Good Luck

So, I arrived in Paris last night around 11, had absolutely no trouble with Border Control and ended up meeting a couple at the Sheradon Hotel within the airport. I had asked them the price of that place and it was somewhere between 200 and 300 euros. Spontaneously after that, they started discussing a solution for me. My original plan was to sleep somewhere in the airport but none of the seats would have worked and there was no carpet over the tile and I wasn't entirely sure it was allowed. Apparently, they hadn't been sure that they would arrive at the same time (on the same night) and each booked a room somewhere meaning that there was currently a booked room that wasn't in use and they figured out a way to let me have it for the night. He gave me his business card and said to call if the plan wasn't working out right away. He had sent an e-mail to the hotel and CC'ed me in it but neither the hotel or I had gotten it so after the call was made to verify that this story was indeed true, I got the room last night. Still not a lot of deep sleep last night but I was at least comfortable.

A Day of Self-Care

So today, after hanging around the hostel all morning with new friends from Germany, I went to enjoy hammam and a massage. It was something we were going to do together but they ended up needing to complete a busy day as it was their last full day here before going home.  Hammam is a head-to-toe scrub bath done by a member of the same sex and the water they use is hot in just the right way. Contrary to what I imagined, the room contained not a pool, but a couple of clay slabs with a light, permeable mat to lie on and a big pot of water continuously filling til the end when the pour the remaining water over you. The experience felt more like being polished than simply scrubbed. They get every bit of dead skin off of you and shampoo your hair. Afterward, the oil used in the massage made my skin seem brand new again. There is still a ton of work left to do in order to fix the muscles in my shoulders, but today was a lovely start. The whole experience only cost 30 Euros (300 dirhams) plus a tip.

A Night in the Desert

Yesterday I chose a trip to Zagora which takes you through a place that looks enough like Tatooine that a French man felt that Star Wars was filmed there and although that turned out to be false, many other American films have been including Gladiator, The Mummy, and The Hills Have Eyes. The name of that place is Ouarzazate. It was a two day trip and it took a full 6 hours of driving (stops not included) in order to get there. So we sat for most of the day and when we arrived we rode on camels to the campsite of berber tents.
We arrived in time to watch the sun set and then star gaze for a while before the moon came up. They served us a dinner of soup with rice and the Moroccan classic, tagine with chicken. Afterward, all the separate groups (there are many vans/shuttles taking people to each of the places I've been so far) gathered around the fire pit and enjoyed drumming and chanting. One of the gray-haired guests started dancing and amusing everyone there. It was an international group but we were all grinning and laughing (without judgement) with him. A new friend and I stood up and started clapping and somehow I happened to be moving in a way that got the dancer's attention and he pointed at me and said "you're next!".
It was the first time, without alcohol, that I felt free enough to dance. He opened the dance floor for me in such a perfect way that after watching him and the reactions of this group, my inhibitions weren't interrupting or blocking the improv moves. I was definitely no better than him at dancing but someone did compliment me on the dance. There's no way to show anyone what they were because the moment has passed and until I find that place again, my inhibitions are back in play.
After a long, chilly night, we woke up around 7, had a breakfast of bread, butter and honey outside while watching the sun rise then we were on the camels by around 8 since I know we got into the van around 8:30.
My phone lasted long enough to capture photos of what turned out to be a mix of snow capped mountains, canyons, and plateaus of the six hour journey. How long it would have taken if there hadn't been any dangerous, narrow roads with hairpin turns, is a mystery. The roads were well maintained which was a relief but it was slow going.

First Days in Morocco

Wednesday morning, I took a flight to Morocco and after spending an hour in customs check, I made my way to my hostel. As per usual, I was exhausted when I arrived and went to bed pretty early. Before bed though, I was able to set up a day trip to Ourika Valley.

Yesterday, after a profound sleep, I woke up with minutes to spare and got ready to head out for the day. There was a group of us in a van and we drove for 45 to 60 minutes before we stopped for the walk. As we walked, we passed by waterfalls and traversed the white water. This place was remarkable to me as it was the first time I saw red soil at the base of a mountain followed by evergreens and then capped with snow. The guide was a lot of fun.

Today was crazy for me. It was overall a great day, but it ended with me wanting a good cry. I visited Essouira, a beach side town and bought a few things as gifts. However, as I was leaving, I was talked into buying stuff I didn't want or need. They are also going to be gifts because I don't feel the need to collect. It was a beautiful place full of seagulls drawn to the fishermen, and the people are really nice there.

Visiting Warwick

Yesterday was a really fun day. I got to explore Warwick and see the inside of their church of Saint Mary and take pictures of Warwick Castle from the bridge marking the entrance of the town. Most of my pictures were of the oldest buildings. I walked around for a good 2 hours and visited a few book shops; another one of my habits. I bought a P. G. Wodehouse book of Jeeves and Wooster since it's a challenge to find in the US. It was only £2 and is small enough to bring on the upcoming flights.

Today, after walking the dog and getting some lunch and coffee, we're back in the town to print off two of my boarding passes before the big flight tomorrow. Can't wait for the next adventure!

Homecoming

Today, once all my flights got booked, I got to see a piece of the Cotswolds and a picturesque village below them called Broadway. To end the evening, we visited a windmill as the sun was setting which made for some spectacular photos.

After a few relaxing days of walks, movies, and books, I have now made plans for going home after seeing one more country. I am flying to Marrakesh, Morocco on Wednesday and staying for close to a week; enough to see more than one city. It's been a marvelous trip and I am grateful for every moment of it and of course, I don't want it to end! It's the hardest decision I've made so far but I miss home and want to spend the holidays with my family. Between that and the constant draining of my accounts, I need to bring things to end.

Another Airport Drama

So, today started really early with only half a night's sleep to boot. I woke up at 5 to get a carpool to the airport. My flight wasn't til 10:40 but the other person getting a ride had an early one. I had packed a fair amount of food to get through the day but perhaps do to the lack of sleep, I was a little queasy for a lot of the morning. I had a really smooth and easy time aside from buying a book at the Relay in the airport and then leaving it somewhere on the other side of the security check. There was time to go get it and go through security again, but I didn't really want to do that unless I could have left my bag under the guard of someone else and then just booked it with my passport and boarding pass in hand.

The views of the Alps from the first flight were amazing. I got my phone out and turned it on (the battery was low, so I kept it off for most of the time in the air) and immediately took more than a dozen photos. I wish I had kept it on the rest of the flight because as we approached the airport the fall colors took my breath away with the pines showing sporadically in between.

When I arrived in Birmingham, Border Control stopped me and asked all the normal questions but then told me to wait while they go consult with their manager. When he came back, he wanted evidence of my bank balance and the number of the people I was staying with. It is a bizarre story, I'll admit.

I met several people on the Camino and one of them really took me under his wing and he said he knew people who might be willing to put me up while he spends a few more days in Majorca (my Visa was running out and today marks day 89 of 90). So I left on cheap Eurowings flights with a brief layover in Dusseldorf, Germany.

So, yes, that is a weird thing to hear from someone, but at 124 lbs or 68 kilos, I'm hardly any threat. No one would look at me and think, ah yes, here's a terrorist. Anyway, it was an unnecessary stressor in my opinion but I got through o.k. and the arrangement is perfect here.

First and Second Day in Majorca

Had a lovely day here and plan to hike a couple times this weekend before flying to England. I'm 86 days into my 90 day stay and will be leaving on Monday. There was a wonderful storm front that provided excellent photos. Didn't do a whole lot today since we were in bed til 10 and rain was heading our way in the afternoon. Got to see a Spanish outdoor market and go shopping for paella ingredients. The dinner was fantastic and we stayed up a bit late watching Black Books .
Today we (my British friend from the Camino and I) did about 14 km around the island after visiting a cave in Majorca. It reminded me of Luray Caverns in Virginia . We had a wonderful time and got to see a spectacular view of the Mediterranean Sea. This was followed by watching a Rugby match at a British pub which was fun. Took a lot longer to wrap up the party and I ended up walking back around 7:30, 3 hours after arriving for the game.

Another Day, Another Party

So, last night, I left my hostel just after 7 pm firmly believing that I was just going out to dinner and then coming back to sleep by 10. Little did I know that what was going to be a meal between two Camino friends was going to become a meal shared by 5 followed by drinking in two other places. In fact we were at one place until it closed around midnight and then searched for a new place. Yet again, I got to experience the night life, staying up til 3 AM this time. I did have an enormous amount of fun at the last place but I'm not accustomed to partying late at night and then only managing to sleep 4 or 5 hours afterward. That's not to say I regret joining last night. I had an absolute blast and have more understanding of the night owl party animals than before. After 3 or 4 glasses of wine, hot chocolate, one shot, another glass of wine and some water, I was more than a little drunk and spent some time dancing with a tall, blond man from Norway with a great smile, and long hair pulled into a messy man bun. I again, successfully avoided a hangover.
Another fun surprise that occurred yesterday was the opportunity to visit Majorca without having to pay for a room. My flight is tomorrow evening and I am super excited to see a place that is most definitely out of my price range without this form of help.

