Ups and Downs

This time in five months, I am going to be in Singapore for a day, en route to Paris, before I head on to Cluny, where I will begin walking. Five months has a definite kind of 'urgent' ring about it, in terms of 'It is well past time to get fitter and I will be walking tomorrow rain or shine!' Thank goodness it was drizzling, rather than all out raining when I woke this morning...

I've been reliably informed- by someone who has already walked the routes, that the route from Cluny to  Le Puy is much hillier than what I encountered further south from Le Puy to Santiago last time. So, hills it is. I live in a city that is very flat, on a flood plain- but a major fault line lies not far to the east, so there are hills and ranges right on the eastern edge of the city. And there are walkways straddling a major hill near the university, and it is there that I intend to do a lot of uphill and downhill walking in the coming months.

 This morning I parked on a side road from where I could join the Turitea Walkway halfway along. The first bit of the track climbs through some lovely bush.

 Before very long the track emerges out onto farmland, where the view today was of a drizzly haze over the hills. I am sure the Irish must have a word for this gentle, barely-there kind of rain.

 The sun wasn't out, but even on a dull day you could see shadows on the pond, and so many different kinds of plants seemed to be in this pond. There used to be a pair of ducks that hung out here- I wonder where they have gone. The pond looked oddly empty without them.

It's funny, even when you have walked a track a few times, there are always new things that jump out at your eyes. I had never noticed the orange bits on some of the broom flowers before.

And another surprise was the amount of fungi I saw today. I really only expect to see them like this in autumn.

I'll be back on these tracks a lot in the coming months, so you might get to see more photos from here...

Kahuterawa Rd- springtime

 I have begun 'training' for a couple of Chemins in France next year... and today took a 20km walk up my old training haunt- Kahuterawa Rd. I had walked the first 4km last weekend, so mostly walked swiftly up this part of the route, without taking photo breaks- but I couldn't possibly pass by without taking a photo of this handsome rooster. His crowing was apparent from well down the road.

Once you pass beyond the Green's Rd intersection, things become more isolated and 'wild' looking, and the river keeps you company as you walk.

It was calm when I started out, and so I was able to take a photo of some young pine cones: the past two weekends it has been too windy and they were moving too quickly for a close-up...

This shot is taken from the bridge at the top end of Kahuterawa Rd, where the Sledge Track starts, and where this bridge leads to Burton's Track. It marked about 10km of walking, and I had a 10km return trip ahead of me. I sat at the picnic tables and had 'lunch' at about 10am (!) then rewarded myself with a chocolate treat, before heading back down the road.

Drizzle started as I left, and a kind elderly man stopped to offer me a lift. I think I know who he was- a man who has done a lot of volunteer work to open up the tracks in this area for people's recreation. But I didn't want a lift- I am likely to encounter far heavier springtime rain on the route from Cluny next year, and I was 'training'. The man understood. I love the sense of 'mystery' in the hills when their tops are draped in cloud like this.

 I was excited to see some clematis growing against a rocky outcrop on the roadside where I could get a close view of it. (Mostly it is higher up in the trees.) I was reminded of all the spring flowers I saw in 2008 when I walked south from Le-Puy-en-Velay. Somehow, the northern spring seems not at all far away.

 This is a view approaching the Green's Rd intersection from the uphill end of Kahuterawa Rd: it's not so often I reach it from this direction, and the gnarly old macrocarpa stand out from here.

 One of the things I loved last time when I walked along this road many times to 'train' was that I saw the changing of the seasons- from spring to summer to the beginnings of autumn (when I left NZ to go and walk in the French spring...) My heart already is singing with the thought of the changes I will see in the countryside, and I was glad to see so very many obvious signs of spring. There were only glimpses of sunshine this morning, but the light brought these tiny little leaflets to life.

And the lambs- they always announce 'spring'!

Camino Reflections

I was inspired by Johnnie Walker for this. He did some reflections on the Camino, using his own spoken commentary with photos. I have done much the same thing here about my walk in 2008 from Le-Puy-en-Velay in France, to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, northern Spain. (These reflections are already on my Camino blog in a longer written form, and I have just edited them down a bit.)
You can see it on YouTube here.

