Up at 6. At 7 in the dark I hit the road. Because it’s dark I do not find the route through fields and forest, so I’d rather stay on the road, the N21. I hope the first hour there will not be much traffic and I then I’ll make good progress with my 30 km. to go. I must arrive at the townhall of Flavignac before 5 p.m., to pick up the keys of the municipal pilgrims’ hostel. I hope I can make it. Gonnie and Niek offered yesterday evening, if necessary, to get the key for me in Flavignac. But soon the problems started: trucks passed narrowly, they couldn’t see me in the dark morning. Guardrails where I was forced to walk between. The road is very dangerous here. So I took the very first side road. Using my GPS, I managed to find the direction through all kinds of tertiary roads, apart from the official itinerary. I arrived in Les Cars? at 1 p.m.! Town hall closed till 2 p.m. I saw something move inside the building. Fortunately, I was still admitted in, I, the pathetic, totally wet pilgrim, pants covered with mud. I got the key of the refuge municipale and went searching for the pilgrims’ hostel. Here in the pilgrim’s shelter again no wifi of course. That means I neither can look for an address tomorrow. Shit! Let’s see what we can do about it. If this keeps happening I can’t stand it any more. Just hope that it will soon be different. I returned to the town hall to get a stamp in my pilgrim’s passport. Asked if she could help me finding an address for tomorrow. So no. Neither wifi in town hall. In the two bars neither. Finally in the library maybe. The librarian wanted to help me by calling a friend who worked in the tourism industry, but the librarian was constantly occupied. Maybe tomorrow on spec looking for something, but darn it, it’s winter and tomorrow’s weather forecast says rain all day.
I become a bit desolate. At the town hall, I heard that tonight another pilgrim will be in the refuge. I hope it does not cause problems for Tosca, because actually dogs are not allowed inside. Yet I put Tosca inside, in the hallway of the pilgrims accommodation, while consuming very little space and then I went to the library, where I am typing now. Hope a solution will emerge again. I write this so extensive to illustrate that this is not a real fun trip. I now feel a true pilgrim, full of hardships and uncertainties, although it is only relative, I realize. The librarian has been on the phone for me, yet without results. In a few moment I’ll return to the inn.
Back at the inn I noticed that someone must have been there right after me. That must be the other pilgrim. He had already been at the door, in which I deliberately had left the key, so he could enter, but he had withdrawn because of fear of my Tosca. I’m John, he said, Frenchman, but originally from Portuguese parents. We shared our dinner. I talked about my trip, John about his. He wanted to escape his marital problems and decided to make a pilgrimage to Santiago. He once slept in a church, had once walked an entire day and night, and often entered a bar, asking if someone wanted to accommodate him. Interesting to hear how others deal with their pelgrim’s problems. But I can assure everyone that walking to Santiago is not for softies.
Welsh landlady when leaving this morning.
Nice old, historical houses on the road, for restauration.
Almost in Solignac. Abbey on top.
Pilgrims hotel next to the abbey empty en in bad shape.
Cottage and dinner shared with John, Frenchman of Portugese descent with marriage problems
Geef uw mening