Another Cathedral on a Rainy Day

Woke up really late thanks to the wooden doors covering the windows...well, 9:30 counts as late nowadays. Hung out in the hostel's living room for much of the morning eating a breakfast I bought from the market the day before. Yesterday, I visited the museum within the Cathedral and today, with the same ticket I was able to go again and invited a new friend of mine from France since he said he was struggling with focusing on his homework. We battled wind and rain to get there and back and thoroughly enjoyed the exhibits within. Afterward, we had lunch together at the hostel and I just stayed in the rest of the day. I have been in touch with two of my friends from the trail and learned that they had to turn back after walking 43 km towards Finisterre because of heavy winds and rain. They felt they were risking hypothermia as well. Might pay for another night here.
Now another person is talking about how he tried to walk towards Porto and that he got 15 km but it took just an hour and a half for his water proof boots to become waterlogged.

Insight and Jokes

On the way from Logroño to Leon, I mentioned a transformative meditation and then didn't get into what came to my mind. Given that it was two long bus rides, I had a nice amount of time to get into the zone and I was able not only to further forgive all the wrong-doers in my life. My peers who, in their struggle to understand me, mocked or ignored me. My former boss who constantly found fault in what I did despite the fact that everyone else recognized my hard work and of course my biological parents and the emotional and physical trauma they caused.
The thought that entered my mind was that without their moments of weakness, I would not have sought my inner strength. As is written in the book of Buddhist teachings about the higher self, the same can be said about strength and confidence; which is that though the moon gets covered by clouds, it is untouched and untainted by them and so it is. You can't look outward for a light that is within you. The problem is, when all we see is darkness around us, we don't have much reason to believe that we can be a solution to some of it.
Another thought that entered my mind is that every time I notice something beautiful or savor a euphoric moment, I am hearing/seeing that God loves me. These are constant reminders that I am forever surrounded by the love of God, that I am love and loved. So if I can share my photos, maybe I can help other people feel at peace with the world.

Jokes from the Camino: The Camino turned me into a raging alcoholic and I will have to start AA meetings when I go home. (The wine in Europe is cheap and it became a quick trail habit to develop.)
Just 1 more bottle of wine. (Holds up 4 fingers instead.)
Cook in Danish sounds a lot like cock so someone accidentally said "Send my compliments to the cock".

A Weekend in Santiago

Managed to get the kilometers done in three days with just 20 k the last two in a row. Despite the relatively short distance, we arrived in Santiago around 4 in the afternoon on Saturday since no one wanted it to be over. We were trying to fully enjoy the company of our new family. As I learned in my first hike, you get to form really close relationships in less than half the time it normally takes. Our group stopped 4 times for wine which I only enjoyed during the first stop. I did not wish to arrive drunk especially since I had only managed 2 hours of sleep Friday night after 3 or 4 glasses of wine. As we arrived with a large number of Spanish and Portuguese speakers our group was singing a Spanish pilgrim song as we entered the square in front of the Cathedral. Once there, we took a number of pictures to commemorate the arrival as one does and then sorted out our Compostelle passports to get the paper confirming we completed the trail and giving us the Latin version of our names.
Saturday night the town was so busy we had to wait until 10:00 to get a dinner table big enough for our group. So, I ended up staying awake from 12:00 midnight to 1:00 that day and only slept to 8:30.
Last night, we surprised ourselves and despite having a reasonable dinner hour, we went to 3 separate places to meet fellow friends again and our last stop was a karaoke bar which turned out to be a lot of fun. But when I arrived back at the Air B&B at 2:00, my ears were ringing and I wasn't sober yet. Luckily, I've been smart enough to stay within my mostly untested limits. I've been drunk before but I never got to the point where it was followed by a hangover. Today, I booked a couple nights at a hostel to try to get a normal sleep schedule started again. The rest of our group came back at 6:00 am and 2 of those people were up again at 9 to start their hike to Finisterre.

3 Days to Santiago; Maybe

At the rate we're going we might be arriving in Santiago by Saturday afternoon. We did another 33 km or so from Ferrerios to Palais de Rei with just a bit over 66 km left. We weren't even planning to go that far. With wine and ibuprofen I'm surprising myself. I'm excited to be closing in on my destination. After spending time alone yesterday waiting an hour and a half in the wrong town and then running several km to catch up I was eager to stay within sight of my crew. Today was another long day but with a less incredible sunset.

Winter Wonderland Followed by Singing in the Rain

After 2 snowy days in the mountain; one 30 km day with 8 km up and then one 20 k day going down to the base. It was a fantastic day of climbing and I was smart and put my last feminine pad into my boots in order to increase the comfort on a long day with lots of road. The views were terrific until we got chased the last 2.4 k up to the top. We stayed in a municipal albergue for the night while the storm carried on picking up in intensity. The room was boiling but it meant my shoes were dry by morning; between the newspaper and the furnace by my bunk.
Yesterday we climbed all the way down and started with 14 km on the road and 6 km using the snowy trail. With plastic bags in our shoes protecting our socks we risked the trail and it was a lot of fun. None of us were 100% prepared for it and it ended up coming to our knees in some places. Arrived in a really luxurious cheap albergue last night and got the best sleep we've had in a while waking up at 7 instead of 6.
Today we're walking through some rain and fog. At a cafe having some protein. Haven't had good WiFi for 2 days or so but now you're all caught up.

Winter is Coming

The cold has set in just as we are approaching our last mountain before Santiago. In fact it snowed on that mountain last night. We have one full day of hiking left before we start the climb so we can hope for it to melt by the time we get there. I bought winter gear at a thrift shop in town yesterday. Got another good night's rest after a furnace of a room in Ponferrada the night before. Cold might be on its way out if I can keep my core warmer than was possible yesterday. We managed to arrive before the rain which was great. And last night a few Brazilians cooked up a huge pot of marvelous risotto for us. We met them while enjoying some wine just before our last 9 km leg of the trek. It may be getting cold but I am loving the comeradery on this trail.

A Lovely, Short Walk

Had a lovely time doing a 15 or 16 km day with a new friend. We hung out the whole afternoon in Ponferrada taking pictures of the cute alleys. Still fighting a cold off but it hasn't held me back too much.

Big Day

Did 34 km today! Saw another simultaneous Moonset and sunrise this morning and finally made it into the mountains again. Beautiful, warm day and the trail although up and down was easy on my feet since there was almost no roads. In fact, this time all we ever did was cross a road here and there instead of following one for a long stretch of time. Going to bed at the moment. Until next time.

Sunrise and the Astorga Cathedral

Started walking at 7:30 this morning after a restorative night's rest. Went to bed early with tea and melatonin as my sleep aid and fell asleep before 8 and woke up officially at 6:30. Despite the freezing morning, I started my trek at 7:30, 45 minutes before the sunrise. This meant I could watch the full moon set as I walked. It was a gorgeous site as was the fiery sunrise. The eastern horizon was very orange and that backdrop caused any plants between me and my view of the horizon to look black giving me wonderful photos.
Things did finally warm up today and even got hot. I reached Astorga by 12:20 and visited the marvelous cathedral for just 3 euros 50. Needless to say, I used that opportunity to fill my SD card with more pictures. Did 4 more km past Astorga meaning I did close to 20 total, if I remember correctly.

Short Day, Short Post

After 2 nights in a row of falling asleep sometime close to 3 AM and having been tired all last week, I didn't walk far today and had to accept that I'd be happier with a stupidly short day followed by rest than pushing too hard. I was about to walk another 3 to 5 km, but had just passed a beautiful looking albergue with a garden in their courtyard and felt called to stay there. Bought meletonin at the pharmacy in town. Perhaps tomorrow, I can push a lot of km out of the way.

Another Good Day

Today ended up going really well and last night I did manage to find my friend at the bus station to exchange numbers so my life now feels like a fun, cheesy chick-flick.
Started much later than normal today after finishing a book late last night and sleeping to 9 or so. Ended up leaving the town just 20 minutes before 11 o'clock. Hiked a really flat trail today, chose a variant on an intuitive hunch and blasted music the whole hike with newly downloaded David Bowie and Queen songs as well as What's Up by 4 Non Blondes. Even with just six songs, my playlist was epic enough to last the 5 hour hike. About to head to bed soon as I've been warned there are snorers in my room tonight.

