Day eighteen - Friday November 5

Departed: Eauze 9am
Arrived: Nogaro 1:45pm
Total hours: 4.75
Total kms: 20
Accumulated kms: 554.1
Weather: Overcast

I had originally worked out a route that would have led me on about 35km today and tomorrow, then only 14 on the third. I then looked through a guide book that finished at the same point over the same period, but spread the distance out to around 20km, 28km and 32km. Much smarter thought I, so today was my easy day.

I dubbed it Kindness to Craig Day. I walked slowly, stopped regularly, breathed deeply and ate heartily. I'm staying in what is by far the most expensive place yet, thanks to every single gite around being closed, but it does mean I get a different dinner and breakfast cooked for me, and I get to watch The Simpsons in French on television. They've got very similar voices, only in French. Bizarre. I also watched a weird game show called Taxi Cash, where contestants think they are catching a normal taxi, but instead are thrown into a TV show where they answer questions about music. I thought Jake Stone would make a good host for an Australian version, but I'm not sure anyone would want him driving them anywhere. My French is obviously improving - not only could I understand quite a few questions, I got a lot of them right. This is what my day has come to.

Walking slowly was quite hard, I'm not a slow walker by nature. I tried to adopt the kind of pace I would imagine one might employ if one was strolling disinterestedly around an art gallery while waiting for one's friend to get out of work so you can both go to dinner. But sometimes I was a bit faster than that.

After I checked in to my hotel-restaurant, I went out to an internet place for an hour or so. When I came back I found no one here and the place locked up. Fortunately someone had forgotten to lock a side door to the restaurant, so I snuck in there - I think I just heard someone come in now, for the first time in hours. I'm so hungry, can't wait another hour for dinner!

Day seventeen - Thursday November 4

Departed: Condom 8am
Arrived: Eauze 4:30pm
Total hours: 8.5
Total kms: 33.3
Accumulated kms: 534.1
Weather: Overcast

Today I finally had a respite from the barren fields, and spent most of the day walking through lush forests succumbing to autumn, or vineyards. The vineyards mostly looked quite sad and wilted being the end of the season, but it was still a nice change from field after field of crumbled brown earth.

Today was quite fatiguing, both physically - my shin was singing loudly for the first few hours before finally shutting up - and mentally. Even with the change in scenery today really dragged on. Sometimes lately it feels as if this walk has become my entire life, and I don't exist outside of it. And I've only been on the road a little over two weeks! It may be the monotony - walking alone each day, often through the same landscape, eating the same food, I'm starting to feel like a character in a Chekov story.

The final few hours today were particularly gruelling. It's funny, it was probably the most beautiful scenery to walk through all day, but the path was very long and very straight and just kept going and going, for over two hours. By the end of it I very nearly thought I might be losing my mind, I almost felt I was no longer moving forward at all, just walking on and on at the same spot, like a treadmill. When the path finally ended in town, I was dizzy from the abrupt change.

The strangest thing to happen today though occurred when I was walking along an extended stretch of road. I was on my own, no traffic, no farm noises really, just me and big grassy plains everywhere. And I kept hearing footsteps behind me. I would spin around and look, but no one was ever there. The sound would then disappear for maybe ten or twenty minutes before I would hear it again - not quite running, but walking much faster than me and catching up. Perhaps I should have refrained from turning around just once. Maybe then, those footsteps would have pattered closer... and closer... until suddenly GOTCHA! - and an unseen hand would grab my shoulder. That would have put a kick into the day.

I took this photo for Jean who I live with, his surname is on the sign and his home town is too, and I'm sure his hometown looks absolutely nothing like this one.

Ravished corn fields.

Some untouched corn!

Day sixteen - Wednesday November 3

Departed: Lectoure 7:15am
Arrived: Condom 2:45pm
Total hours: 7.5
Total kms: 35
Accumulated kms: 500.8
Weather: Overcast

I don't know what happened today, but the walk just felt so goddamn easy. My shin was fine, my knee was fine, I felt like I was walking at quite a leisurely pace, and yet I was clocking around 5kph along hills and muddy paths. Bizarre. The distances seemed right today too, from what I could check off against signs. I felt very peaceful walking, and felt almost as if I was in some state of conscious meditation for a good part of the day. Of course, there wasn't a lot to look at, just lots more barren fields.