Lourdes Movie

I might be so far gone from things Catholic that I don't even count as one anymore- but I visited Lourdes and it has left its magic in my soul. There was a review about this movie about Lourdes on the America website. And there is a beautiful trailer for it on YouTube with English sub-titles. I hope we at least can see this movie in a film festival or something.... eventually.... (Just listening to the French is a wonderful treat for me!)
Apologies.... I know that the embedding only shows part of the screen here on my blog, and I don't know how to alter that... I suggest you take the link to YouTube itself.

The Camino keeps following me!

One of the remarkable things about the Camino has been the re-discovery of contacts since I came home. While walking, I only shared my e-mail address with two people. But since I have come home, contact has been re-established with a whole bundle of people I walked with. People have tracked me down via other people, via photos on blogs, etc. The nature of the Camino was such that you sometimes walked with people for a few days, but then you never saw them again, as your pace of walking differed. But in those few days, you often came to know those people in a special way, as you walked together in the landscape, and/or shared evenings in the albergues/gites.

The latest 're-discovery' was yesterday. There was a French couple I met after three weeks of walking in France, "les DDs", who I saw often for the next month, but who 'disappeared' after Viana in Spain (near Logrono.) Three of us, who had often walked with them, wondered where they were, whether they had suffered an accident, or whether some event at home had meant they had to leave the Camino. It was their plan to walk from home to Santiago, then walk home again.

As it turns out, though we never saw them again after Viana, we only just missed them in Santiago, where they arrived on July 7th. That was the day we took the bus to Finisterre, then I left early the next morning to take the train to France. They had a fortnight's rest in Santiago, then began the return walk home, arriving back where they lived in France on October 31st, seven months after leaving home. I am proud of the 1500km I walked. But it pales into insignificance against their 3600km!!!

Trouble is, they only speak French, so I need to e-mail them in French, and I am already forgetting my French fast! Just as well there is such a thing as Babelfish these days!!!

Walking from Le Puy to SJPP- YouTube

Here is a slide show of some of my photos taken while walking between Le-Puy-en-Velay and St Jean Pied de Port, along the Chemin de St Jacques. I left Le Puy mid-April, experiencing some snow in the early days, then 30+ degrees by the time I reached Conques a week later.... I was very happy when I arrived in SJPP late in May, and am still amazed I did it!

My Camino in Spain -Youtube slideshow

I have been making various slideshows of my Camino photos, and this one is of the route I walked along the Camino Frances. It starts from St Jean Pied de Port in the south of France, across the Pyrenees, then along to Santiago in Galicia in north-west Spain.

The music you might find a bit repetitive and not all that interesting.... but I have been experimenting using Garageband and I am only a beginner ;-) (We all have to start somewhere!)

The long way home!

Monday we journeyed to Finisterre...by bus! It was a fitting end to the journey to walk to the lighthouse at the "end of the world".

And since then I have been "on the way home". I took two trains from Santiago back to Paris. The first, daytime, didn't take the same path as the Camino, but it traversed the same landscapes. First the lush green of hilly Galicia, then the flat more barren expanses of the Meseta, much drier than when we walked there a few weeks earlier. Lastly the climb up towards the edges of the Pyrenees, though this time it was often through tunnels when the going got steeper! I reached Hendaye after nearly 12 hours in the train, then slept in a couchette overnight to Paris.

My first job getting back to Paris was to visit Singapore Airlines to try and find an earlier flight home. I was very impressed by their service, but the flights out of Paris were very full and I remained wait-listed Thursday evening... I rested two days with ny friend at Bonnelles, a peaceful place outside of Paris, then headed to CDG to try and get a flight on stand-by. Success! And now I am at Singapore for 12 hours awaiting my onward flight to NZ. I will be tired at the end of all this, but eventually I will be home!!!

St Jean Pied de Port

It has been lovely the last few days getting closer to the Pyrenees, getting occasional glimpses of them. I really enjoyed an evening at Aroue in the gite communal with about ten others. It was raining most of the afternoon and we all stayed inside. I got some laundry done and dried in ther dryer so that was good! But in the evening it cleared, and some of us walked to the church, which had some interesting modern stained glass as well as a twelfth century portal over a door. Then in the porch I sat and watched as the mountains emerged from the clouds, and the last sun of the day moved along them. I found that quite magical, and hauled all the others outside into the cold to look!

