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.