I'm very lucky with my accommodation tonight. My host last night tried every place within my budget that claimed to be open all year, and they were all shut. She then tried this place, which was supposed to close in October, but they gave me the security code and told me I could stay anyway.

The host just came and we had a fun time trying to understand each other. She got it through to me that ever since she was a little girl she's wanted to go to Australia, she looked quite sad that she hasn't made it yet. One thing I've got from doing this is there's no point putting off your dreams. If there's something you want to do, then just bloody well make it happen. Why not?

Two things I'd like to mention. Firstly, my feet. I had a good look at them tonight, which I haven't done in a while. They look alien to me, like the paws of some exotic monkey were grafted onto my ankles. The tops of the toes are pink and peeled, as if from sunburn. All over each foot are scattered spots, like a rash, which I assume are from sweating in boots all day. Around the pressure points - heel and ball of the foot - the skin is also pink, with white shades in there, and it's polished to a super smooth sheen. It almost looks like stone. I'd take a photo but that's probably just a little too graphic.

Secondly, when I came out of the shower tonight, carrying my pants, my fob watch fell out of the pocket and broke apart on the concrete floor. The lid came off and the watch won't work anymore. This is quite depressing. It was a really nice watch. Perhaps I'm being told to stop focussing on time so much. It will make it difficult to see how I'm travelling, I'm going to have to either rely on listening out for the bells in each town (providing I'm in towns on the hour), or buy a cheap kid's watch in a supermarket next time I find one. It'll definitely make it hard to know when to get up, as I get up a good couple of hours before the sun. Oh well, I'll work something out, or I'll just sleep in each day. I suppose I've been walking fast enough to not have to worry about getting in to towns before dark, providing I leave not too long after the sun comes up. [Update: my iPod has the time on it, everyone stop worrying.]

Day fifteen - Tuesday November 2

Departed: Auvillar 7:30am
Arrived: Lectoure 4:15pm
Total hours: 8.75
Total kms: 32.3
Accumulated kms: 465.8
Weather: Sunny and cloudty in equal measure

This morning my shin was really sore and I started wishing I was someone who took drugs. Then I thought, wait! I can be someone who takes drugs! So I stopped at a pharmacy about 17km in and bought some anti-inflammatory gel. For the next hour the pain grew to be almost excruciating, when I started to question whether I might somehow, somehow be walking on a fractured leg, then suddenly it was almost completely gone. It was miraculous. The rest of the walk was virtually pain free.

More of the same today, lots of barren fields with nothing growing in them. I met two Frenchies at the gite tonight, Flan and Guy. Flan started walking in August, and has been moving very slowly, stopping for weeks at a time to visit friends. He's the first person I've met going at least to Saint Jean Pied de Port, and perhaps the entire way to Santiago de Compostela. He said that in August the fields were full of crops and flowers and looked amazing. He told me this time of year was perfect to be doing what I was doing - focussing purely on walking - because there were no distractions and the landscape was really just quite depressing. I wouldn't say I've found it depressing, but it is a bit sad to be walking through field after field of broken and desolate earth.

I passed two cemetaries on my way into Lectoure as well, both of them, like virtually every cemetary I've passed on the journey, even before All Saints Day, absolutely full of colourful flowers. It's such a marked difference to our own cemetaries, where you're lucky to see any flowers at all. Different things are important for different cultures I guess.

Day fourteen - Monday November 1

Departed: Saint Martin 7:15am
Arrived: Auvillar 3:45pm
Total hours: 8.5
Total kms: 32.5
Accumulated kms: 433.5
Weather: Rain in the morning, then cloudy with patches of sun

It was really nice walking out of Saint Martin in the rain this morning. The rain wasn't very heavy, just heavy enough to let you know it was raining and you were going to get really wet. The most fun thing about the rain is that it just turns all those beautiful dirt forest tracks to mud paths, and when you've got a day like today where - despite the contour map showing just one hill, I'm convinced whoever does these things is drunk at work - you are going up and down steep hills all day, at times it can feel like trying to walk on ice in socks. I swear it took me a week to climb one hill, every foot I got in front of me slide halfway back by the time I lifted the other leg.