A Long Walk Around Leòn

Today was a really fun day and I almost had a chance to share it with someone. Last night I met someone from Germany who knows a fair amount of Spanish and we connected immediately. We even made each other laugh and we were about to explore the city together this morning around 11 o'clock but then while he checked the mass times at the Cathedral, I went down a separate street thinking I'd be able to spot his maroon sweater and blond head through the crowd of people but then we never did meet up again. I ended up touring the place on my own and took a bazillion pictures as is my habit. Now it's 20 to 6 and my last idea is to search for him on the route to the bus station so we can at least exchange information. Before all this, I had woken up after 7, hand-washed some clothes, then met a few people at a restaurant across the street. From one of them, I learned about the possibility of going to mass in the famous Cathedral as a way to see it for free. So at 9 AM, I was attending my first mass. Yes, it was in Spanish so I didn't know what was being said. I did learn that the body of Christ = Le corpo de Christo.

Last Minute Trip to Leon, Spain

In order to finish the trail more quickly, for the sake of my visa and the fact that I'm weary of travel and am almost ready to head home, I took a bus ride to Leon today and booked a lovely hostel for two nights. Had a wonderful meditation during the trip but will post insights tomorrow since it is already time to start my bedtime routine.

My Trek to Logroño

Another successful day. A bit foot sore again but with the help of my mantras I can better handle the last 5 km. Despite being surrounded by gray clouds on all horizons we didn't get hit by a ton of rain. Since I pushed yesterday, I had an easier time with the hills and the last 5 to 7 km was very flat. This morning I tried out putting feminine pads in my shoes to soften the blow from the trail. (A piece of advice from a fellow hiker who was told by his sister.) It worked pretty well for a while but my crazy feet flattened them fairly quickly.
More amazing sites today and I got lucky and went to an overview (on the border of Viana) in the opposite direction of the trail and discovered a place to get my haircut cheaply. It turned out well despite not knowing enough Spanish to explain everything. At a Donitivo in Logroño this evening and they are going to serve us a free dinner.

Past Los Arcos

Successfully completed 28 km today and I don't feel too bad. My original thought was that it would be necessary to stop after 22 km in Los Arc is, but I made it one town farther. I think it's called Sansom. There are only 125 people living in this tiny town.
All the scenery was amazing and we followed a long, winding, mostly flat gravel path today which made things easier on my feet. Tomorrow should be an easy enough day of 22 km into Logronos.

Lizarra/Estella

Had another successful day and ended up in a lovely hostel. The sunrise was amazing this morning. Here in Northern Spain it doesn't rise until about 8 AM. There was fog in the valleys again and the dawn light colored the cliffs red. This time there were periods alone as well as in company. Will do another 22 km tomorrow to Los Acros.

Another Day, Another Hike

The WiFi was being overused last night making it impossible to log back in after spending the afternoon and early evening out. Anyway, yesterday was another gorgeous day and I got to spend time with many different people meaning I got to have a lot of memorable conversations during the trek yesterday. Completed another 24 km and am in Puenta la Reina. Had a tasty glass of wine with a German and an Italian last night and got pretty good sleep until I woke up. But the beds were loud and there was occasional snoring. Never look at the time in those situations but I think I technically got enough sleep.

Pamplona

This post will be short since it's already time to employ my early to bed stratagem to fall asleep before all the snorers. This is the 2nd hostel with 40 bunks on one side of the building and 40 on the other (estimation).
I had a really good easy day today. Plenty of beautiful sites contrary to popular belief. Some people claimed to be bored with the scenery today but I took another 130 photos of the varying landscape and of the fall leaves on our path. Even the stream we were walking next to was creating a noteworthy mirror effect. Not sure yet what tomorrow holds. After making new friends and discovering that there are no trains to my desired destination. (A town 4 or 5 days walk away.) Anyway, had a good time and wasn't feeling too lonely today.

Racing a Storm

So after a predictable consequence of having the beer, I completed 20 km with minimal sleep and still haven't taken a nap today. I have now befriended 4 other young Americans and had great conversations with them. Today ended up being especially fun since me and the other early birds were hoping and planning to outrun a coming storm. Obviously we had enough of a head start but it was taunting us for much of the day and I have some ominous pictures to prove it. It was only 20 km or about 12 miles today and I arrived in the small Spanish town of Zubiri at 1 and got to watch the rain pass the mountains and cross the valley from the town border and made it into the hostel before getting soaked. It proved to be more of a cloud burst and has left a nice chill in the air. Tomorrow I am walking to Pamplona (20km) and it looks to be a really easy day terrain wise.

Windblown

Well, today was interesting to say the least. I got to start early thanks to a breakfast served at 6:30. After sending my giant pack to Santiago, I started an 18 km climb. At first the wind was exhilarating. But then it started manhandling. It got tiring as hell and lasted just about half the hike wearing out my tendons. Towards the end, the last 5 or so km were finally down hill but it was steep and moderately treacherous. This is not to say the whole day was challenging. The hill climbing before the wind, although steep provided excellent views causing me to stop every 20 to 50 meters for another photograph. Then there were two or three places that were nearly flat and out of the wind to some degree which was pleasant. When I arrived with a Californian, we both stopped at the 1st obvious auberge (gite) which was actually perhaps a half hour from the town. Now I'm pondering where to eat dinner and if I can fall asleep super early. Snoring is guaranteed tonight. Excuse the typos that I'm sure are present. Using my phone since my computer will be meeting me in Santiago.

St. Jean-Pied-de-Port

So out of necessity I ended up choosing a 9:24 am train to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port. (I haven't fully abandoned this project.) Actually it wasn't just one train, it was 3. Another minor annoyance that they require that many trains to go about 151 km. I had wanted a later train but then I would have arrived late for the dinner they serve at the gite. It's 20 euros for the night and both breakfast and dinner.

Today after getting here, it was also necessary to buy a small sleeping bag since nothing of the sort is provided in most of the gites in Spain. There is also a way to send my sack all the way to Santiago from here for a cheap enough price which I will arrange tomorrow so I can have the time to plan out the trip and to prepare my packs accordingly. At the moment the latter is almost sorted but the other is up in the air. Maybe I will tell them that I will be done in 20 to 25 days with the aid of a couple trains or shuttles here and there.

Petit Lourdes and the Wax Museum

So today was a nice relaxing day where I wandered the town quite a bit, came back for a brief rest then went back out to take the tiny train to Petit Lourdes and see the Wax Museum. Just like yesterday there was a deal on the ticket price. Whereas yesterday it was the castle and the "Pic du Jer" ride up the mountain for 16 euros today was the train, the wax museum and Petit Lourdes for 18 euros. It was fun listening to the guide in French while in the Wax Museum but it seemed we weren't allowed to take photos so I didn't until the very end when I saw someone with their camera out.
Right after that was the train ride through town. When we got to what was the end for everyone else, I still hadn't gotten to Petit Lourdes and had a laugh when I realized I would be the only one left on the tiny train while it took me there.
The tiny sculptures, which represented how the town looked in 1858 when it was first built, took a railway worker 10 to 15 years to complete. (I give that window because in one recording it was 10 years and in another they claimed 15.) Either way that's an impressive amount of dedication. They even made up a sculpture of the basilica with accurate images in the stained glass windows. It was opened in 1954 and represents the story of St. Bernadette.
Tonight I will be going to the candle light vigil held in the Sanctuary every evening.

Busy Touristy Day

Today was a whole lot of fun! This morning I went to see the sanctuary in Lourdes and walked into the basilica. The mosaics in and around the building were stunning. After overhearing where we could go get water from the grotto, I emptied out my bottle of chlorinated tap water and made sure to get some of the blessed water. There was even time to go check out the baths. It wasn't a long wait and it turns out, they don't charge you for it. As I suspected, the water was just about as cold as our shaded, well water pool growing up but it only lasts a moment like a baptism.
It was a gorgeous day with some sun, some clouds, and a smattering of rain in the afternoon. Before the droplets came, I was able to visit the castle and buy a ticket for both the castle and another of the major sites the city has to offer. Oddly, the other one was all the way on the other side of town. During the visit, I discovered the place held a bit of a historical museum that was a lot of fun to see. But for the most part I was excited to see the Pyrenees from the top of the tower.
After seeing all there was to see in the ancient castle, wandering the town for a bit, snacking on the egg and banana I brought from the hotel breakfast this morning, I headed to the second site which was a sort of train ride to the top of one of the surrounding mountains (not one high enough to be covered in snow). By the time I was up there, all other memories of the day evaporated, and this became my favorite part of the day. With my memory back in tact, I'd say the sanctuary and this mountain top are tied for first place.

