25 Feb

Walked 34 kilometres today, making a total of 43. Americans will need to divide this by 1.6 to get the distance in miles. That’s a nice challenge.

I have figured that I will need to walk a little more than 35 kilometres a day in the first week, not including yesterday. If I’ll do that next monday evening I will arrive in Figeac, where my Doesburg friend Han will join me. He’s making sure that I am on the ball, as they say.

Last night we hadn’t solved our heating problem yet. The heating problem is: No heating if we do not have electricity. Electricity seems to be hard to find on the Via Podiensis, as I found out when looking closer into this journey. Julie solved this problem today though, with buying a nice heater on some kind of oil. It’s like we’re being deep fried now – the heat as well as the smell.

Last night was cold. So cold that it prevented sleeping well. Everytime I woke up, and had to put some freezing toes under the blanket, I heard the wind blasting against Merlin. It is not the sound to make you look forward to a day of walking.

When I left it seemed quieted down, but my first kilometres were right against a strong and bitter cold wind. Somehow the wind turned and came from the side or sometimes even from the back. It warmed up also, although most of the day I walked through a landscape where the snow refused to melt.

The most challenging part of the day were the hills. Quite steep ones, going up and going down. It is interesting how different those experiences are. Both are uncomfortable. A steep climb makes your heart work really well. Although it is exhausting it is also thrilling. It makes one feel very much alive. A steep descent makes you realize how crucial and vulnerable knees are. They are the shock absorbers of the body. I guess I am not really used to these walks down hills where you basically jump from stone to stone. It made me feel old.

But this should have been the worst days with climbs and descents, if I am right. At least till we reach the Pyrenees.

Had fun though too. The walking pace is ideal to absorb the changes in the landscape. In the morning I walked over a kind of moon landscape, with big pieces of stones and moles burping out of the earth. The walls of pieces of stones reminded me of England. North England that is, because at some place they decided to use stones instead of hedges to divide meadows.

Back to the Auvergne. First I was a Moonwalker and then I gradually rose above the level where deciduous trees do not grow any more. And then down into hazel trees and the purple glazed branches of birch trees. And up and down.

I decided to stop for lunch in Monistrol d’Allier, just before the last serious climb, or stretch of climbs as I found out. I had seen a sign for a bar brasserie Le Repos de Pellegrin. With wifi and food all day long. When I stopped I asked for a cup of soup, which they didn’t have, the woman behind the bar said. A quick word with the owner – sitting at the table with 8 guests/friends (including the woman who served me) – made her change her mind. If I would wait ten minutes then someone, one of the other friends at the table, would boil some potatoes and make a soup. Wonderful I said. It gave me plenty of time to find out that the wifi connection was not working.

The soup was delicious. Soup – a whole bowl, at least three plates – and coffee together were cheaper than a double expresso at Starbucks. Long live Le Repos du Pellegrin.

When I left the woman asked me if I was walking to Santiago, which I confirmed. Where are you from, she asked then. I said from Pays Bas. The whole table started applauding. When I was outside I realized they must have thought I had been walking all the way from Holland.

After arriving in Saugues, we went to look for a nice restaurant. Found one which was closed on tuesday evenings. We have no luck with restaurants. No problem, because Julie creates miracles in her Barbie kitchen. Might be a good tv-show.

Anyway, 1479 kilometres to go.