one week in

the first thing to know about the le puy route is not a lot of computers .
  just booked into gite barry in aumont aubrac, a desk between me and it so just gonna go for it.
 walking that first 10k from my house to the station let me know what i was in for-should have thrown the pack away then8but carried on via cardiff and london through to paris and down to saint ettienne in what seemed like one smooth motion while changing for the ley puy train was grabbed and i mean grabbed by a french lady who had seen my forum patch and wanted to regale me with her own trip ,last year_ we shared many shared moments and as my train pulled in i got my first bonn camino and after looking at my pack a large hug and a kiss on the cheek as if she did,t expect me to return,
   i and about 8 backpacking others got off at le puy each looking to see if anyone had a clue where to go next, we set off down the hill waiting to see who took the leed_ all the people there i would meet many times in the next week greating each other like lost friends_ but that night we were strangers and no words spoken.
 the route st jack is left passed the tourist office next to which is thye cafe tam tam_ free internet if you buy a drink ( not found out till next morning)
 booked into the gite capucins all front and no substance enjoyed a birthday meal and drink.
 after the7 oclock mass the pilgrim passport from the most jovial nun ever (the walk up to the cathedal nearly did for me a fortaste of things to come)
 then up hills and down dales to saint_privat d allier hard hard hard i was carrying too much weight and though the sun was shining this wasn,t kansas we where high up and snow was on the ground_the walk down to the gite acceual (no booking and donativo) well recomended was rough i,m sure trolls come out at night and fill the path ,with rocks and expose the tree roots to catch out the pilgrms.
 nice people in the gite including 3 blackclad frenchmen adorned with silver and self made knife,s all the world looking as if they were on the camino jonnie depp their traverling companion a girl called sonia also there was a group who insisted i looked like the singer joe cocker.
 a great night spoiled only by a secret snorer at the far end of the room.
 the next day april the first was no joke the walk through monistrol to savage snow ice walk alone camera not working too cold to function. the first two days of this camino are the hardist walking i have ever done.
 with no one to talk to (for me that makes it even harder) red  squirrells and the odd donkey.
 saugues was a fun night a penitance walk round the village by a crowd of kkk clad men  and two bare footed large cross carrying youths dressed in bright red swaying as they circled the town  after sharing a meal and lots of wine with sonia and the french lads i went out to view the large parade with what seemed like the whole town out in force was later joined by sonia as the  lads had gone to their own beds me and sonia having been allocated a twin bedded onsuite which was nice_loudspeakers blared out what i presumed was some sort of service the crowd joining in the singing including in a good clear voice sonia,
 after the second circle of the town centre i started to sway with everybody  else more drink induced in my case and we decided to head to our beds with a slight detour via a bar so sonia could get more ciggarettes.
we fell into our seperate beds only for me to be wokened up by sonia the secret snorer of the night before was revealed.