Arriving in Lourdes Followed by A Digressive Tangent

After three bus rides, I safely got to Lourdes around 7 and am right next to the Pyrenees Mountains! Super excited for tomorrow. I plan to visit the baths, the gorgeous cathedral I spotted from the last bus I was on, and perhaps a museum or two. Heck, who am I kidding, most of tomorrow is going to be a surprise even to me.
Despite the excitement, I have also been feeling lonely again. Part of it might be my own doing in the sense that I have a propensity for putting even my closest friends "out of sight, out of mind" and I feel guilty for that at times. I don't know if this has to do with a continuation of traits and qualities I developed from my experience in my early childhood or what but it's starting to wear on me. As someone who believes in soul groups, this makes me feel even more lonely because I sometimes feel as though I haven't found mine yet since many if not most of my friendships have been transient. Early on, it was because one friend moved away, then because I switched schools. Perhaps I have been connected to my soul group but we're all so good at being on our own, we don't meet up often.
There's also the strong desire to find another boyfriend. Over the course of my travels, I've met a few people who peaked my interest but there was no fruition. In fact one person of interest ended up connecting better with someone else on the farm in Leicestershire. Being single for this long is always hard. I'm starting to miss the day when all my walls were up and I didn't give a damn.
Sorry for the crazy post but after spending the past weekend doing almost nothing, I've been feeling down. I felt I needed the recovery time, but sometimes sitting around a lot makes me rather depressive. Things will be better tomorrow.

Moving On

After six and a half months of travel. I am wanting to wind down the trip. I am going to visit Lourdes next and then after 2 nights or 3 if I find a gite, I will go to Saint Jean-Pied de Port and try to continue the Camino. Still planning to use buses and trains to get close to the end an then start walking the last 100 km. I'm too tired to keep on going and am feeling ready to finish up the trek. The search in Toulouse turned out to just be a tourist visit but I have faith that the opportunity is still open. My mind keeps returning to Doctor Who and the improbable deadlines of an hour or of 30 minutes or even 12 minutes. He states in one episode that anything can happen in x minutes and I'm holding on to that idea. We'll see how things go. Just because things don't go as planned doesn't mean they can't turn out better than we planned.

Another Relaxing Day

Had another good day doing close to nothing not much to talk about. Just hung around and practiced more French by conversing and had a great dinner this evening at the hostel.

Finishing a Book and Finding New Mantras

So, today was a lazy day and I just hung around and read the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime for most of the day. I did get a couple things at the shop for a dinner this evening, but I wasn't in the mood to take the 30 to 45 minute bus ride to the metro and then take the metro into town. It being the weekend, I doubted there would be much success with finding professors and I was feeling too tired. This is one of the few times I think it has less to do with sleep, although it was a bit of a struggle last night, and more to do with feeling outright weariness from 6 and a half months of travel. After a dinner of vegetable soup with bread and cheese, I looked into the mantras I had found through the Fractal Enlightenment page and started practicing them. They felt really good and I hope to do more soon when the room is empty once more.

An Exploration

Today turned out to be more of a tourist visit to Toulouse since the few people I've met who can help me were either sleeping in, not here yet, or not in contact at the moment. It was another sunny day and I saw most of the attractions today. Two churches, a cathedral, some lovely bridges, a basilica, and the outside of another Cloitre, which I might visit tomorrow. It's cheap since we are now in the off season. By the time I took the tourist train ride at 11:45, I had already walked quite a bit and it only took me through one street I hadn't seen.
Perhaps tomorrow will go better research wise.

Toulouse

After spending a morning seeing more of Moissac including spending an hour in the Cloître, I retrieved my things from the gite and made my way to the train station. It was a quick and easy train ride to Toulouse but a metro and bus from the station to my hostel. I chose the cheaper one outside of town and ended up I meeting another person who can help me get information about the universities in Toulouse (there are three). Since I got here at 4 pm, I didn't feel much like spending another 3 quarters of an hour going back into Toulouse to explore and plan to start fresh tomorrow right after breakfast. If it had taken less time to get here after the train, I would have been happy to see more than the SNCF.

Arriving in Moissac

Today was only about 22 km or 13 miles but most of it was on the road again and the hills got pretty steep at the end. Despite the painful experience, I successfully finished the trek with just fruit and bread as gas. I left after breakfast with an apple and a yellow kiwi but no protein until after 1:30 when I arrived. My knees are just as furious with me as my feet for taking the ridiculously steep variant, but when I heard it provided a good view of the town, I didn't want to miss out. Unfortunately for me it was just as bad on the way down as it was on the way up...not to mention, the gite I am staying in is another 5 minute climb up something that could use a ski lift. The town itself is wonderfully flat, I just happen to be right on the outskirt.
Anyway, enough about hills. I made it and now tomorrow I can make my way to Toulouse and try to do some research and networking. I happened to have met someone who has gone to the university in Toulouse as an international student while in Cahors so we might be able to meet up and make some headway.
When I arrived here, I took my shoes and socks off to enjoy the cool tiles and then called home and put my feet up. Once well rested, I went back into town to explore for a small while.

New Plans Emerging

If there is no WiFi tonight, I would rather write this post now. After the best 10 hours of sleep yet, I ate a nice tranquil breakfast and talked to the hostess about my plans. How I want to find a family who wants an au pair in order to apply for a work visa and to save money again & how after that I would be able to apply for a university in France as well. She surprised me with yet another great gift! She has a friend who can help me with those things and she mentioned how easy it is to visit Toulouse from Moissac (where I will be Wednesday night). Once I find a youth hostel there, I can stay and scope the place out for a few days. Then it's even possible for me to walk to Lourdes with another branch of the El Camino!

Cahors to Montcoq

Today was another perfect day! The weather was lovely; cool, breezy, and cloudy. That's not to say the sun never came out but there were equal parts sun and cloud for today's trek. This morning I had a leisurely breakfast, not wanting to move too fast. Not much luck with sleep last night, so after a forgetful morning involving walking 10 minutes across town to the start of the trail and turning around when I realized I was missing my sun protection, I ended up walking with a group of French people meaning I got to speak French 80% to 90% of the time and learned some new rules in the language. In fact, I think I learned five new things: the difference in pronunciation between "debout" (stand: vb) and "debut" (the start), how to say barefoot: "pieds nus", the word for moss "mousse", that "jeux" (game) sounds exactly like "je" and lastly the the feminine form of "fou" (crazy) is "folle".
Between 11 and 12, with only 6 km finished, I stopped to buy a sandwich...which someone else offered to buy. He had spoken to the French lady who was serving us and then she didn't look twice at my €5 bill. While walking the next piece, I was having a conversation with one of the French group and he was mentioning that a friend of his, whom I met at our previous stop, had a car parked ahead of us and that it would be possible to ask him for a ride towards Montcoq. After perhaps another 5 km or so, we stopped again at a restaurant and as I was pulling out what was left of my cheese sandwich they told me to put it away and that they would pay for that as well.
From there I got a ride that cut out at least a good 10 km and only walked about 5.7 more to the town I made a reservation in last night. I arrived here at around 4:00 and just before visiting the town a bit, I called my mother. We had a nice conversation and I sent here a couple more maps of the trail I'm walking.
I already have plans made for the next two nights so things should go smoothly tomorrow.

Day 2

Stayed in town for the day and got a room in a gite. I couldn't motivate myself to get my plan together yesterday so this was the best option. An hour after arriving, I organized everything for tomorrow and will set out on a long trek to Montcoq. Just hung out today and found a market place full of wonderfully fresh food and bought some cheese, a baguette, and 3 tomatoes for sandwiches since it's Sunday and many places are closed. Looking forward to walking again and hope to be telling you about another great day tomorrow evening.

My Day in Cahors

After finding out by chance last night about an early morning bus from Limogne to Cahors, I chose to take it. Mostly because I didn't get much sleep last night (hormone related cramps arrived again) and it was impossible to consider walking anywhere. The bus came by just before 8:00 and luckily our hosts were serving breakfast by 7. It was only €7.50 and once I got there it was easy to find my hostel and drop my bag off.
This town is really nice and I am tempted to stay a second night to recuperate. Throughout the day, I visited many of the sites and had tea with a fellow hiker. Later, for lunch I stopped at a place that sold a perfect sized vegetarian pizza that I split into lunch and dinner. Not only that, but since I was feeling particularly lonely today, I did something a bit crazy and asked if I could join a couple at their table. I saw there was just a basket of bread on their table and predicted that they hadn't been served their meal yet and even though I heard some French from them, it sounded as though one of them might be a native English speaker. Turned out to be right on both accounts and we ended up having a really good conversation together. Despite being tired, I did my part in using French half the time.
This lead to a surprise favor, after our pleasant conversation and as they were about to leave, they let me know that I wouldn't have to pay for my pizza. Thank you universe.