Next day there was quite a bit of rain again, but amazingly it cleared very quickly to give an afternoon of brilliant blue skies with white wispy clouds. At the gite there was a big terrace and lots of outdoor seating, so everyone was outside sitting in the sunshine enjoying the views. It was also the first day to meet some of those who have walked two other paths through France. In my room were three other ladies, one of whom had started in Bretagne, and the other two had taken the Vezelay route. They met in Bordeaux and became a threesome. The woman from Bretagne was an inspiration as she has very sore feet now but shows untold determination. One of the other women has very limited sight and is being unobtrusively supported by her friend.

Yesterday I walked from Ostabat to St Jean Pied de Port. There has been quite a bit of rain lately so the beginning of the track was quite muddy. I was tempted to change onto the road which was more direct and shorter, but am pleased I resisted that thought. The Chemin took a tranqil path through the countryside, passing through a few villages. It was a time to be thankful for all the places I have had the opportunity to walk over the last six weeks on the Chemin.

When I arrived at the Porte de St Jacques, it was a proud moment for me. I am not sure exactly how far I have walked, as figures vary, but somewhere around 750km. I got someone to take a photo of me at the gate. They were glad to oblige, then wished me "Happy Holidays". If they only knew how hard it was some days!!!!!!!

I am staying in Esprit du Chemin for two nights and it is lovely there. Last night there was a mixture of people who have been walking for a while, and others who are just beginning or re-starting. A lovely German woman was in my room and she is climbing for Orisson, part way up the mountain, now. She asked me to ring and reconfirm her reservation as my French was so good. It has been funny lately as a few people have used me for translation! After six weeks talking to many French people in the gites, my French has improved.

Anyhow, the sun is shining and I am going to go walkabout in SJPP. Next time you hear from me I will hopefully be in Spain!

Getting close to Spain!

I feel like I am getting near to a big plughole that is about to scoop me up and deposit me in Spain! But it won't actually be like that: I have a big mountain pass ahead of me to climb. Today we saw the line of the Pyrenees for a while from Arthez. Had lunch on some seats near the church overlooking the magnificent and somewhat scary view of how steeply they arose from lower down. Fortunately I have managed to reserve at Orisson, part way up the climb, so that should make life a little easier. I am also having a rest day in St Jean Pied de Port which I need; so that is great. I am at Esprit du Chemin there: they keep a proportion of their beds each day for people walking through from Ostabat so I qualify for that.

This week getting accommodation was very hard as several big groups seemed to be around at the same time. I got the last bed in Arzacq: it was a single room, not very expensive, but with my very own shower, toilet and basin - what luxury! Last night I was in the gite in the village of Uzan, in a house opposite a farm that ran it. Unlike NZ, the farms had their houses clustered in this village - there were cows in a barn right next to the kitchen- but then the various fields are scattered about. They had 32 cows, half of which were milked, and the other half were young ones. The husband is busy ploughing and planting at present, something we have seen a lot of in this area.

I had to carry my food to Uzan, as there are no shops there. I was still hungry. Then today my pack felt like it weighed a ton. I discovered tonight that I had more food that had slipped to the bottom that I had forgotten I had!

Weather has been pretty good for walking lately, neither too hot nor cold, nor wet. But it did rain all morning today; though it was warm enough. Then it cleared at lunchtime for a sunshine view of the Pyrenees. I wonder what the weather will be like for the climb!

Tonight I am in a very rural gite again at Cambarrat, and it is just lovely here. My Quebecois friends, Lyne and Denis, are also here, and we are climbing the mountain the same day and staying at Orisson together. I have booked for my next few days - Navarrenx, Oroue, Ostabat then two days in SJPP before the climb.
Dinnertime -catch you again!

Eauze

Well, well, well, ain't I doing well with the internet lately! There was quite a thunderstorm yesterday evening, followed by rain all this morning. But it was quite light rain, and it wasn't cold, and I quite enjoyed it! I stayed in the Relais St Jacques last night - in Montreal-du-Gers - with several others I have come to know quite well lately. My French has stopped improving as there are two Quebecois who have been practising their English with me, and who I look to for a translation when I don't understand. There was just one hard working lady doing most of the work where we stayed... as well as demi-pension for all of us, she serves a midday meal in the restaurant, so she doesn't get much of a break.

