Paris-Montrouge Scribbler

Pilgrimage walk from Le Puy-en-Velay to Santiago de Compostela, 2003.  Week 9 (20-24 June) + Aftermath (25-28 June)  Friday, 20 June, 2003 . Portomarín . [ Day 57. In Spain, Day 24. ] A fter breakfast across the street, off we went at 8 a.m. The day was sunny, but hazy, not clear. We walked along hilly contours, passing many farms, to Sarria, where we had a late morning stop. The weather was hot and humid, not like the dry heat of the Meseta. We continued on to Ferreiros, hoping to stop there, but the small albergue was full. We had to walk on to Portomarín, another 8 km. By now it was late afternoon, still hot and humid , and although the trail was attractive, I was very tired. Franz and Hermi reappeared in Sarria.  In Ferreiros, we took on Julia, who had lost her sister, and Jivad and David – and we all (including Franz and Hermi) walked on to Portomarín, arriving at 7:30 p.m. I was destroyed! I felt dehydrated, so I drank lots of water mixed with anti...

P ilgrimage walk from Le Puy-en-Velay to Santiago de Compostela, 2003. Week 8 (13-19 June) Friday, 13 June, 2003 . León . [ Day 50. In Spain, Day 17 ] We have checked into the Hotel Guzman el Bueno, near the Cathedral. €45 for a double. I couldn’t face the prospect of an albergue . I’m hoping for a good night’s sleep. Vincent threw up last night, in the bathroom. The noise woke me up. I stayed awake, in case this was an emergency. Nothing more, though. This morning he seemed fine so I decided not to ask him what happened. After breakfast, Caroline and I left Mansilla for a dullish walk through desiccated countryside, continuing from a hilltop down into León , a large, historic city, like Burgos. Not too far into the center city we reached the large albergue run by a convent. We were undecided : should we stay or go to a hotel, as I had originally planned? Caroline used the ladies WC – a dirty toilet, she reported – and sent me up to look at the dorm. Crammed with...

P ilgrimage walk from Le Puy-en-Velay to Santiago de Compostela, 2003. Week 7 (6-12 June) Friday, 6 June, 2003 . Atapuerca . [ Day 43. In Spain, Day 10 ] 10 p.m . and it's s till light outside. We’re staying in a private gîte called “La Hutte. ” A French woman named Jacqueline runs (owns?) it, with a hotel (= chambres d’hôte) attached. We arrived mid-afternoon, when Jacqueline as well as many Spanish pilgrims in the hostel were taking a very extended nap. We sat outside, waiting to sign up and get in. It’s a habit here in Spain that some will get up really early and take off, in order to get a place in a hostel as soon as the doors are opened – around noon, often – and then eat lunch and crash for three hours or so. In France, where you can reserve a bed, no one felt the need to depart before dawn. The w alk today: cloudy this morning until the sun emerged at 11 a.m. On the c limb from Villafranca, my tendons were sore and I was having difficulty walking. I don...