or I did it my way…

With the help of Jo, Lynda, Jennifer and Susan I managed to complete the walk, even if my gps tracker threw a wobbly and recorded 286 km for our final day.

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For the first time on the walk we checked the weather forecast. Due to rain most of the day from 7.00.

So being us we tried to sleep through the clatter of the early risers at 5.00 and managed to emerge at 7.00 for breakfast. The forecast was wrong as it was srill fine out. Jenny and Lynda were still around and they departed at 7.30. We finally lrft at 8.00 just as it started to rain.

The day continued to wet ranging from a light drizzle to full blown thunder storms. Well thunder and heavy rain.

Some storms we managed to sit out under shelter others we were caught out in the open.

We took refuge at a shrine at the top of a hill with a very long and steep approach. We were soaked on the way up. Sheltered at the top for lunch and shelter another storm, finally getting caught in yet a kther storm on the way down again.

The last shower caught us on the way up the final hill to our gite. After we booked in tbe sky cleared and the rsin stopped.

Well yesterday ended in spectaculary style for 14th July celebrations. Lightening lit the sky in dramatic style from 10.00 to 11.30. The light show was accompanied by an orchestra of thunder. Unable to sleep with the flashing lights and noise I left my bed and watched the unfolding show from tbe bedroom window. All this time the one who can not sleep with lights or noise was fast asleep blissfully unaware of the storm outside.

A second storm passed over at about 1.00 but I was unable to stay awake to watch all of it.

After last night’s show the air was slightly cooler this morning as we started out, but this didn’t last too long. The lovely blue river that flowed at the edge of town yesterday is a muddy brown colour today. The only surprise of the day was that the tracks weren’t muddier than they were considering the amount of rain that fell overnight.

We met up with Lynda and Jenny on the trail. They were waiting for the gite to open, unfotunately they were sitting outside a rest stop set up for pilgrims. The sign they had seen was an advertisement for out gite.

This had the advantage that we all walked the last 20 mins together.

Nearly there, but how do you leave a gite when you have a whole house to yourself.

So today was a slow start finally leaving at 8.45 just as the heat of the day started.

Today was many ups and downs again. Lunch was spent at a farm that had supplied table, chairs, and cold drinks. Although the table was in the sun, Jo pointed out that there was an umbrella we could use. Shade created we sat down admiring the view of the valley and the pilgrims in front of us struggling up the hill in the distance, forgetting that in 30 minutes time it would be us striggling in the heat.

We also passed a hippy encampment for pilgrims, althougb we took some photos we didn’t rest there in case we couldn’t leave again.

We finally arrivrd at our gite ‘le cri de la girafe’ and met up eith Lynda and Jenny again. We took a look around the town and crashed a wedding photoshoot.

Today I was woken by a loud crash and bang at 5.30. Not a storm but an early riser dropping a glass.

We sauntered across the road for breakfast at 7.30 a large dark cloud on the horizon. Our hosts did not speak English but we managed to converse about the weather, populations, farming, football and rugby.

As we returned to the gite to get our bsgs a few drops of rain appeared, peppering the road with dark spots.

We doned our boots took a step outside and returned to cover our packs and put on our capes. What a godsend they are and I nearly refused to bring one.

As we finally departed thunder began to rattle around us. The road started to lead us towards the darkest clouds, then it would turn to fool us into a false sense of security, before turning again to the approaching storm. The lightening flashed and the thunder rattled around us, but luckily the rain stayed away and we only had a slight sprinkling. Then at 11.00 there was a tremendous crack of thunder and the storm was over.

Getting hot in our capes we stopped part way up a hill, took them off and packed them away. As we put our rucksacks back on the rain appeared yet again. Causing us to unpack them again.

The rest of the day went by without any more hicups. Arriving at our gite we found we have a house to ourselves. The owners live next door and no one else has booked in.

Are things breaking down or is it all in my mind?

We have been on the road now for 33 days and the blisters are getting bigger. My feet ache at night and there are other pains I notice on a daily basis. Jo is also getting aches and pains.

While walking along I start to wonder if all the aches are real or is it that as the days go by my mind has lost interest in the surrounding scenery and is now concentrating inwardly on our bodies.

The blisters are physical and can be measured but aches and pains are subjective and can not be measured.

As the days go on they seem to be merging into each other. The views that were once spectacular have become mondain. Although this is perhaps unfair to the views of today, because if they were at the begining they too would be special.

The days themselves have become a routine as well. Get up, breakfast, walk, dinner, bed. Get up, walk, breakfast, walk, dinner, bed.

We booked into an hotel yesterday and made use of the aircon today.

After breakfast we wandered into town and found the markets. The fresh produce was inside with a wide vatidty of legumes, meats and cheveses on sale. Outside were stalls all kinds of goodies although tempting we didn’t succumb as we didn’t want anything else to carry.

We had lunch by the river and ended the day watch France get to the world cup semi finals.

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Having said we wouldn’t be walking multiple 30km days we have been persuaded to keep up with the girls and do another 30km walk today. We have said however that we will be taking a rest day tomorrow. Before we left we booked a hotel for 2 nights. With the promise of a swimming pool and aircon our walk was made more e tisi g.

The walk was long and hot and even if we had left at 6.30 it would still have been long and hot. The surprise for me was what that a 10hr walk was completed in a little over 7hrs. Perhaps the calling of the aircon worked.

On arrival the girls asked to meet up for drinks, but I needed to become human again and decided a shower was called for.

With time to spare we met up before dinner. The news that Susan was leaving for Toulouse tomorrow came as no surprise and was the only sensible choice to make. The surprise was that although we had stated we were going to have a rest day we were asked if we would be joining Lynda and Jenny at the farm gite tomorrow.

Last night we stayed in a gite that wasn’t in a town abd quite isolated. Having arrived in plenty of time, showered and refreshed, we headed to the bar for a pre-dinner drink. As we sat sipping our hosts informed us that they were taking the kids to the water park, about 15 drive away and that dinner wouldn’t be served until 8.00 not the usual 7.00. But if we liked we could go with them.

So in the interim we asked what would be a good place to stay. We worked out a good stopping distance with our usual starting time and booked ahead only to be told at dinner that breakfast would be at 6.00. Our good stop would now be reached by mid-day.

Well the walk this morning was along a disused railway. During the heat of the day this would be welcomed but at 6.30 the only thing being shaded are the mozzies so along with sunscreen there is the mozzie spray to apply before going too far.

As expected we arrived early so decided to cancelled our gite a d carried on walking. So what started out to be a short walk ended up being 30km. But we managed to catch up with sisters Jennifer and Lynda, and the start of the walk was fairly flat. Choo, choo.