This morning we walked through lovely vineyards early on, getting greener quite quickly. A trifle muddy in places, but I have walked in worse! Then we got onto an old railway route where they have lifted the rails, so it was less muddy. I loved the peacefulness there under the trees, listening to the raindrops fall. (Would have been lovely shade on a hot afternoon!)

Had lunch under a kind of medieval arcade I have seen in a few places now. There was also a large school group sheltering, about 11- 12 years old. I relished the fact I never had to teach them!

Have had a slight recurrence of the ankle problem I had at home, but know how to stretch so need to do it. Also got a homeopathic product from the pharmacy. Was worried about how to explain what I wanted, but one of my French speaking buddies did the job for me!

It is supposed to be really wet here this weekend, then warm up to be quite hot. Oh joy! Who knows what will happen...

Time to go exploring again!

Moissac

Today I am having a "rest day" here in Moissac, where there is an old abbey building and cloister. I went to Lauds this morning and heard the nuns sing the office - quite a heavenly sound. I have just explored the cloister which has all sorts of sculpture. (Pilgrim price here too - cheaper- but all those kilometres of walking is a hard way to earn it!)

Yesterday was quite hilly to start with, and leaving Lauzerte was leaving the Lot catchment behind. Here in Moissac I will pass the confluence of the Garonne and the Tarn when I depart in the morning. Moissac is very much "on the flat" which is not something I have become used to. Tomorrow the path leaves by the Canal du Midi so it will be a "flat day" for a change.

I am staying two nights in a gite run by a lovely Irish couple, which is great as I can speak English for a change. They have a baby and yesterday evening I told the baby all about New Zealand while the parents cooked dinner. They had two Kiwis stay here just a few days ago, so the baby will be well educated about New Zealand!

Ok time to explore a little more. Happy Birthday Maureen if you don't get my postcard on time - I am going to post it soon! This afternoon I am looking forward to indulging my feet in the "foot spa" that they have at the gite!

Lauzerte

Today I had a shorter walk to Lauzerte, a village that has an abundance of medieval buildings. I had grown a bit used to the flatter tracks of the past few days and wasn't quite prepared for a few climbs, even though they were much easier ones that I met earlier on the Chemin! (I know enough French: I should have known that 'Mont' in the name of a village meant a climb!)

Mud was there in a few places today, but it was not as pervasive or as clinging as yesterday's. There was quite a lot of bush shelter on the path, but when the sun came out I could tell from its heat that I have arrived more in the south of France.

A lot of wheat is grown in this area and it looked wonderful as the wind blew through it. With ploughing done on some fields, and wheat and other crops in other fields, it was a fascinating patchwork.

I arrived near 1pm without having eaten as the track was a bit muddy, then I saw the village of Lauzerte loom high on a hill above me. My heart sank a little. But then I discovered a restaurant right near the corner, and had the pelerin's menu. The climb up the gite then became quite simple!

The gite is one some others recommended to me, Les Figuiers, and the welcome was very warm. As there are a lot of people on the road who started May 1, the place is full, and as a woman on her own I have been privileged to be given a bed in the house itslef with my own toilet. It is not the first time I have been spoiled like this either! I can't speak highly enough of the welcome in so many gites.

Lauzerte village has many restored medieval buildings, and was well worth some time exploring; and the lemonade in the cafe in the Square was pretty good too! The view from the top over the countryside was amazing.Tomorrow I go to Moissac where I am staying two nights in a gite run by an Irish couple. Longer walk again tomorrow to get there.

Catch you again soon I hope!

In Montcuq

Time seems to be passing quickly, and I am heading south. Stayed a night in Vaylats in a convent; and there was an elderly Swiss couple there who are walking the Camino to celebrate their 52nd year of marriage! And they are here again in this gite tonight. Quite something. He carries most of the gear and she carries a smaller amount.

Next day was a longish walk to Cahors where the whole dream of doing this started really. It was a very hot afternoon and I ran out of water. In the amazing fashion of this Camino, someone ran after me to give me some fresh cool water that a local had given them. The kindness was even more restorative than the water.

Next day I only walked 5.5 km as the further gite was full; but Domaine de Mathieux was a superb place to stay, surrounded by trees. And it was raining anyhow so I was quite glad to be out of it! Today has been overcast etc but perfect conditions for walking; except for the think mud this afternoon!

