Day Four : Oloron St Marie to Sarrance

Val - Minister of Nutrition
A friend of Syl´s (although they had never met until this morning - they know each other from the Via Francigena association) arrived late last night with two other English people. They are not planning to walk as far as us today. We walk through bad mud today and SMS Anne and her fellow walkers to rather take the road. We keep meeting them along the way and they have changed their minds and are going to continue to Sarrance and stay at the same place as us.
We meet them on the road side and they say they are going to the next village to find a beer. Time to jump ship me thinks.....these are my kind of walkers!
It´s day four and getting into the zone...that is to say that there is no multi-tasking...sit in a field and eat an apple...that´s it...just sit in the field and eat the apple, don´t read your email as you do so, don´t empty things out of the dishwasher with every bite, don´t try and multi task. It is what I like to call ¨living in the moment¨- and it feels great.
Today I am carrying a box of camembert..poor Marion is grumbling on about a smell...and we soon realise it is coming from the top of my backpack. What a relief she says, I thought it was me! Marion is carrying 4 tins of pate, we bought them in a pack, just enough for us to eat one each lunchtime. We also bought some wonderful walnut bread. We are sitting on a bench overlooking a beautiful valley, a man arrives in his car and off loads bottles for the French equivalent of a bottle bank. Syl goes over to speak to him....she speaks to him for ages, waving her hands about...poor man we think, he probably doesn´t have the faintest idea what she is saying, she doesn´t speak French but her Spanish is good. Then when she comes back, we say poor man Syl, you will be his dinner table story tonight. Oh, he speaks English, she says, he has been to Namibia and Kruger!
He tells us to visit the butcher in Sarrance it is the best in the Valley which we do. We buy proscuttio 8 slices for 1.80 euros. (sorry about the spelling, french key boards, spanish key boards and spell check doesn´t work and we have to type fast as others are waiting for a chance on the free internet!) On the way we pass a van which is converted into a travelling clothes shop...these people have no shops other than food. A lovely route but lots of stinging nettles and I keep stinging my hands...there are no dock leaves which we always used when we were kids to take the sting away, and I always thought they grew alongside stinging nettles but not here.
We arrive at our accommodation. Syl booked it on the internet...it was a monastory which has been converted to a hotel but has kept some simple accommodation for Pilgrims. It looked good on the internet and we are looking forward to it. We turn the corner and there in front of us is a very tired building with a scruffy entrance, rubbish everywhere. We go inside and I am sorry, but it is a dump. And so it will sound somewhat of a contradiction when I tell you that I had the best nights sleep I have had in a long time (and I sleep well at the best of times) and the best hospitality and evening. The English people arrived, Anne, Jerry and Jim. They didn´t get their beer and asked for one the moment they arrived. This was provided without hesitation.
The owners are Corinne and Richie. She is a teacher from Essex (but thankfully does not sound like an Essex´s girl) and he is originally from Bolivia but has lived in Italy with his family. They spent 6 months looking for somewhere to escape the rat race...he was in IT. They could not find anything in Spain or Italy and ended up in France. They are renovating this huge monastory all on their own. (http://fontaines.selfip.com/pyrenees-fontaines-escot-photos.php?m1=2&m2=1&pg=212&m2=1&pg=21m1=2&m2=1&pg=212&m2=1&pg=21m1=2&m2=1&pg=212&m2=1&pg=21 )
Now Richie has definitely used his IT skills when it comes to his website and touching up the picture on his business card. In fact, I think we should invite him to our next Wakefields conference and he can teach our agents how to write adverts and touch up (what are often) terrible photos. Syl and Marion will tell you more about the premises but I will add that these two people are doing a lot right. The beds were clean and warm with generous bedding. The coffee and breakfast was great and their hospitality superb. They showed us around and they were just completing two bedrooms for the upmarket part of the hotel...they were great with ensuites and flat screen tv´s (which I thought unnecessary). They had bookings for these the following week...but the rest of the place looked like a bomb had hit it and it was scruffy and dirty. The dining room was huge but had two tables at one end and old furniture, and rubbish swept in the corners. They said everyone was always giving them advice and that is probably exactly what I wanted to do!
We wash our clothes and our boots are thick with mud. We find an old sink outside and Marion and I go to wash them. Marion cannot stand to watch me and takes over and washes my boots....that is surely a good friend who gladly washes your boots. After showering we met the others at the outside table...I asked for White wine and it was served in a lovely wine glass and was nice and cold. Richie cooked us chicken with couscous and he did a pasta with mushrooms for Syl. He had his own porcini and morels which he had picked from his own woods...well we just hoped he knew his mushrooms! We survived and had a wonderful evening with these very special people. You could not help but just want these two to succeed.

