It seems that the summer has entered France since my last report

I think i entered now in some kind of physical/mental state where walking a whole day with my backpack seems to be the normal way of life...
Well, this kind of normal way of life has now evolved for me about 1/3 since i checked yesterday i have still to do some 1188km and almost 600km done


18 April (La Souterraine - Châtelus 40km)

In the magnificent house of the English couple i had a very royal breakfast in a nice dining room with six other people: two other French pelgrims who i met about 8days ago and they won't make the whole trip, only till the French border and a Belgium couple with child who spent the night here while driving in two days back from the Provence, so i could finaly practise my 'Beschaafd Vlaams' again

This was a day of military marching, which means brains on zero and going on to make the very long walking. Luckely i was compagned by quite nice weather: those kinds of huge april-heavy rain-clouds which luckely didn't lose a drop and enough sun between them. The last 5km of the walking i had to go from around 300m up till the highest point around 680m and then go back to around 300m, which is not that big, but after already 35km it is quite challenging. This is the highest point of the route in France without the Pyrenees, so heights will now be relatively low again.

In the evening I was invited to dinner at the house of again an English host were i also met the Dutch couple again..they thought i took a taxi to catch up with them

It's amazing for what small price you get always satisfied with quality food to end the evening.
 

19 April (Châtelus - St.Leonard 30km)

Again a long distance to walk but today in the company of the Dutch couple. It was a more difficult walk since the 40km of the day before were still in my legs, but we managed to do our daily job and arrived at a pelgrims gîte where already 6 other people were staying. So i met a Belgium couple who started the 1st of March at their house in Boechout, a guy (Johan) who started the 15th of March at his house (Leuven), a Dutch women who started at here house also in March and a French couple who started like me in Vézelay, but the 1st of April...so we were all courageous people exchanging their stories during a nice evening in the gîte. It feels that it is getting crowdier the longer my journey is during and the closer i get to Santiago. At the French border it will probably get very crowdy since all the different routes from France come together there.


20 April (St. Leonard - Limoges 21km)

 Today a shorter walking which i did with the French couple in the morning so i had some time to visit Limoges in the evening where i met Johan (the guy from Leuven) again and heard about whis journey so far. This is the kind of guy i knew i was going to meet: for most people it is a challenge to reach Santiago, but for him it is the purpose to reach it as fast as possible: doing 40-45km each day, not a day less, he arrived already in Limoges in 5weeks (from Leuven) with a backpack which weights about 23kg. He looks very burned by the sun, so i think stopping to put sunscreen on his body is a waist of time for him probably

He can explain it all very well and wherever he comes, he seems to create immediatly a network of social connections to find a place to sleep. So quite fast he arranged that we could spent the night for free at the local scouts from Limoges. The money i saved i used to buy him a few beers in the evening. I discoverd a brown French beer (Pelforth) which i have to admit is very good being NOT a Belgium beer

Limoges has a nice quarter off Medieval Ages which is very worth visiting and also the very large Cathedral with a nice Botanique garden.


21 April (Limoges - Les Cars 27km)

I first thought to stay in Limoges for a visiting day, but after almost 15days in very quite&peacefull surroundings, i have difficulties already with these kinds of overpopulated places Better be gone then...

Johan had already left the scouts place around 6am in the morning...he's an early morning bird and needs ofcourse to do 45km to satisfy his needs..

In the evening i have a gîte all for my own in Les Cars


22 April (Les Cars - La Coquille 30km)

Today summer seems to begin here with a clear blue sky and temperatures more than 20degrees...yippie, but since i'm already advancing closer to the south of France enough suncream is necessary!

A few km's before my arriving point, i found a Zen Monastery which was not marked in the road guide. I was curious and entered it...luckely i read some books about Boeddhism the last years, so i managed to talk me in I was invited by a so-called Zen Master to drink tea with him and we had for about an hour a very interesting conversation about Boeddhism and the way of living in a Zen Monastery. Doing a 2000km walk to Santiago is also some kind of veeeeeery loooong meditation trip i explained to him which he sympathisised

I spent the night in a gîte where the host made me a good meal and i had a ZEN SLEEP


23 April (La Coquille - Thiviers 18km)

Today a 'short' distance which i finished at 1pm and left my backpack in a chalet on a camping. The rest of the day i rested in the sun and accessed internet to bring you the latest news


Please be ZEN there and much sunny greetings from me

(they announce rain sunday )

23-04-2009 om 00:00 geschreven door Scali