Our Walk Along the Via Podiensis (GR 65)

Sunflowers and Trail Magic Via Podiensis Camino Today was another fairly long hike being 33.8 km, and it seemed like we finally entered the foothills of the still-invisible Pyrenees.  It was a beautiful walk, complete with lots of climbing. We were the first ones down to breakfast in the kitchen of the communal gite, but although it was still dark outside, other pilgrims soon joined us for the typical breakfast of coffee, baguettes, jams, and yogurt.  After a quick meal, we set out, just as it was beginning to get light.  We followed the trail markers into the middle of the town, which consisted of a kind of central promenade with shops along all sides. After some confusion and the help of friendly locals when we chose the wrong street, we found the appropriate alley and headed out of town. The trail led down a hill and across a large reservoir or lake.  It looked like a very nice spot where people could enjoy a picnic. From there we headed out into the countrys...

Rising Summer Temperatures Via Podiensis  Chemins de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle We have all heard of the proverbial bridge too far. For those lucky people who have never found it, below is a photo of it. It is 6.6 km long. The photo is missing the heat shimmer rising from the asphalt, and the humidity that caused the hills to retreat beautifully into the distance. Nevertheless. Today's lesson was humility. Early to Rise  Sleeping in the converted chapel last night was a novelty, but the dormitory turned out to be far too hot to sleep in. We had thought that the stones of the old building would keep it cool, as they do in many of the churches, but sadly this was not the case. We got up around 5:30 AM and shared breakfast with several other pilgrims who were also too hot to sleep. After an argument with the lock on the front door, and some assistance from a fellow pilgrim who was possessed of more brute force than us, we set off. We had a small climb out of the city...