Sil
Oloron Ste Marie: When we came down from our room there was Ann Milner, an Irish pilgrim who I have been conversing with via email for 3 years. When we got home from our walk to Rome in 2006, I found Ann was walking from Santiago to Rome and was somewhat lost in Italy due to no signs or waymarks. I started sending her our Cryptic Clues, a few pages at a time, and information on accommodation. We then kept in touch after the formation of the CPR (Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome). By sheer chance, just a week ago, we discovered that we would be staying atthe same place in Oloron on the same day! She was walking with Jim and Gerry as far as Somport and was not intending to walk as far as Sarrance but when I told them about the converted monastery accommodation we´d booked in for the night they called in at the tourist office who phoned ahead and booked them in too. They were staying on for breakfast in Oloron so we left a couple of hours before them.
The first couple of kms on the road it was dry but as soon as we turned into the forest we started the ´Slippy-slippy-shake´on mud as thick as custard. When we finally came out onto the road we dithered about a bit trying to decide whether to continue on the path or stick to the road. ¨The rest of the way can´t be as wet as the first part´we said, but it was! Val sent an SMS to Ann warning them about the mud and they thanked us later for the warning as none of them was ready for a slippery sludge walk to Sarrance.
Les Fonatines deÉscot is about 1.5km before Sarrance and one has to take the road route to reach it. It is down a private road and when we turned a corner and saw it for the first time I was amazed to see an almost derelict chatteau amongst the trees. I was even more surprised to discover that there is only one couple running the whole place. On the website it looked like a huge complex, with smart hotel, grand salon, St Jacques suite, many indoor reception rooms and acitivities and a few ´simple´rooms for pilgrims who had use of the grounds. Well, it is a run-down but gracious old building that once housed the St James Study Centre, was a monastery of the Knights of Santiago and still contains a few books and statues from the past.
Corrine (the English owner) took us on a walk to the river where the remains of the thermal baths, healing spring (the Fontaines) and hot houses used to be. It was amazing to see the old stone baths in rooms below the viewing walkway. The grotoo has fertility parietal art and other symbols in the stones. The water that continually springs out into a stone basin is warm and has been tested as ´potable´. We all filled our bottles before continuing down to the pebble beach where we could see trout jumping and flopping in the pools below the rocks.
While having drinks on the terrace Ricky pointed out a Royal Eagle´s nest on the rocks high above the river. There are four pairs of these rare birds in the area which is a nature park. We had a wonderful dinner, cooked by Richie.
We had a good sleep - Annie and I sharing the Buddelia simple room with a secret toilet that we were asked not to use at night as it is electric and every noisy!

Day Three: Arudy to Oloron Ste Marie

Sil:

Father Piere asked us if we would like to have a blessing before we left so we met in a little room downstairs and sang from sheets of hymns and prayers. He said a special blessing - used by his parish for hundreds of years - and waved us off as we meandered down the now quiet streets of Arudy. It was cloudy and cool and we walked with Marie and Sebastien through fields, farms and small villages. We like to stop every 2 hours or so for a ´backpack´off and sit down for about 15 minutes but Sebastien suggested we continue on until lunch time. We reluctantly agreed but Val said that she would have loved to have stopped for a coffee at the little village we by-passed. I agreed,¨´We must walk our own camino´I said, Íts no good walking someone else´s camino. So, we decided from then on to stop when we wanted to and surprisingly, Marie and Sebastien agreed, stopping for a sit down when we suggested it.
We told Marie and Sebastien that we would stand them to dinner at a restaurant as a thank you for his cooking and Marie´s delicious churros. By the time we got to Oloron is had just started raining again. The Relais du Bastet is a nice new albergue (not yet in the guide books - www.relaisdubastet.fr) - with beds instead of bunks, and we were in a 4-bed room with a pregrina from Argentina who got up at least 5 times during the night, started rattling plastic and zipping zips at about 5am.