Cajarc to Limogne

Only did 18 km today. It was an easy and beautiful path and I stopped to take many pictures and had to refrain from doing so every 20 meters when I saw yet another cool looking house or moss covered, twisted tree. Unlike yesterday, much of it was through the woods instead of asphalt and I got to enjoy the signs of the imminent fall weather. The leaves are starting to change and I can hardly wait to start seeing all these ancient towns surrounded by all the various colors of autumn.
Once in town, I quickly found my hostel and walked around the town a bit before relaxing for the rest of the afternoon. This evening at dinner, my French seemed to be improving. I was able to keep up my part of the French conversation even with a couple glasses of wine, which is saying something. The meal was amazing as always and I enjoyed so much of it, that I couldn't touch the home made apple pie when it was offered. Now I feel too full to fall asleep.
Tomorrow, I might take a bus to Cahors in the morning and explore the town. We'll see what the day brings.
(Sorry if this post ended up as gibberish; being tired, full, and perhaps tipsy makes typing slightly harder than normal.)

Another 30 km Down

Made it to Cajarc today and already organized everything for tomorrow. I won't be going as far but my next gite will provide dinner, breakfast and WiFi, none of which are offered at my current gite but I've been able to find some source of WiFi on these occasions. I don't want to lose my rhythm again like I did in Leicestershire.
It was yet another beautiful day but there were a lot of roads to walk on today. Right after this post I will find a good place to buy dinner and breakfast. Hopefuly I won't have to get both from the supermarket, but if the prices are uncomfortably high, that will be my plan.
Yesterday and today I was able to hike with people for half the day which was nice. I have a couple friends my age now and they help me practice my French.

A Successful Trip to Figeac

So I arrived today in Figeac and found the Donitivo. The only thing missing is WiFi but I'm bumming some off a Best Western down the street just before dinner. After 30km or 18 miles my feet are pretty sore and I can hardly wait for dinner. I got here maybe 2 or 2 1/2 hours ago and all I've done is take a shower and hang my clothes to dry.  (They offered to use the machine when they saw how much I was planning to wash by hand.) After that, I started reading one of my French Harry Potter books until I started my search for WiFi.

Conques to Decazeville

Completed another 20 km today in about 6 hours. I'm happy to be able to put my feet up for the rest of the afternoon. Me and another new friend (from Germany) got here around 1:00 after leaving Conques 20 minutes before 8 AM. He pressed on after we had a supermarket lunch together since the day is still young. I would have liked to, but even after that long break, my Achilles heel was starting to protest. It was another gorgeous day. I don't know how long my luck will hold out, but so far it's been sunny every day and each morning has been providing brisk, cool air, a clear sign of Autumn. That chill was perfect today because we had to climb out of Conques with yet another long, steep hill. We were climbing it, possibly, for close to 90 minutes. On the way up, there was a cute chapel with a bell in its bell tower we were allowed to ring, which was fun.
I've already made a reservation tomorrow for Figeac (30km) and for my pack to be brought there so now I get to chill out the rest of the day and relax. I like having plans in advance. Another piece of really good news is that yesterday I learned of Donitivos where you can help out at the hostel and then sleep there for free so that will be what I do tomorrow. Super excited because this way, I would only have to pay for my bag to move and not for much of anything else!

Arriving in Conques

Today was a splendid day. I got good rest last night and used the shuttle to get to Espyrac (sp?) then walked to Senergues with everything. While in Senergues I arranged for my pack to get sent ahead tomorrow morning from there and then walked another 8 km to Conques. This town made me feel like a kid on Christmas. My head was turning in every direction trying to take it all in. Only photos can do this place justice. I'm staying in a place built in the middle ages. Going to go 20 km tomorrow.

A Hard Day's Trek

Today after eating my fill and buying some bananas for the road, I started on my way around 8:30 and although it started relatively easy, the trail became rather arduous with long, steep hills. One thing that was different about today that made the trip more bearable was that I was never hiking alone. I met many people along the way and had good conversations, sometimes in French. The exercise got my heart pounding, but I enjoyed the challenges the day brought. Around 2:00 pm, I arrived in Estaing with a new friend who only hiked with me for the last hour yet the connection was instant. When we got into town we had a beer together with my friends from Texas as well and he ended up paying for my drink.
Despite the days success, I think I will use another shuttle tomorrow since I can move three towns up for the same 10 euro price as just one. Typically, they charge 15 for going three towns up the path. From that particular town, it will only be 8 or 9 km to Conques.

Couvent de Malet

After how long of a day yesterday was, I went to bed by 8:20 and might have fallen asleep before 9, definitely before any of the snorers, meaning I had a wonderful night's sleep. Woke up before a 6:15 alarm and just listened to the sleeping noises I was able to sleep through, blissful of my luck.
Today started with yet another meal of bread, butter, jam, coffee, and orange juice and then I waited in the cold for a while for the shuttle. Before too long, the Texan couple I met two days ago came along and joined me at the bus stop. We had hot chocolate and made some more reservations in the 90 minutes (or more) we had til 10:20.
I arrived at Couvent (Convent) de Malet, set my pack down inside the building and proceeded to explore the nearby town of St. Come d'Olt as well as walk a bit of the trail I missed. No matter how many ancient French towns/villages I visit, I will not stop appreciating how quaint, classy, or gorgeous they are. Just like how I react to children; I never stop mentioning how I just saw the cutest child.
Needless to say there are more photos to share after this amazing day. When I got hungry for lunch, I enjoyed a scrumptious, giant ciabatta with vegetables and cream on the top. It seemed more like a pizza. This afternoon, I spent time enjoying my nice little room and took a well needed shower.
I just finished a tasty dinner with wine that was reminiscent of one they would serve at the old Episcopal Church I used to go to.

Barefoot Morning Followed By a Wrong Turn

I started my hike just after 8 and reached the halfway mark, Aubrac, around 11:15 and had a cafe au lait with bread and cheese as well as an apple. There were plenty of clouds today and a constant breeze making it the perfect temperature for hiking through France. I spent much of the day barefoot as much of the path was a really fine dust. It was another really easy walk and it was overall a great day but I got excessively worried when I realized I must have taken a wrong turn. There was a split in Aubrac with both trails marked in the exact same way. One was GR 65, the one I wanted to take, the other was GR 6. My guidebook did not bother pointing this risk out so I didn't know to double check my course when I got started after my lunch break. I had known pretty early on that I was wrong when after a 3/4 mile downhill, I started walking up again. My guide did let me know that between Aubrac and my destination, St. Chely d'Aubrac, GR 65 would be downhill. Since I was on the wrong path, I was entirely alone and a bit stressed. It turned out that the only thing I had to worry about was the extra kilometers.
When I did finally arrive at my hostel, I was really tired and really hungry. I ate even more bread and cheese to the extent that after a couple cookies, I felt a bit sick and decided to walk around town; after holding my feet up in the air to get them to stop aching.

A Long Yet Successful Day

After a wonderful night's sleep, I had breakfast served up one floor below me at 6:30. Despite the hour I was actually happy to get an early start. Today held my favorite morning of the trail so far. The sky was clear while fog hung low in the valleys and as it burned away, the trees started looking ghostly. It probably took me an hour to finish what could have been a half hour walk with how many times I stopped to take photos. My main challenge was finding a place to buy more food as breakfast was the usual bread with butter and jam, coffee and orange juice. It wasn't until 11:45 til I was able to buy a real meal. Before that I ate a banana, some nuts someone was willing to share, a light, crispy pastry shaped like a baton and another glass of orange juice.

I got to enjoy my lunch with a couple from Texas and then walked with them the rest of the way. I arrived here in Nasbinals at around 4 pm with just three stops. Tomorrow, I might take a shuttle since my feet aren't so forgiving this time around. Between foot surgery and now, I have hiked the Appalachian Trail and they put up with it then. But perhaps I'm overworking them.
Either way, at least I made it for the day.

La Chanaleilles to Aumont-Aubrac

Today was a breeze without all my stuff. Even so, after walking from 8:30 to 1:30 and knowing there was still 3 hours left of walking for me, I didn't decline when the universe  brought along a ride offer. This makes it two days in a row in which, without asking anyone for a favor, I was able to get help. Yesterday, it was someone offering to call the hostel in the next village to make sure there was room for me and then to make a reservation. I was told the one auberge/gite/hostel in Le Sauvage was full, and did not want to risk walking away from the hostel I was standing in front of if the other small town just before Le Sauvage was also full.
Today, three people arranged the ride "behind my back" or rather right outside the door of our place of respite...either way, it was without me knowing it.
It was a fabulous morning with a good, rejuvenating chill in the air. The trail was in the shade for a good portion of the morning and we thoroughly enjoyed the cool air and the breeze that carried the scent of the surrounding pines. We were forest bathing along a nice easy trail. Me and my new friend stopped three times, maybe four. Once out of the woods, we were feeling really hot and despite the morning shade and using SPF 50 a couple times, I still seem a little redder.
By the time we got to the small open house with snacks in drinks from which I was offered a ride, it was sweltering and we were about to pass it by none the wiser except that a Swiss lady called out to us.
When I arrived in my final destination, my sack was safely in the hostel but there was no one around to check me in or show me around. I was able to ask a local, in French, if he wouldn't mind calling the number written on the door for me. There was a minor mishap, that was quickly resolved by happenstance. I had made the reservation here in order to be able to send my pack, but my name wasn't written down and there had been a group reservation of 13 people and yet, it was discovered, there are only 12 in the group. I am not clear as to whether or not that person didn't show up or if it was some other kind of mistake, but I am happy to be able to stay.
Tomorrow, I will do the same thing. I am sending my pack a few towns up and walking with just the one. Since it is another easy trek, I chose a high number of kilometers to complete, but perhaps the sun won't beat down quite so hard. Otherwise, I am a little crazy trying the same thing twice with the same results. We shall see how it goes.

