Navarrenx

Diary week 5 1 July
Last night's municipal gite at AA was not very inspiring ..like a motel packed full of beds that you could hardly squeeze between...but they sagged in just the right places and temperatures had cooled down so I had another good sleep. Wifi only worked if you were close to the reception so I spent much of the evening perched on the stairs catching up with emails. After feeling part of a small group for the last week or so it felt strange to see so many new people...and not French either. For the first time I heard Spanish ...and there seem to be a lot of Swiss people on the Chemin now.

This morning my blisters were healed enough to wear my boots again and after several short 20 k days my muscles are a lot better too. Another nice easy day with lots of cornfields and tiny villages..all very tidy and prosperous looking. As I arrived at a church this morning where lots of pelerins had stoppef for a rest someone said in French .."good..the whole family has arrived now!". Sadly arrived to late to hear Regula who likes to sing in empty churches..they have wonderful accoustics.
sometimes she even sings in English ..but nothing I recognize.  Arrived at the Gite municipal in Pomps about 1.30...a converted sports hall. I am in a room that has been converted from a changing room.  Off it is a shower room..nozzles sprouting from the wall and water puddles on the floor along with 2 beds.  No one wanted to sleep there! As we gathered in the kitchen I  met Craig from Texas who Margaret had told me to watch out for. Long talks that afternoon, dinner outside. Slept badly as no curtain so room was too light and there were sounds of water pipes everytime someone used the loos next door.

Saturday 2 July Pomps to Maslaq. Left early before breakfast and stopped 2 hours later at a marche along the way to buy cherries and pain au chocolate. Can now see the Pyranees towering off in the distance.Craig caught up with me along the way and we walked a couple more hours to Maslancq before stopping at a picnic table for an early lunch then he headed off for another's couple of hours to Souvlade and I stopped at gite. As I always do I checked the bed for the black marks that tbe bedbug pamphlets describe as being bug droppings. There were so many that I assumed that they couldn't be. I had a shower,  did some washing and had a rest before discovering my first bedbug. I squashed it between my fingers and found blood ..don't know whether it was mine or the previous occupent's. After finding another couple I dragged the mattress and my bedding outside into the sun and then visited the epicerie to see of they sold "quelquefois pour les punaise de lit" but they didn't so I tried to ring the woman in charge but didn't get much joy there either so rang and made a booking at Souvelade, 8 kilometers away.I decided that I wouldn't be able to sleep, imagining them crawling over me through the night.  I left just before 6 in the evening and had a very quick walk, arrived about 7.40ish.The sun was still very hot and I needed myi umbrella. Lovely walk through the woods beside a river. Souvelade felt cleaner and gave me my own room with views of the abbey.

Sunday 3 July. Souvelade to Navarrenx.Left with Craig and chatted all the way..only 14 k because of my previous nights walk, and didn't get lost once. Had to wait until 12 for bar to give admittance to municipal gite but it looks ok.