I went through Mossaic today, and decided to actually be a tourist and take a look. Unfortunately it's All Saints Day, some kind of holiday for remembering the dead, and nearly everything was closed. I didn't find the large cathedral that the French tourism ads always show a pretty girl reading in, but I did find an open boulangerie where I bought a chocolatine. Yum!

When I finally got into Auvillar I needed to find a place to stay, and everything looked decidedly closed. I first headed up a very steep slope and long road out of town to check the gite that last night's host couldn't reach, and they indeed appeared to be away. I decided to give up right away and walk back to a hotel I had seen. As I passed a house, a woman came out trying to speak to me in French. She worked out I was a pilgrim looking for a room. I gestured toward the hotel and she shook her hands, "Fermé, tout fermé!" Everything's closed. She pointed down a side street, said, "Maison" (house) and ,ade a motion that I should go and knock on the door.

So I found myself at Isabelle's private and un-sign posted gite, and it is the best place I have stayed in yet. She has a huge white dog that took an instant liking to me, and two young daughters who did the same. I'm staying in something like a small granny flat out back of the house, and it's perfect. When asked if I wanted breakfast in the morning I declined as usual, then something told me to change my mind. I was promptly delivered a massive basket laden with cheese, orange juice, milk, butter, home made bread, eggs from the chickens, yoghurt, fruit and more. So good, I ate half of it at dinner and still have loads of food left. This is the first place to make me almost feel like I'm home, I almost wish I could just spend another day here. Actually, I probably could if I wanted to. As I sit snug in here with the heater, listening to the wind howl outside, it doesn't seem like a bad idea at all.

Mossaic - I don't think this is the cool cathedral in all the tourism photos, I missed that somehow.

This road stretched out for a really, really long time.

I thought it was about time I took a self portrait.

The new Paris fashions - it'll be all the rage in Australia in a couple of months.

So that's where the clouds come from.

This is in the little town of Auvillar, as is the next one.

The guy walking under the arch is actually a pilgrim I came across a couple of nights later.

Day thirteen - Sunday October 31

Departed: Montcuq 7am
Arrived: Saint Martin 1:45pm
Total hours: 6.75
Total kms: 29
Accumulated kms: 401
Weather: Cloudy in the morning, rain in the afternoon

This morning's walk began beautifully. The sun was peeking in through the corridor of trees as it woke up, and I was in very good spirits. I love walking early as the sun is just rising, when there's just enough light to see the signs and where you're going, but night hasn't quite packed her bags and left.

The clouds quickly moved in and it was under a grey blanket I climbed up the steep slope to the city of Lauzerte. It's another of the numerous most beautiful cities in France, and it's also a very safe place. It was originally built as a city with protection, and surrounded by squarish buildings on top of a mountain it looks like it would have done a very good job.

My host tonight tried ringing for a room tomorrow but had no luck. He suggested I just go to Aurillar anyway and knock on all the hotel doors, he feels someone will be open even though it's All Saints Day, a pretty big Day of the Dead style holiday. I think he was just in a bad mood and couldn't be bothered helping out anymore, he was very grouchy. Fingers crossed I either find a hotel or it's not raining!

In summer these fields are full of pretty green things.

The hillside fortress of Lauzerte.

It's not too often I found cool art pieces in the really old towns, but I loved this.

This strange building was out in the middle of nowhere.

Day twelve - Saturday October 30

Departed: Cahors 8:30am
Arrived: Montcuq 4:00pm
Total hours: 7.5
Total kms: 30.3
Accumulated kms: 372
Weather: Sunny, about to rain, sunny, about to rain, sunny, etc

Today felt like one of the hardest days so far. This was very strange because it wasn't a long walk, nor was the terrain particularly hard. I just felt very low on energy and found it very hard to move one foot in front of the other. I felt that way until about 2pm, when I suddenly found my groove and felt fine.