Another Beautiful Day

Today turned out to be a really good day. Still more difficult than necessary given my two packs. I trekked close to 17 kilometers today to Chanaleilles. But I left this morning knowing the trail would be easy so I wasn't to concerned about not sending the bag. It's not possible to send it forward if you don't know where you'll be sleeping. Today was another beautiful day and I got to hike with someone much of the day and our conversation made the discomfort easier to ignore. We stopped three times and ate during two of them. I bought fresh, homemade cheese with bread in a really cool tiny town. After that 3rd rest my new friend went ahead to get some alone time. In the last stretch, I decided to take yet another break to dry my socks and rest my feet.
When that last rest started, I was able to make a reservation for this town. After a nice pleasant walk with some French company for the last 400 meters. He offered to show me the way since the town isn't on the trail.
Then, I enjoyed another good French conversation with a group who offered to buy me a beer. Since it wasn't yet 5 pm, I thought I could say yes and have better luck falling asleep tonight. I'll find out very soon.
I've also successfully made a reservation in Aumont-Aubrac and a shuttle for my giant pack! Can't wait for another good day!

A Shuttle to Sauges

With how close I was to overdoing it yesterday, it seemed to be a good idea to get a shuttle today. So I got to my next destination, dropped all my stuff off and then turned around and hiked just over a third of the way back towards Saint Privat-D'Allier to see much of what I would have missed. I trekked from just after 11 to about 3:00 and even now haven't had a full meal since breakfast. Just some nuts and chips. Took another hundred photos while out and about. Tomorrow, I will try to send my stuff onto St. Roche and hike without most of it. But I need to get busy making a reservation before I can do that. We'll see what happens.

Starting Twice

After looking into a way to send one of my backpacks ahead of me and finding no clear solution on a Sunday, I walked from Le-Puy-En-Valey to Saint-Privat-D'Allier with too much stuff just like the beginning of the Appalachian Trail. To make matters a bit worse, I briefly went in a circle at the beginning meaning I had to climb the same long, very steep hill twice. I had chosen a road with a Compostelle shuttle stop when I should have kept climbing the hill. So...that was fun.
If I cannot fix the problem of too much weight tonight, I will take a shuttle to the next town I make a reservation in because walking with this much stuff on roads and gravel paths is too hard on my malformed feet. My back needs to be kneaded thoroughly tonight if possible to make up for what I did to it today. The views along the way were spectacular and the ancient stone buildings, gorgeous. Now I am lying in bed and putting my feet up. It's been a long day.

Emergency Avoided

Had a fun, tiring day at the Renaissance Fair. Before getting into it though, I bought myself an El Camino passport. Managed to find a place to sleep around 5 pm and it's a hostel for people starting the El Camino and is run by donations. I'm not sure what I will find for tomorrow night. Depends on how far I walk. Going to try and search a bit this evening and go to bed early.

Flying By the Seat of My Pants (Again)

This morning, I left for Grenoble (town center) around 10 and took the tramways to new places and then decided to visit the Telepheric one more time just to get different photos (the clouds differ every day which changes the lighting as well). My carpool arrived late in the afternoon and I made it without a hitch to Le-Puy-en-Valey, France to discover that there is a Renaissance Fair here this weekend and now I want to stay...of course, everything is currently booked. Since I wasn't using my whole brain yesterday, I only booked one night here (with starting the El Camino in mind) so tomorrow is going to be a very interesting day. Might take a train to another place in the middle of nowhere and spend an obscene amount of money on lodging again. (On a budget, obscene is anything €45 and higher per night.) This night is close to €90. Wish me luck!

Three Fun Days!

Tuesday, after staying up half the night re-watching Doctor Who, I walked almost a mile to get breakfast with a new friend from my room at the hostel. We were the only two people in the 6 bed room and we hit it off really well, sharing a lot of laughs. Since the hostel had stopped serving breakfast at 9, we were heading to a super market halfway between the hostel and the city center of Dijon. I bought bread and cheese again but ended up having that for lunch when on the way out of the building we saw a little restaurant/cafe serving a good deal on crepes. I got a good sized crepe filled with bananas and covered in chocolate.
After finishing sometime after 10, we started wondering the city center and ended up walking for a good portion of the day. We visited a free museum, walked by the cathedral, enjoyed a large market full of meats, cheeses, sea food as well as fruits and vegetable. By about 4 we were getting a bit weary and decided to take a bus back.
Wednesday, I caught my 9:21 train towards Grenoble with no trouble to speak of and since my first train arrived right on time, I had no problem catching the next one in the 12 minute time slot. Upon arrival, I learned I would have to take a third train and actually backtrack a bit towards some towns I passed on the way into Grenoble. There was a minor error made when I reserved a room. Since Grenoble was still in the title of the Hotel I chose, I thought it would be a good deal closer or that there would be a bus or tram directly there like in Dijon. However, I guess 18 miles is too far for that kind of thing, so I bought myself two tickets in order for me to go in and see the town today. I bought myself dinner at the hotel across the way and stored a bunch of the free bread in my napkin for later.
Which finally brings me to what I was up to today. I woke at 6:30, had breakfast close to 7, watched on more episode of Doctor who, then headed to the train station for my 9:00 train. I spent a good portion of my morning in the office of tourism trying to get information on the El Camino and working on finding affordable transportation. I've been spending more lately on lodging and now trains. I love trains, so I chose them over buses recently.
I left almost an hour later with a map and no step closer to finding what I needed since phones are often finicky on certain sites. The very first thing I checked out was the Téléphéric. This cost me just €5.20 to go into a pod shaped structure hanging on a wire that takes people up across the river and over the trees to the top of the nearest mountain. Once up there, I spent close to 2 hours exploring, first finding a tunnel, then a path to a war memorial. My lunch, while I was up there, consisted of 3 or 4 nice chunks of bread from the restaurant.
Then, at the beginning of my descent down the mountain, I found a bench to rest on. My feet were getting rather weary. Upon getting back to the center of town, I happened across another one of those tiny train tours and took the opportunity to rest further. My legs were starting to shake every time I stopped to take pictures thanks to all the hills and the stairs on the way down. During the 45 minute train tour, my map flew into the wind which meant there was going to be one more pit stop at the office of tourism before heading back.
By 5 or 6, I got back to my room and got all my ducks in a row immediately after getting into dry clothes. (It was a hot day to do all that walking.) I have a room and a way to get to it. My next stop is Le-Puy-en- Valey. Planning to start the El Camino! Here we go!

Dijon Mustard and Owls?

I made it to Dijon without incident and was surprised to see I had several hours to spend in the town. So after making up my bed and washing my hair, I went out and wondered the town and probably took another 200 photos. I went into one cathedral, one church, and two free exhibits (one was three floors of archaeology, and the other was just two rooms of sculptures). During my walk I discovered some bronze triangles with owls on them and when I got back I googled it and found out it leads to 22 various attractions. Today, I only found #9. Tomorrow, I will get to spend more time wondering this beautiful place.

New Plans

I didn't write yesterday because I spent most of my day figuring out where to go today. I had arranged a carpool to Amiens and booked a night there. However, today, the driver ended up having more family priorities than expected and kept postponing the rendez-vous until we would have arrived at the destination at 1:00 in the morning. Today, before finding all this out, I went on a half hour mini train tour through the oldest parts of Strasbourg. Afterward, I went on a walk through a beautiful nearby park and ended up having a baguette with Camembert cheese for dinner. My new plan is to take a train to Dijon tomorrow and stay a couple nights. Will most likely head from there to Grenoble after that. Looking forward to new places! Still thinking about starting the El Camino soon, so I'm on my way with a few stops in between.

First Day in Strasbourg

The biggest news today is that I probably took 200 photos while wondering the streets of Strasbourg and Petite France. I got to ride the tramway to get to some pretty cool places and found yet another cathedral to gawk at from all angles. I also spent no money on food today, just drinks. Still have to figure out where I am going after this but I am tempted to start the El Camino soon.