I wanted to send an email home and buy a phone card so I walked in the rain about 2.5km to where the internet cafe was but, as it was a Monday (which is often a holiday in France) it was closed. Then I walked to the Tabbac which was in the other direction to the albergue, bought a card for Afrique du Sud and then half way back along the road to the Internet Cafe where the telephone box was only to find that the wretched card didn´t work. Grrrrrrr.....
When I got back to the albergue Sebastien offered to let me use his card to get started and so we walked all the way back to the telelphone where he inserted his card and I then continued using the codes from my card and, hey presto! I could phone home. We walked back to the albergue and Sebastien said that Eric (the hospitalero) had recommended a really nice resaurant. We followed him to a supermecado and had a look at the restaurant and on the way back we stopped at a little shop where we bought him a small clown doll as a gift.
Val will tell you about our wonderful dinner in Oloron.

Val - Minister of Nutrition
Good nights sleep and meet everyone in the kitchen where Pierre is making delicious coffee...really strong which is in a bowl...you take your mug or bowl, pour some of the coffee into it and top up with hot water and hot milk. We use mugs but Sebastian, Marie and Pierre use bowls. We have bread and preserves - they dip their bread into their coffee. Then they have hot milk and Pierre brings out slabs of chocolate.
There is no charge for the accommodation or indeed the supper or breakfast, just a donation. We give a generous donation because despite the fact that we are not Catholics he has welcomed us with open arms. It doesn´t matter to him why we walk this route.
We have a lovely walk today with Sebastian and Marie, they are great Ambassadors for France, they are so kind and generous and we would definitely have been lost many times without their help...the maps and signs are poor. Sebastian also speaks Spanish and italian and English very well so this has been a great help. We come to a village square and I tread in a huge cow turd...my boot sinks in and almost disappears. "Oh" says Marion "that is so lucky", "Not for us, we have to walk with her" says Sebastian..."You are really in the sh...t now" says Syl and so the banter continues until we all retreat into ourselves and continue walking.
On our way to the restaurant, I buy a new stick, a wooden one to replace my special metal one.
We eat at a local hotel restaurant and have the menu of the house...Menu de LAuberge 13 euros and some of us have Menu Du Terroir 18 euros, Menu of the Territory...i.e. local. We all start with a soup, vegetables with a piece of meat, which is actually bone to flavour the soup. Syl has a salad as she is vegetarian. I have local trout, which is very small and white fleshed and to be honest not that much taste. Others have cold meats or salad. Sebastian has steak, Marion duck - a shoulder piece and I have confit of chicken...which was very good. Dessert is a suprisingly very good dark chocolate mousse.

Marion
A wonderful evening was had by all of us (last night). First at the fun fair and then the most delicious meal with the Priest. Lots of fun and laughter.
This morning we had breakfast with the Priest watched his cat and kittens playing and then off we were on our way.
Most of our walking today was through farm land, lots of corridors with greenery all around must have seen very shade of green their is. At times very muddy pathways and lots of cow dung, could hear lots of birds in the trees.
Whilst walking I heard a shriek!! Val had stepped into a huge dollop of cow dung - you should have seen her face - NOT A PRETTY PICTURE!!!
We saw a lot of different animals today, a woman feeding all her animals dogs, cats and chickens and a bunny rabit eating together with the chickens. Passed a pig farm and all the pigs came to the gate, ever so cute we all gave them a touch. At one stage we passed a field of work horses they were so beautiful as most of them were brown with beautiful blonde manes. They also came to the fence and Syl fed them bits of grass.

