Headed down the road into town where the shops were all closed because it was Whit Monday holiday but there was another Brocante sale ..lots of little stalls just starting to pack up. Had sardines and noodles for dinner. Have now done 300k and am feeling good..a bit tired and could do with a proper meal. My sports sandals are falling to pieces and I have mended them with some string from a drawstring bag...hope they last as I like to walk the last 7 k or so each day in them.
I am amazed at how much rain you had, but all that first bit of the walk is at quite an altitude. Sorry, would have warned you about booking for holiday weekends if I had clicked you were hitting them! Glad your French is improving. Just watch it now you are getting further south- the accent on dimanche and demain changes- might pay to give the date numerically! Decazeville was my absolutely worst day- quite a long story. It was worse when I discovered a bit later that I needn't have descended/ascended into/from it at all- alternative route in MMD stays up higher!!! Not so sure about green snakes being harmless. I convinced myself they were then somebody told me they weren't. The best meals in France that I had were mostly demi-pension in private gites- regional and several courses for walkers. Stay well! Margaret
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