On Thursday I reach Moissac and stay there two nights in a gite run by an Irish couple. He was able to spell my surname!
OK gotta go. Am well and meeting lots of friendly people and staying in many very welcoming gites.

Limogne en-Quercy

Well, I am getting in the groove here now, and can hardly believe I have been walking nearly three weeks! Someone told me that the walking got easier after Conques...... and they were right except for one thing...... it is the day after the day after Conques when it gets easier! Out of Conques is a big ascent that follows the rule of the Chemin from Le Puy: for every descent there is an equal and opposite ascent. I have had this rule in my mind for some time now, but almost cracked up laughing when a French person started saying much the same thing in the gite last night.

From Conques I had two long days of about 25km to reach Figeac. First of these days I enjoyed the climb out of Conques, and the view back over it, then it began to rain incessantly. Not so much fun, (especially as I had a little stomach problem and couldn't clean up. Enough said!) But the welcome at the gite in Livinhac en Haut was superb, and the lady there helped eveyone get their stuff dry and clean as needed after the rain. And the local parish had a welcome for pilgrims with drinks and nibbles that was very warm and friendly. And the camping place came and picked us up in a car to take us to dinner to avoid the rain. Such kindness, and I would have to say I have experienced a lot of it in the gites. Staying in them has been a wonderful experience in itself.

Next was Figeac, a lovely old city to wander around. En route this day I met some lovely people; and many of them I shared the evening with in the gite, but others have gone on ahead more quickly. You seem to build quick friendships with other walkers, and I sometimes feel sad when I know some are walking faster and I won't see them again.

From Figeac it was some 30km to Cajarc which I felt was too much for me, so I broke the journey at a camping ground where I had a chalet to myself, and a very comfortable bed to sit on and view the spring showers with my feet up. What luxury! Then I hit Cajarc yesterday after a day of peaceful walking in easy terrain with lots of trees and good weather. The gite Le Pelerin was very well run and friendly. Today was another lovely peaceful, warm day of walking and I am now in Limogne en-Quercy. So you Kiwis will all have to search for a good map!!!

My French is going ahead by leaps and bounds as I get to talk to so many other walkers in the gites.
OK until next time! I should hit Cahors on Sunday, three weeks after leaving Le Puy. It was Cahors where I met so many walkers two years ago that I got this idea!!!

Music in Conques

The life of a long distance walker is sort of 'different' - and a little bit of a world of its own, as I am finding out. When you have spent nearly two weeks walking the landscape, passing through just villages in the main, it seems odd to come to a place full of visitors who are not walkers.

But Conques has its very own remedy against 'strangeness' and it is music. The Romanesque church is narrow but very tall, and somehow it does magic things with sound. I think I have been fortunate, and this weekend quite a few amateur groups have been singing here. This afternoon were some who had travelled all the way from Marseille. And the fathers who run the Abbey are very welcoming; so somehow the place switches easily from song to prayer etc when it needs to. I am not a 'good' Catholic - but the music in that church this morning made it all a celebration of something very joyful. I look forward to a bit more music this evening before I leave in the morning!

Conques

Today is a gorgeous Sunday here and I am spending it in Conques, which has a monastery church set in the middle of a valley. It is a beautiful morning, and I have just climbed down to see the old pilgrim's bridge. I was pleased to find it was quite easy to climb back up after two weeks of practice climbing up and down many many hills!

I can hardly believe that I need sunblock and t-shirt so soon after needing all my layers in the snow and rain!

This whole region, Aveyron, is beautiful, quite remote, and not at all heavily touristed. I spent the night before I got here in Golinhac, which had a view over the valley just to die for! The lady at the camping ground spoiled me. Instead of spending the night in the gite with all the men snoring, I got a room to myself in a chalet.

There is lots of good company along the way. Some people I only see once; as they are travelling a lot more quickly. But others I see again and again, even when you think you have said 'Goodbye', as people take shorter and longer days in different places. Lots of good food too, and as this is not a touristy area - except for Conques today- the prices are really reasonable. The gites are clean and comfortable, and wonderful places to meet others.
OK time to explore more of medieval Conques. I went to a concert last night in the church and the sound was just superb echoing up in the tall arches.
Catch you somewhere else en route!

day 10 of walking

I know you are not being at all well informed but I am alive and well and have now been walking for ten days. Still have 11 kms to go today so this is just a quickie en route.