Day2: Asson to Arudy

Marion
We had a bit of a lie in this morning - just as well as Val & I were a bit tired as we had not slept that well. Syl had slept on a mattress on the floor, Val & I had slept on canvas stretchers and the cold had come through the stretchers so we had been rather cold the whole night. Never mind all part of the fun!
We had breakfast upstairs with Marie and Sebastien at 8.00am and were on the road by 8.30. We walked through quite a bit of forest easy paths on our feet, a lot of up and down hill and cow dung all over. All the trees and grass and ferns are so green, we must have seen every shade of green their is.
The day was overcast with a bit of sun coming out every now and again, no rain, not to hot and not to cold, just perfect walking weather.
We stopped for a picnic lunch of fruit and cheese at St. Colone - quite delicious.
We have enjoyed walking with Marie & Sebastain today. Our accomodation at Arudy is very comfortable, Syl, Val and myself in one section and Mary and Sebastain in another. We are staying in the priest´s house. We will all eat together this evening with the Priest.

Val - Minister of Nutrition......
We have breakfast upstairs with Marie and Sebastain - fruit and yoghurt - try to be good because most of what we get during the day or evening can be very heavy. But for lunch today we have fruit and brie - huge piece of brie for2.30 euro. By lunchtime, having been in the backpack for 2 hours it is just he perfect consisentcy. I think it will just be a matter of time before we start on the bread and pate and perhaps a glass of vino. On our way...oops...I´ve lost my stick - I must have left it in the cheese shop. We arrive at Arudy to crowds of people celebrating the 3rd day of their festival, we are told they have been drinking since 0900am and it shows. But lots of entertainment for the kids with a fair.
We get to our accommodation, wash our clothes and have some time lying on the bed with our legs elevated - heaven. No signal again on the cell phone so I relax with the ipod and Andrea Borcelli just about blocks out the noise outside.
After showering we decide to look around the festival, Sebastien comes bearing wine - he found it! Or so he says with a grin. The restaurants are closed so we can either snack in the streets or the Priest has left us food. We get a glass of wine from the outside bar, quite a mission because I ask for it in Spanish and then get quite irritated that he cannot understand me.
Mary comes bearing 2 huge bags of hot Churros - long thin hot doughnuts smothered in sugar - as we eat an elderly French woman sings to us(?!!). We ride on the local train around the village then we come across the dodgem cars...Sebastien and Marie go in one and Marion and I in the other..I am driver. Wonderful, you get to hit the car as many times as you like with no repairs...Marion and I get hit really hard and our bottoms are bruised the next day. We all go back to the Priest´s house and find bread, cheese and chirizo, and the ingredients for a Spanish Omelette - Sebastian cooks again! The Priest says he will be home around 8pm. Looking around the kitchen it is clear that the Priest appreciates good food and loves cooking. He has every appliance you can think of but don´t get the impression this is a gourmet kitchen, it is no more than a nook without even a space to put a coffee cup.
Around 8.20pm the Priest arrives home and introduces himself as simply Pierre. He is just 60 years old, a handsome man and well dressed. He immediately brings out glasses and a bottle, with a smile he points to the bottle and says "the Spirit of Christ" and pours us each a glass. It is strong but sweet and quite delicious. Then he announces that we have soup to start. A really good courgette soup - we ask him about the ingredients, because it is really good and there is a special taste we cannot quite work out. He lists the ingredients and then finally gets up to show us his Braun blender and announces that the special ingredient is cheese. I am disappointed as I know it will be a local cheese that I will not be able to get. Then from the fridge he shows us the French equivalent of a box of ´Happy Cow´triangles!
This is followed by Sebastians Spanish Omelette which he has turned out perfectly...it is browned on the outside but firm and moist inside...excellent served with salad and bread. More wine...Pierre tells Sebastian that we must try his local cheese...we must say it is good! It is indeed and he then shows us a whole one which he is maturing.
Pierre´s cat has had kittens but two died because the mother was unable to feed them. He has three left and has to supplement their feed with milk given from a bottle. Marie and I get the chance to feed them, it is so special. The evening was wonderful and despite the language barrier we all seemed to communicate. What a generous man to let us into his home, into his kitchen and share the evening with us.

