Arrived: Aire-sur-l'Adour 2:30pm
Total hours: 7
Total kms: 28.2
Accumulated kms: 582.3
Weather: Overcast
I should start by saying that last night's dinner was spectacular. If I was holding it up against the meals I get at home every night of the week it would have scored much lower, but thrown into the middle of my constant lentils, pasta, chèvre and soup dinners, it was mindblowing. A cold veggie stack followed by a mushroom and broccoli pasta, finished up with apple crumble and chocolate. I went to sleep with a very satisfied belly.
On the walk today I met a girl from Japan, I think her name is Miashi or something like that. She's the first pilgrim I've met (with the possible exception of Flan, although he wasn't sure of his plans), who is walking all the way to Santiago de Compostella as well. I think she said she was going to Finisterre too, but her English wasn't so good. She's been walking for about four weeks already, and started from Le Puy-en-Velay as well. I walked with her for a bit over an hour, then left her looking around a church. She was a slow walker, which was really good for me for a bit, but then my legs got itchy and I had to move!
There were a lot more harvested corn fields today, which is really only half a step up from barren fields. There was one beautiful section of forest, one of the nicest I've been through yet I think. The walk through here was randomly interrupted by loud gun shots though, as it was a hunting reserve.
I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but so much land in France is set aside for hunting. Loads and loads of it. I noticed in the first week how quite the bush areas often are here - at home, if you stand still for a few minutes while out hiking you'll usually hear a whole gamut of birds and animals and insects and reptiles all getting on with their lives. But here, when you stop you're often lucky to hear even a bird call. I now suspect it's either because the hunters have shot everything, or the animals have learned how to keep their heads down and their mouths (or beaks, or jaws) shut. It can be quite disconcerting turning a corner in the path and seeing a trio of men with guns. I just hope I don't come across anyone with an itchy trigger finger and short sightedness.
There was a full length mirror in the bathroom tonight (which, by the way, had only cold water due to some "problem" - that was a nice shower!). I noticed that right now I am resembling the physique of Christian Bale, unfortunately more in his The Machinist role rather than Batman. I think I need to eat more, my pants are indeed, as my mum warned me they would, falling off me. Speaking of which, now that I'm caught up in the blog (well, except for photos, they will come eventually, they're not that good anyway) - dinner time!
A stairway to heaven.
What happens when someone yells 'duck'?
The spraying machines look so War Of The Worlds to me.
I wish those creatures were bats, but they're not. Bats would be much cooler.
No comments:
Post a Comment