Arrived in Le Puy on April 12th. Very beautiful set in a volcanic basin, and I guess I got to see it at its best in the sunshine. Got to climb the volcanic plugs to a stature of Notre Dame of France and a chapel. On the Monday morning I went to the pilgrim Mass and received the blessing from the bishop of Le Puy, who also spoke to me in English. I was the only English speaker there that morning though I have since caught up with a couple from Wellington.

Lovely days, very varied, walking from Le Puy. Sometimes the views were just superb, sometimes the countryside was quite desolate and isolated. Second morning there was snow on the ground at Montbonnet and it was magic walking up into the forest, so quiet and beautiful. After my first six days the real pilgrimage began when I crossed the Aubrac Plateau and it was very very cold and wet. Magic moment was arriving at Aubrac itself and seeing the domes of the old monastery/church looming out of the mist, much as they must have for medieval pilgrims. However, I have come down the other side, along with quite a deluge on the track!!!! and this morning am using the internet in Espalion, before carrying on 11 more km for the night in Estaing. It is sunny today and I am even in shorts and sunhat! It is very green and verdant here and the flowers are out all along the route, whereas on the Aubrac it was very much winter. Have one big blister on a toe after the rain. Socks drying out beautifully on the outside of my pack today!

Gites I am staying in are mostly used overnight just by other walkers and are very friendly. Often have demi-pension with superb home cooked meals. Last night was in historic building and dormitory looked straight out over twisted steeple of church od Come d'Olt.
Ok gotta get going. Just letting you all know I am alive and well, writing this in Espalion!

On the way!

There is very little internet here, but today I have found some, so can tell everyone that I am well! I am loving the walk very much. The countryside is beautiful and always changing. So far I have taken it gently and only walked about 15km per day. Last night there was snow in the little village of Le Faux. I have seen a French family from Anjou all week but they finish today. Thus is such a wonderful thing to be able to do, and I have to keep pinching myself to know that it is real.

I think I will have to create a blog on my return from my dairy about this trip..... but for now, greetings to all, and I will blog when I can. I need to get walking again now as there is quite far still to go today!

La defense, and starting to follow the pilgrims

This morning I decided to do a tourist thing I have never done, and go and see the La Defense Arch. First new thing I learned was about the 'real' metro rush hour, something I seem to have miraculously missed before. To say it was sardines would be an understatement! I asked someone if it was this bad every morning.... ''mostly" was the reply.

Was it worth going all that way? Maybe. French flair was somehow evident in the skyscrapers, as they were all different sizes and shapes, and you got to see all the juxtaposition clearly as there was a big open space in the middle. But...don't bother spending nine euro to go up in the lift to see the 'vue panoramique'. You only get to see a fraction of the view... it is not all around... and it was so incredibly polluted.

However, back in town I got to meet my friend Monique for lunch. And then I began following where pilgrims have gone before, and somehow it was quite special.

First I walked to the Tour St Jacques. The top two thirds of this has now been beautifully restored and looked glorious standing out in the sunshine this afternoon. I sat in the nearby garden looking at it, and contemplated how many pilgrims had gone before. It almost seemed like at that moment I began my pilgrimage proper.

Next I visited Notre Dame, beautiful and inspiring as ever, but of course full with tourists. I have been there before and on this occasion didn't stay long. I headed across the bridge and began to follow the Rue St Jacques. My first stop was at St Severin Church, where the stained glass was very impressive. I continued walking up the hill, past the Sorbonne, until eventually I came to the church of St Jacques Haut Pas. Inside was an old statue of St Jacques, and also an old wooden carved plaque. I did the tourist thing here and took photos.

I wandered as far as Port Royal, and saw a bit of yet another area of Paris worth exploring. Ah well, there is always next time!!

So today, my pilgrimage 'started' in Paris, and now tomorrow I do the un-pilgrim thing and take the train to Le Puy en Velay. (Shame it leaves at 7am!)

PS Forgot to mention - I got sunburned!!!!!! I thought this shouldn't happen in April, especially when it snowed here last week!!!! But I won't moan too much: it is bound to be wetter and colder in Le Puy!!