Sat in Moissac with the Memories

19 days in and taking a rest day,the knee and back hurts and if truth be told I need to do a big wash before my entire wardrobe starts walking to Santiago by themselves.
 the days have starting to merge into one big long walk sleep eat and walk again world and its hard to retain the memories of what has been a hard but great walk.
 Certain moments stand out the 34K  walk to Aubrac and on to Espalion being the pinnicle_the elation of walking to the snow capped peak and then the long mad walk down into spring will stay with me a long time .
 Spring it seems has now turned into hot glorias Summer  my pealing nose and red face a testiment to my Englishness.
 The landscape too has changed from the pine woods through to the long lanes lined with Plane? trees and the rivers and canals  running through the the now more frequant larger towns.
 The walk from Le Puy to Conques is a Camino in itself a great start and to finish sleeping in the abbey makes it compleat.
 My walking companion for most of the way has been Thierry the last of the Jonnie Depp camino,s the others long since gone home or retired hurt_Sonia is still about and turns up now and again each time minus more lost items.
 With my thoughts on the big picture of Santiago 1500km down the road I have been putting in too many long 30 plus days in,( not always intentionally as its easy to get lost trusting red and white stripes that try and take you on a 54k detour round Cahors****) using the 45 year old Thierry as my rabbit as we burn up the miles down this rocky road thats so hard on the feet.
 Thierry now goes back to Paris ( train strikes permitting ) and I have decided to slow down and take each day as it comes as I continue on this day by day increasingly busy road

let the pictures teel the story_a walk from winter into spring back to front

conques

have arrived at conques and just booked into the abbey; a great 10 days walk and compleat in itself.
 the internets are in short supply so not had much chance to blog since my last childlike scrawl,
 this has been a good walk and just now starting to feel like i am on the camino.
 what i intend to do is take time out soon to rest a little and heal my sores and will write in detail and post pics.
 just to say to family my mobile is dead for the moment (no network)

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.                 

On The Road again

Right that's it,all packed and ready---ish to go-pack too big what with the tent an all.my size 12 English-13 American-46 European trainers make the pack look smaller-but it is over 11 Kilo's,Because its longer this year and earlyer carrying more but it can all be disgarded as the walk goes on-a sort of a long distance paper chase.
 Walk out the door tomorrow 10k to the nearest train station and then roundabout route taking in Cardiff-London-Paris and then Le- Puy start walking the Camino on Wednesday 31st, the day after my birthday By then I will have touched base with all my children and grandchildren which feels good-even Emily daughter number 3 called by for a late breakfast today, even showed me how to download the last 2 episodes of my guilty pleasure "Glee"

 one of the sayings about the Camino is it doesn't give you what you want-but what you need.so it was rather apt that my programms climaxed with glee-club singing the Stones "You can't always get what you want" Farewell glass of wine in hand I joined in the singing "But if you try sometime you just might find ----you get what you need"

 The Games Afoot

Spring Spring Spring

England has just been through its worst winter for 40 years,I loved most of it but wasn't aware of how the cold and damp had eaten into my soul.
 the last two days we have had bright sunshine and a change of season, my garden or wasteland has suddenly burst into life as the emerging spring flowers opened  up to the sun,I am caught up in the rebirth and blitz the housework even clean the windows while basking in the warmth of the sun,its my favorite season full of new possabilities.I never get over how a few small flowers and the sun can fill you full of so much optimism for the future.
 any doubts of my ability to do this new challenge have faded away "its a new day it's a new year"

New Beginnings

Son number 1 with Matthew and Emma born 10th Jan.how small and fragile they both look,still the good thing about twins is only one birthday for Granddad to remember.
my own birthday 30th March all being well will find me speeding through the French countryside on route to Le Puy-en-Velay ready to start this years Camino on the 31st.
 have decided to travel by train this year a bit more organic plus I get to carry my favorite knife-corkscrew-nail clippers ect-all denied me in hand luggage by flight.
 looking forward to the high speed double decker train from Paris birthday drink in hand France outside my window.
 have spent the last few weeks in a frenzy (a little) of activity trying to get some funds together for the trip-4000 telephone books have been delivered-letter boxes of all shapes and sizes have to be negotiated-plus the yapping dogs and the more dangerous silent salivating monsters that wait ready to feed on my fingers--letter-boxes are fixed in my mind now like a drunkards dt's, I can now bore people with the fact that the most common street name in England is Church road and the "Red Lion" most popular public house.
 every item of walking gear as now been tested in the worst winter conditions England has seen for 40 years and torential rain sweeps through Spain and France as I write, This 1000 mile Camino is going to test me to the limits, I have to admit to feelings of trepidation this time,but that's how it should be
cold icy morning walks are tinged with the danger of slipping and falling, road walking not the best surface,but just to be out feeling that you have the new day all to yourself is worth it,right up to the point the young jogger flies past on his well toned youthful legs wishing me good morning as he leaves me in his wake wondering how come he's not slipping and sliding-maybe I should start wearing trainers?.
 just over 4 weeks left to put the finishing touches to my own well-toned body ( in my mind) and decide what kit to take with me-giving serious thought to a tent and stove to offset the higher costs of France.
  





                               .