A Magical Day

This morning, after having fallen asleep after midnight, I missed my alarm...or it didn't go off...there are no witnesses! I woke up at 6:04 instead of 5 and was out the door in ten minutes with my teeth brushed and sandwiches in hand. As quickly as possible, I made my way to the bus stop that was closest to the house. I had only been there once and in the dark I couldn't tell what the last turn was and thought I had it all wrong. After completing a circle, I asked someone who was dragging his bike out of the house where the closest bus stop was that would get me to the train station. Surprisingly and thankfully, he spoke English. As assumed, I had most of the directions right and he led me the rest of the way there; just 200 meters away but around a less obvious corner. The time now is 6:31 and according to the bus schedule, the next bus was coming in just 2 minutes. I get my wallet out for 3 euros in coins and as I am putting it away I hear the bus and turn to flag it down.
Amazingly, I reach the station around 6:45 and I buy the needed ticket at 6:49. Every other train takes 1 hour to get to Brussels and the ones in between take 2 hours long. I ask the person who printed my ticket which train I need to catch and for the platform number. The train I needed would leave at 6:54 and it was on platform 9. Upon entering the train, I put my heavy backpack up and noticed I felt pretty queasy so I stood and chatted with a couple Canadians and learned a lot about what I can do in terms of pursuing my education goals. I thought the nausea must have be the stress of the morning but as it turned out it was a bit more than that. No worries, it wasn't an illness either, just another painful visit from "Aunt Flo", but I've been expecting it for a few days and had already prepared for the occurrence. (Fellow women travelers, I recommend the diva cup.) I didn't end up eating until 10 when the cramps died down some. In the end, I arrived at Brussels Station Nord with close to 20 minutes to spare; the bus was to leave at 8:30.
Now I am here in Strasbourg visiting my friend from the CSA still shocked, surprised, and laughing at the fact that I made it here.

Long Day Ahead

Today was a lot of fun! After helping finish the kitchen cabinets this morning, I walked around the town for close to four hours. Actually, for 30 minutes of that time, I was enjoying a boat tour of Bruges! I have many new photos as expected. Towards the beginning of my excursion, I bought food for tomorrow's long travel day to Strasbourg, France. I will be getting up around 5 for a 6:30 train to Brussels, followed by a 6 hour bus ride at 8:30.
Despite getting up early, I might be going to bed later than expected. Today, I realized I'm missing my iPod shuffle after successfully keeping track of it for 5 months in Europe. (Although I got it two years ago...so longer.) I remember listening to the same song 4 or 5 times over on the way to the hostel the day that I hung out and had a couple beers with pizza and chatted with new friends, but I haven't used or seen it since. Unless I just have to have a couple beers to remember what I've done with it. With this newfound issue, I will be finding it hard to sleep. I always look forward to music on the buses and trains.

Small Summary of the Day

Finally got a walking tour of Bruges today and after a quick lunch, I helped clean the kitchen at the bed and breakfast I'm staying in. This evening, since I had good luck yesterday at the Hostel/Bar scene, I went back again for a 5 euro pizza. No drinks this time since I haven't had a good night's sleep in a while and I'm certain it has to do with the beer.  I did get to chat with some other people there.

Back to Bruges

My time in Antwerp was short and sweet. Although I spent three nights there like most other places it goes by fast. After spending my first full day there alone, I got to walk with someone from Antwerp yesterday and together we got to see one more church and the tunnel under the river before going back into the city center. I stayed for lunch while my new friend headed back to the hostel. That evening I decided to try and fit each thing Belgium was famous for into the space of 2 hours. I had a small serving of fries with mayonnaise followed by a Belgian beer, then a chocolate covered waffle. Belgium is famous for waffles and chocolate, and I often get the two together.

Today, I arrived back in Bruges around 1:30 and hung out at a hostel with a bar for the whole afternoon. It was the best time I could have hoped for; I met 2 people from Canada and a third person from Tennessee. We talked for ages and I still only had 2 beers throughout the whole thing. There's something refreshing about meeting people who love to converse as much as I do. It wasn't until after 7:00 that I got on my way to the Bed and Breakfast I am staying at again. (I agreed to come back to help finish cleaning the kitchen cabinets.) 

While at the bar I messaged a friend of mine in Strasbourg and asked if I could visit towards the end of the week, so that will be my next plan. I will have to leave just before 6 am in order to work it all out but it should be an amazing trip!

Ghent to Antwerp

I spent a wonderful 3 days in Ghent. Although it did start raining on my first full day preventing me from feeling very adventurous, I did get out and about in the morning and got some good photos. By 2, I was ready to head back to the hostel. I met really fun new friends from France, Australia, Germany, and Slovenia. We hung out for much of my stay there which made it a great stay. During the second day, I did the 2 hour free walking tour. Feeling exhausted I spent another afternoon in the hostel. On my last day, I went to a place called Wasbar where you can eat while washing your clothes before heading to the train station.

Yesterday, I arrived in Antwerp, Belgium via train and made my winding way to the hostel. Today, I did yet another free walking tour and got to see plenty of lovely places and I now have a list of places to visit. Unfortunately, due to the cobblestone sidewalks and roads, my feet got rather sore and after getting lunch, a wonder around the central cathedral, and yet another Belgian waffle with dark chocolate, I walked back to my hostel to take a shower and relax. I will likely go out again tonight at least to eat. Tomorrow, I might visit a noteworthy pub covered in green vines next to the same cathedral.

A Four Hour Exploration

Yesterday, despite having been shown around Bruges by a friend of mine on Sunday, I wondered the city for close to four hours without truly knowing where I was heading. I purposely set out in a different direction so I wasn't surprised or concerned about not knowing. I went down familiar streets, but never with any real destination in mind.
Throughout the day, I visited another church and paid 4 euros to see a museum within a cathedral. For lunch, which I had around three, I ate an Italian vegetarian sandwich with pesto and mozzarella with fresh squeezed orange juice on the side. After running across a map of the town, I started making my way back to the bed and breakfast.

Brussels to Bruges

After a good two hour free tour in Brussels, I hung out with a couple of other people to explore the city some more and we visited the palace of King Philip for free. Afterward, we went to lunch and got a sandwich with Belgian fries on it and then picked out some things to make for dinner as well as a few varieties of beer to try. That evening we had a small party in the kitchen and I got to try various Belgian beers which was fun. I was careful not to over do it since we were aware that the beer is stronger here.

On Saturday, I left Brussels in the afternoon after walking to some of the places we went to on the walking tour to get pictures. The bus ride was short and pleasant. Upon arrival with the help of a British couple, I got a taxi ride to a friend's relative's Bed and Breakfast. I have stayed two nights now and have helped around the house mainly cleaning the cabinets in the kitchen. My next stop will be a hostel on a boat in Ghent.

Walking Tour of Lille

Despite not getting much sleep last night between going to bed late and having the fire alarm go off, I was up around 8:30 and decided to go on the free walking tour of Lille after a couple cups of coffee. It was really fun because our guide was funny and sarcastic. The whole thing was in English since none of the people in our group were French. There was a German lady, someone from Wales, and Aussie couple and another American from Manhattan. The tour lasted from 10 to 12 and then I hung out with a few others in order to be sociable and since I was a bit concerned about finding my way back. We learned a lot about the history of the city and that the French were often cheap skates when it comes to building structures except for the time they spent the equivalent of 4 million euros in order to compensate a Protestant architect who won an anonymous competition to build a Catholic church. Tomorrow I will be heading to Brussels.

A Sunday Adventure

Today was pretty interesting. Yesterday I claimed to be 25 in order to get a discount for a train ticket and then heard (in French) what sounded like I'd have to verify my age to get on the train today. With all the what if's going through my head last night, I decided while just 3/4's awake this morning to attempt hitch-hiking. (Sorry to my parents who hate hearing about this kind of risk.) Everything went really well. I had 4 really nice people pick me up and during the last one, we stopped at her house for a major lunch with which they offered me beer. Since it had already been opened and poured in a glass for me, I accepted. (I'm not a beer lover.) They had given me so much food I forgot to think about dinner until after everything closed. Being a Sunday, all the stores are either closed all day or close very early. I ended up finding one tiny hole in the wall that was open and bought rice cakes and "la vache qui rit" or laughing cow cheese. This hostel is really cool, I just hope I have good luck with sleep.

One More Night

I'm staying one more night in Calais and then will go by train to Lille. After three nights there, I plan to head to Belgium.
Today after visiting Cap Blanc Nez, I wandered the town looking for a place with an available room for the night and was lucky to find a room for a reasonable price. By the time I got here, I was a bit tired and just hung out in my room for a good portion of the day. I look forward to writing about the new adventure that awaits me tomorrow!

