A word from the other walker-day 5

 

We now feel part of a moving community. As we start walking we meet up with some of the same people each day. However this morning was different. There were lots more pelerins suddenly. At times it felt like Pitt Street. A few groups must have commenced their walk in our last stop of Aumont Aubrac. Today we had a priest with his 20 older teen charges who delighted in telling them all about this Australian woman as they went past singing their anthems! I didn't think I was that rare. The priest was walking in sandals as you do.

A mid morning stop at a strategically located café run by Ma and Pa Kettle, both 90 not out but probably millionaires from the passing pelerins was interesting too.

Another group included a young blind woman and they did impress me when two people took her through the muddy and rocky ground at risk to the deep mud and rocky terrain themselves.

Another incident occured today when we were coming across a narrow stone bridge with little inlets where a few people were resting looking at the view. We came up to a Japanese couple we had met up with a couple of days ago. They spoke no French and a little English. The Japanese couple were moving off and a car came along slowed down but ended up running over the toes of one foot of the woman. She lent against the bridge and just stared at the driver who wound down the window and said something and then drove off. Obviously the woman was in pain and could hardly walk.

We had to hail down a couple of cars before we could get one with space. Randall did the talking to the French tourists, finally convincing them to take the lady to the next town about 1 km away where they were staying. I took on the role of traffic cop. A large red truck was looming with us six people still on the bridge. Eventually he obeyed my direction and stopped about six feet away. At least the French couple once they got over the shock of this incident did come back to tell her husband where she was. We hope she is able to get some medical assistance.

What I enjoy about the walking is getting away from the crazy world we live in and relaxing in the outdoors with the great wide spaces in the French countryside, the forests, flora and fauna, meeting the different people and especially the breeze which keeps me going and somehow keeps the bottom half of me moving. And I love the wind in my hair.

We had bought a couple of sandwiches before we left town and they were devoured at some point around 1 pm before we moved on to the very pleasant town of Nasbinals.

Altogether today was not hard, but long again at about 27 kms. Or maybe we really are getting fitter.  My count of walkers passed is now up to 27 so I can stop that competitive business now.  The storms never arrived so we were saved getting wet, although the wind was strong in the afternoon. Tomorrow is a shorter day in distance, but we are not sure about terrain. We shall see.