Sil
Today we got ´tampons´(stamps in our pilgrim credentials) from Bruges and St Colome where we stopped for coffee and lunch. We arrived in Arudy to find the streets full of fun-fair merry-go-rounds and stalls. Marie found the house where we could get the key for the Accueil Paroissial au Presbyterre - home of the Parish Rectory and Father Pierre Sallenave - a wonderful priest who Sebastian later described as his kind of priest - one who lives with the people. This pilgrim refuge is donativo but when asked, he said that 5€ is the norm for the bed and also for the use of the kitchen and foods. We decided to give him 15€ each as well as a little yellow beaded arrow.
We are not living the pilgrim life exactly. We get up late and go to bed even later than we do at home! Tonight we didnñt get to bed until 10:35pm - unheard of for this peregrina. The noise of the fair didn´t really disturb us too much we were just too tired to hear it after the first 10 minutes!

To contact Fr Pierre for accommodation you can email him at: pierrs@orange.fr

Day 1: Lourdes to Asson

Marion
We woke up quite early to the sound of Val´s alarm clock. First thing I did was to look outside to see what the weather was like as last night it was raining. Unfortunately not so good, overcast again. We had hardly started walking when it started raining, which it did on and off most of the day, luckily we were well covered with our wonderful raincoats.
We first stopped at the Grotto and filled our water bottles with Holy water and looked inside The Church and then we were on our way.
After approximately 4 k we had not seen any camino signs so were a bit worried that we were not on the correct road. We stopped someone and asked if we were on the right road and they said to carry on. Eventually we stopped a post lady and she said we were on the wrong roadso we had to go back. On the way back we stopped at a camping site and had coffee and asked the way. The lady said that as it was raining and the ground would be so wet and muddy we should rather take the road than go through the forest path. So off we started again. We did not mind the extra distance as it was all so senic. We walked 31k´s instead of 24.
When we reached our accomodation at Asson they said they were full but we could sleep on stretchers in the school diningroom. At first we were not so sure as the toilets and shower room was quite a distance away. Luckily they allowed us to sleep on stretchers in the foyer of the school entrance. It made a delightful room with our own toilet and a shower upstairs where the pilgrim accomodation was. We had our showers before the other pilgrims arrived - which were two delightful people from France, Marie and Sebastien.

Sil:
If you want to see the most beautiful scenery and charming twin villages in the South of France, walk left out of the Lourdes Sanctuary straight up a very steep hill for at least 4km until you come across the twin villages of Omex and Segus, two charming, almost Swiss looking villages. But alas, they are not on the Le Chemin St Jacques route! We had missed the first of the signs and instead of turning right at the Camping de la Foret onto the D31 we went straight up the flipping hill!
After asking the way we were directed back down the road to the camp site where we had coffee and hot chocolate before deciding on which path to take. After all the rain - and the fact that we had already done 8kms and it was after 10am by now - we decided on the D937 so we crossed over the river, turned left and started walking. The road was fairly busy with very little space on the shoulder so we had to keep our wits about us especially when crossing the road as the traffic comes from the opposite side to traffic at home.

We stopped for morning tea on the side of the road and sat on a park bench on our sitting plastics having chocolate, water, biscuits and fruit. The rain started again and we put on our raincoats but it didn´t last long. Eventually we arrived at Asson. I had emailed the Accuiel St Jacques in March to reserve three beds but as Marion has said, they did not get my email and had let two beds to another two pilgrims. We ended up in the foyer of the small school downstairs on canvas stretchers. I opted instead for a mattress on the floor. We were very comfortable there with two toilets and basins.

The two pilgrims who had been given the beds upstairs arrived, Marie Terese and Sebastien, both French, who had only met each other that day and had decided to walk together, Sebastien was dressed in very colourful clothing and had a red plastic nose on a string around his neck. Í am a clown in children´s hospitals ´hetold us, ´so I´ve decided to do the camino my way.´ Good for him. He tunred out to be a charming young man (about 35 years old) and an excellent cook - which Val will talk more about.

As they were both walking on to Arudy and to Oloron I gave them the contact numbers for the two places we had booked to stay in and Marie phoned to book beds. They were walking on to St Jean Pied de Port where they would part ways, Marie to travel to Irun to walk the Camino Norte and Sebastian to continue on the Camino Frances to Roncesvalles and beyond.