Bristol to Calais (with photos)

Yesterday was a long day of travel. I woke up around 6 am and walked through the rain most of the 3 miles up to the bus stop where the National Express Coach was going to be. Along the way, I got myself breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and coffee. During this time I also made sure I wouldn't have to go to the bathroom in case the coach didn't have one. The bus was due at 8:30 and was to leave at 9:02, though perhaps because of the rain, it didn't arrive until 9:10. This was the first leg of my three part journey to Calais. I got off in London around 12:30 to pick up the next bus and had just enough time to get another coffee and go to the bathroom. This next bus brought me all the way over to Dover. (That rhyme was half intentional.) During the whole trip the sky was overcast and dropping varying amounts of rain but I was able to read and listen to my iPod. It seemed ironic that for my whole stay in the UK there was a drought and the moment I left, it decided to act the Britain again.
The greatest part of the journey was the ferry ride to Calais. Although there wasn't much to be excited about by other people's standards, I am lucky enough to find each new experience thrilling in it's own way. So I was inexplicably excited to be on a ferry, crossing the English Channel on a gray, gloomy evening. The waves weren't rocking us very much either; it was a smooth ride that could have been considered boring yet I enjoyed every minute of it. I got some fun pictures and had a very engaging conversation with someone in order to keep them distracted enough not to start panicking. They had heard crazy stories about a ferry that wasn't able to dock for 6 hours because the waves were too rough to safely approach its destination and about people on board getting severe sea sickness.
When we got to Calais around 8 pm, I ended up waiting close to two hours for a taxi ride because the people who got rides before me weren't going close enough to my hotel for it to be worth sharing. In the end with just 35 minutes to spare before reception closed at 10:30, I ended up getting a free ride with a couple to whom I vented a bit about my predicament. This wasn't the intention behind talking, I was just too tired to keep these thoughts to myself. I had been on the move in one way or another since 6 am and had waited in the rain at the beginning of my trip and then again at the end and I just wanted to sleep.
Today, I slept til 8 or 8:30, walked all the way to the beach and got myself a breakfast on the way there, then walked along the beach for a while. The feel of the sand was unique at one part of the wide beach. It felt softer than normal and I don't mean soft as in my feet sank into it, I mean soft as in a silk sheet with a high thread count. (Don't misinterpret this as me knowing what that's like in person. I only learned from other sources.) Just the same, it was exceptionally soft. My lunch and dinner today has been bread and Camembert cheese. It didn't take long to fall back into my French eating habits. When I came back to the hotel, I perused Facebook, but also tried to consider where to go next. I've decided it will be a last moment decision when I take a look at the train options tomorrow. I'm thinking seriously about Brussels and it wouldn't be too hard to get there or to find a place for the night. We'll see what the day brings.
Calais has been a wonderful place to explore and there were many unique things to take snapshots of and I ended up with another hundred or so photos by the end of my explorations.

A Walk Through Bristol

Today, after breakfast, I sat around for maybe half an hour before getting out and about. I wondered through Bristol for a good 2 hours. There are many cool buildings, coffee shops and even a Pizza Workshop where you can learn how to make your own pizza. I walked past at least three places where I could get more cheap books and ended up buying The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgewick and The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly for £1.50 each. Unfortunately, I spent much of the rest of the day sitting on the couch trying to make plans to take a ferry across to France and browsing Facebook. Although, I did also get laundry done today. Tomorrow I plan to go into an art exhibition that seems free and maybe check out the local library just for fun.

Fairy Glen and the Magic That Followed

Five days ago, I walked through Fairy Glen in Wales and had, after deleting apps on my phone, got my camera to start working again. It was a very green hillside with the sound of a river coming through the trees. There was moss growing all the way around the base of the trees and covering entire logs. I even saw branches wrapped in moss. The place was serene and it was a short, easy walk.
After getting back to town, I found out that the people I had run into yesterday contacted me to let me know their plans were changing. (What I left out about the 6th of August is that they had offered me a ride to a train station in Wolverhampton or to Bristol to stay the night at my new friend's college flat.) It's an off campus flat shared among students. In the first message, they were saying they were leaving in a couple hours (now, since I read this a couple hours late) and then another one saying they actually decided to climb Snowdon instead since the weather cleared up a bit. I ended up spending much of the day in town after that just in case they contacted me again which was silly since it takes a good 4 to 6 hours to go up and down Snowdon.
The following morning, I get a ride from my new friends at 9:30 and we make our way to Bristol. We made a stop for coffee and another for lunch. Upon arriving in Bristol in the afternoon, I see the flatmates have just paused "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" and I point to the TV and exclaim, "I approve!" and it was an instant bond. Around 6 or 7, we made our way to a local pub for bargain burger Wednesday.
Thursday, after a breakfast of buttered toast and coffee, I walked to the store with the friend I met on top of a mountain and then wandered all the way to the bottom of the street and before heading back I bought another cheap book, an American classic entitled A Separate Peace. I've now read Just a Boy and Redwall and re-read The Secret Life of Bees.
There was a lot of reluctance, but I did end up buying train tickets for that day and was back at Stanford Hall Thursday evening. Despite a mistake of misreading 14:00 as 4:00, I was able to get on the 4:00 train without a hitch. Even the change over was pretty seamless. I just had to ask where to catch a train to Rugby since it wasn't a final destination for any of the trains. Since I selected the 4:00 train instead of the 2:00 train, I happened to run into friends from Stanford Hall who were just about to head back. They had already found a ride with someone in their taxi. (She had already hailed down a taxi for herself, to get to Stanford Hall, and since it was a van, there was plenty of space.) I had gotten there at the perfect moment to get a free ride back with friends.
Friday was my first day of the Festival and I must say it was less crazy than the Give festival a while back. There were still plenty of people, but it wasn't as noisy as I was expecting. I used a meal voucher for a more fulfilling breakfast, took a look around at all the things going on and then spent most of my day reading my three in one Redwall book. Not feeling particularly hungry, I skipped lunch and had planned on taking a nap, but the sun had come out from behind the clouds and turned the tent into a furnace. That evening we all went to the festival to eat so that no one would have to cook.
Saturday, I started my morning with an 8 am gong bath. Having woken up pretty late, I just had time to go to the bathroom, brush my teeth and grab a bike. It was the most relaxing 90 minutes I've had in a long time despite missing breakfast. Afterward, I used another meal voucher to get a veggie sausage and egg sandwich on ciabatta. To end my day, I did a writing workshop, ate some dinner and had a really good, long chat with a friend of mine with whom I was sharing a tent.
Today, I started my day in the Midlands at Stanford Hall and now I am back in Bristol with my new friends. I'll let you know how the adventure develops. In the meantime, it's way past my bedtime. Over and out.

Another Day, Another Mountain

Today after a slow, lazy morning, I got out to Moel Siabod, a mountain that measures 872 m and provides a nice, long, steep slope and a spectacular view at the top. Unfortunately, the camera on my phone fizzled out today and it doesn't look like any photos taken during my hike are stored on my phone. It also seems that because the app keeps failing, it will be unable to upload yesterday's pictures onto Google photos. The good part of the day is that I fully enjoyed the climb to the top as I was not overly bothered with the tech malfunction. Another brilliant part of my day was that while at the top, I ran into a family on holiday from England and had a wonderful chat with one of them as we climbed down the side of the mountain. Because of them, I got to see another side of Moel Siabod and they offered to give me a ride into Betwsy-Coed. I ended the day with a shower and a Mediterranean sandwich I put together with an aubergine spread, garlic and herb cheese, semi-dried cherry tomatoes, and pitted olives stuffed with pickled garlic. It's something I tried out my first day here and decided to make it again.
Since the photos from this recent trip didn't come through I will share a couple from my first trip up Snowdon.

More Climbing Today

Yesterday, I spent my morning hanging out with some young guys at the previous hostel and ended up getting a ride into town to catch a bus to Betwsy-Coed where my next reservation had been made. Once I dropped my stuff there and made up my bed, I wandered through all the shops in town and found a good deal on some shoes and a new day pack pack. Everything in the store was at least 30% off and my shoes were about £55. Then I did some reading and went to bed.
Today I figured out an easy way to get to the base of Snowdon and climbed the mountain again. I had last done it a couple of weeks ago with a friend who volunteered occasionally at Stanford Hall when she offered to let me come along. Just two days after Bounce Below at Zip World, I was still a bit sore today but needed to get out and about. I bought some postcards at Pen-y-Pass and ended up hiking with a mother and her two kids up the Pyg Trail. I spent the day breaking in my new shoes to see how they'd hold up. Unfortunately, they seem too roomy for hiking but they should be good enough for easier walks and if I get thicker socks. After going up and down the mountain and happening to catch a bus right away, I ended up buying myself a pizza in town and ate all but the last piece. All I've been doing since the meal is reading my 50 pence books.

Photos from the Last Couple Days