24 feb

9 kilometres done. Arrived in St-Christophe-sur-Dolaison. It is a start.
Julie and I drove into Le Puy-en-Velay. Quite an amazing town with several steep high mountains right in the centre. On one they built a little church, on another there is a big terracotta Maria.
We found the church from where the pilgrimage is supposed to start, but the place where they give the official credentials is closed till april. And for a blessing one has to attend mass at seven in the morning. We could go tomorrow but I do not feel like walking back and Le Puy is the kind of city that doesn’t suit Merlin. Too many hills.
We had promised ourselves a decent lunch, but when we were up to it, the clock had passed 2pm, a time when restaurant kitchens close in la douce France. So we settled for a heated up quiche at a sandwicherie as it was called, in real original french.
Le Puy itself is charming. There are lovely sculptures on many houses. The houses themselves are preserved in the way they would have looked a hundred years ago. Many of them have not been painted since then.
My choice to start in Le Puy was pretty random, but today I read the first pilgrimage ever to Santiago, in the 9th century, had started from Le Puy. That is the reason of course it, the via Podiensis, is mentioned first in most French guides about routes to Compostella.
At about 3.30 I got on my way. Walked back into town a little bit, just to get the official start. Looked at the sign: Santiago de Compostella 1522 kilometres. Swallowed a bit and walked on.
Nine kilometres is peanuts of course, but I have this theory that the last five kilometres before the last five kilometres of the day are always extremely heavy. And the first five too, I should add. Today those two came together. And it was heavy, basically though because it was straight up hill.
Julie had already arrived in St. Christophe. We had hoped a restaurant would be open for our first meal, but that hope was idle.
Julie made a marvellous meal though, with Coquilles St. Jacques (scallops) – fresh ones, one shell is going on my back tomorrow as proof of pilgrimage. It will have to do instead of the blessing and the official letter. I will appreciate it much more.
Before Le Puy we stopped in Issoire. Another amazing Auvergne church. With the added delight that it is painted. Pillars – chapels, roofs, sculptures. It was done somewhere in the 19th century, not to anybody’s approval, but I think it looks cheerful. Had my doubts though about the painting of corn on the pillars. Corn was introduced quite late in Europe. Or was that about the potatoes. The paintings itself were marvellous I thought.
Most of the outside of the church is also renovated. Just as it should. I get more and more angry by the support of vandalism by not renovating these massacred sculptures from the aftermath of the French Revolution. It is bowing to aggression in a way that should be unacceptable. In this day of renewed fear for unaccountable aggression it should be a positive gesture to restore the damage from the past.
Anyway. Tomorrow waits the first real walking day. The wind is already speeding up. Might be a challenge. It will be a challenge. 1513 kilometres to go.