Val - Minister of Nutrition
When the lady told us there was no more room, she showed us a school dining room and I thought I would rather opt for a hotel. But unfortunately there were no hotels and as you have read we opted for the camp beds. We had supper with Marie and Sebastien and he offered to cook. We went to the supermarket bought food and wine (of course!) - we had Saint Jacques vin de table Francais...very appropriate. 2.37 euros...the cork screw cost 2.30 euros! We had pasta with tomatoes, garlic and onions, followed by ratatouille, then a local cows cheese and in the tradition of the French, dessert - a vanilla and chocolate dessert served with Crepes Deutelles...a thin and lacy crepe invented in Quimper in 1888 - Traou Mad..means in the local language..."good things" and is a biscuit maker specialising in high quality Brittany cookies (Alan, my brother lives in Brittany...have you heard of these Alan?) Great served with ice cream, choc mousse etc. and even they say with a cup of champagne....!!!!
We bid goodnight and set off to our camp beds...these look like something from an army surplus store and to be honest are very stained and torn and feel damp. However, we are given a sheet to cover them and we have our silk sleeping bag inners. (not carrying sleeping bags as we are rather expecting it not to be cold and to have blankets available).
Not a good nights sleep - freezing cold - I cannot sleep and rumage through my items for my socks and footless tights - back into bed. No better, cannot stand it anymore, I put on my head lamp and frantically take out every item of clothing I can from my backpack -I wake the girls. I´m freezing - Syl who is on the floor but on a mattress which must help is hot so I pinch all the layers she has discarded - eventually when I cannot fit on another piece of clothing I get back into bed looking like a Telly Tubby - but I sleep at last...for half an hour because the flipping alarm goes off. The next morning it looks as if we were robbed, everything from my backpack is all over the floor - now I have to repack everything!

Day: Minus 1

Val
I log off and close down my computer, proud and satisfied of my empty in box. I unplug it and zip it into its case. But I know just like Houdini, it will escape and upon my return its in box will be full again.
I climb into Charli (my car) and head for the panel beaters where she is going on her annual holidays - sometimes she has two or three holidys a year. Charli has been unlucky, many bumps and scratches and has been stolen, but thankfully recovered with little damage other than having some one invade her person and drive her away. The insurance assessor and I are on first name terms, last year he said "Happy Christmas Val, I hope we dont meet again next year" - "Oh he said, I mean that in the nicest way". But I had a hunch we would and indeed we met several times the following year.
Martin met me at the Panel Beaters he was dropping me off at Syl´s where Finn was to take us the Airport. Halfway to Syl´s, Martin said "where´s your backpack?" "In the boot" I said....."of my car!!!!" Calmy we glide off the next exit - he says phone the garage to have your gear ready for us at the entrance...he says this without any frustration, just kindness and I recognise a hint of resignation, it wasn´t unexpected.
Every trip the blog includes a list of items I have lost, this years would have been easy, just everything including passport, plane tickets and credit cards. I phone Syl "Sorry Syl, as soon as we get to JHB I´ll have a glass of wine and relax into the zone.....we arrive at Syl´s..........

Sil:
Val phoned to say that they had dropped her car off at the garage for a service. On the way to Westville, Martin asked, "where is your backpack?"
"In the car" said Val. "OMG - its in the other car!"
So, they had to turn back to Hillcrest to collect her Charli (her Chellini waist bag) and her backpack.
"You´ll have to get me a glass of wine when we reach the airport" she sighs, "I´m not in the Zone at all!"
Finn carried a patio armchair to the front garden table, I covered it with a lace cloth and we put out two bottles of wine and a little dish of nuts. When they arrived, we said, "Come down here just for a moment. When they saw the wine they just laughed! Martin said goodbye and Val stayed for a glass of chilled white wine.
I made sure she had another at the airport before we flew on 1 Time which arrived on time in Johannesburg. Marion was there to meet us and we had a light supper at the airport before our flight. So, from JHB to Madrid and Madrid to Toulouse, then a bus and a 2 hour train ride to Lourdes.
It was pouring with rain when we got off the train in Lourdes. I remembered that there was a Post Office half way down the hill to the Centre Ville and I posted my parcel to Santiago with no problem. As we walked down the steep hill to the main centre we looked like pregnant hunchbacks in our ALTUS raincoats but at least were were dry!
We had to ask at the Information for directions to our hotel and were soon settled in at the Hotel St Etienne. There are more hotels per population in Lourdes than in any other town in Europe.
The hotel was 250mt from the Sanctuary to we had a chance to visit the grotto and have a look at the Sanctuary complex - and get our first European stamp - at the pilgrim´s info centre.
The main street to Lourdes is a Bernadette and Mary Disney World with souvenir shops cheek by jowl all up and down the streets. You can buy anything with pictures of Mary and Bernadette from dish cloths to ashtrays, key rings to bottle openers.
While the two girls settled in I found an open internet cafe and was able to send an email home. We bought ´torches´- a candle in a little paper lampshade with Catholic Verses on the sides in English. We then gathered outside the Basillica at 9pm with hundreds of others who were waiting to take part in the procession. It is very peaceful and very moving but I also felt as though I was a part of a superstitious rite - candles lit, walking in slow procession chanting verses for Mary and Bernadette. It started to rain really hard - there was even some thunder - so we slipped out of the procession and walked back to the hotel. It had been a long day. We had left home at 11h30 and it was now almost 10pm the next day.
At the hotel we got our walking clothes ready for the next day, Arnica, Vaseline and strapping all ready for the start of our 2009 Pilgrimage!!

At last - an Internet!

A welcome glass of wine at Durban Airport

We can't post too much here - the computer is too slow (and has a French keyboard) but just to let you know that we arrived in Lourdes after three planes - Durban to Johannesburg, Jo'burg to Madrid and Madrid to Toulopuse: one bus and a two hour train ride to Lourdes.

We have been writing blog posts on scraps of paper and will post as soon as we get to a place with a faster machine. This is coming to you from Eysus which isn't even on the map we've got - came across it by chance when we saw a sign for a Bar and decided to stop for coffee.

On our way to Sarrance (day 4 of walking) and will sleep in a converted monastery tonight.
Over and out for now!

"Our bags are packed, and we're ready to go...."

The emails are flying between us!

Marion:

"Yesterday I packed my back pack and just now I weighed it Bugger, Bugger, Bugger it weighs toooooooooooooooooooooo damm much!!!!!!! 6kg and I have not got any winter woollies in!!!!! So now back to the drawing board, unpacking to see if I can take out anything!!!!!"

Val:

"I kid you not that it took me 8 hours to pack my back pack on Sunday, I actually burst into tears and Martin gave me a glass of wine and a cuddle!!!!
I have not weighed it because there is not one thing that is not on Syl’s list and I even took out most of my toiletries, should be fun trying to get a comb through my hair without conditioner…it is like straw!"

Syl:

Your pack will be fine! Weigh it - just in case it is over the limit allowed in the cabin. The dimensions are actually more important. It must be about 56cm X 45cm X 25cm. If it is a bulging ball it won't fit in the overhead locker. Squash it to fit those dimensions and tie the cords very tight.

Val:

You might have to sit on mine on the way to the airport!

Photo: This is my pack duly squashed, corsetted and manipulated to measure the correct dimensions. It weighs 5.15kg.

Two days and counting!!!

Sacred Journeys to Longed for Places

http://amawalker.blogspot.com/2009/05/journey-can-become-sacred-thing.html

St. Gildas 5thC

Pilgrims’ Prayer

In health may I and all of my companions
Safely arrive with no harm or injury –
May my boat be safe in the waves of the ocean,
My horses safe on the highways of the earth,
Our money safe as we carry it with us
To pay due heed to our poor necessities.
May our enemies fail to do harm to us,
However evil the counsels which inspire them,
In the eternal name of Christ our Master,
May my roads all lie plain before me,
Whether I climb the rugged heights of mountains,
Or descend the hollow depths of valleys,
Or trudge the lengthy roads on open country,
Or struggle through the thickets of dense forest:
May I walk always in straight ways and shining
To longed-for places . . .”