Walking on the muddy bush tracks today was as dangerous as negotiating King St traffic on a bike. I was assailed by a trio of dirt bike riders, a couple of quad bike riders, a couple of four wheel drives, and, at two separate points, an entire endurance equestrian event. I had to keep jumping out of the way as large horses bore down on me - the first time from in front, the second from behind - on narrow paths where not more than two people could walk abreast. I didn't actually find it that frightening until I noticed that every second rider had a look of sheer panic on their face as their horse neared me, and they were yanking futiley at the reigns like Gepeto trying to control Pinnochio after he had come to life. I can only be thankful that none of the horses deemed me worthy of riding over. I passed through some kind of station on the way where there was a small group of people cheering the riders on and giving the horses water. I received neither from them, perhaps my hair wasn't silky enough.

Now, it turns out that the reason I had so much trouble finding accommodation within 20km of Montcuq was that this weekend Montcuq hosts a large celebration of horses, with shows and races and all sorts of stuff. I lucked out though, my host told me, because a horse hurt his leg and the owners cancelled their reservation yesrterday, right before the guy at the Tourism Office phoned. I'm very luck,; there were literally no other options for accommodation, and I may have had to wait the weekend out in Cahors. I paid extra for this place but I have my own room with double bed (and sheets - no sleeping bag tonight!) and breakfast in the morning too. Not too shabby.

I downloaded a book on learning French to the Kindle and have been trying to put in at least an hour every day for the past few days. I think it's slowly sinking in but then I should, all things going well, be out of the country in less than two weeks. I'll just have to see how quickly I can pick it up...then start work on my Spanish!

Day eleven - Friday October 29

Departed: Vaylats 8:15am
Arrived: Cahors 1:15pm
Total hours: 5
Total kms: 24.6
Accumulated kms: 341.7
Weather: Sunny but overcast in the afternoon

Wow, how depressed do I seem to be getting? The walk today was really pretty boring. Lots more rocky paths through scrubby bush, a bit of walking along a freeway then a highway, and some gravelly, muddy paths up high before the descent into Cahors. That was the only highlight, coming over the top of the hill and finding this big city nestled down in a valley, surrounded by water.

I went to the Tourism Office to see if they could ring ahead for accommodation, as I wasn't planning on stopping here. Everything within a 30km radius was shut. Then, most of the things outside that for tomorrow night were also shut. I finally managed to book a room 32km out that's twice what I would normally pay, but it will have to do. It's getting harder and harder to find accom, and although I'm aware a large part of this is just me me missing Angie so much, I'm starting to think that the extra expense I'll have to go to just to get a bed and food each night may not be worth continuing on for. I'll give it a few more days, try to plan ahead a bit more, and see how I go.

Oh, and last night's stay at the monastary was just weird. I got the distinct sense that the woman who managed the place utterly loathed me, and another guy I met who was staying there and spoke French (he was Belgian) agreed with me. I missed Mass (one thing that went right) because, despite being told that last weekend was daylight savings, it's actually this weekend. I've been operating all week on the wrong time. Not that it matters, I've just been leaving with the sun, but somehow, despite the fact every single town has a church that rings its bells every hour, I've missed counting them for a whoile week.

I was speaking to this Belgian guy about missing Angie and he, who has been travelling for months on a different path, admitted to missing his girlfriend too. "However," he assured me, "I find it helps to sleep with others, it pushes the missing back for a little while. If you like, I can teach you how to tell a girl in French that you will not be around tomorrow." He was surprised when I respectfully declined.

One other strange and uncomfortable event that happened - I was walking along a rocky path between fields, in a scrubby corridor of trees, head down and a bit lost in meditation when suddenly I heard a loud yell from just to my right. It was a farmer, and he was trying to scare me. It worked, I jumped so high I could have been drafted for the Olympics. He killed himself laughing, shook my hand and sent me on my way. I still like him better than the woman at the monastary.

Cahors as I came over the hill.

And the full view of Cahors.

Bridges of Cahors.

Day ten - Thursday October 28

Departed: Cajarc 7:15am
Arrived: Vaylats 2:45pm
Total hours: 7.5
Total kms: 35.3
Accumulated kms: 317.1
Weather: Sunny and warm

Okay, those kilometres are probably wrong. I've looked at four different sources and they all disagree with each other, I'm just working from the same source I've used for the days so far, although I suspect it's wrong for today and the next few as well. Basically, if this is right it means that today I averaged 5kph even with a 20 minute lunch stop and three other breaks to stretch and munch an apple. That doesn't seem at all right to me.

Although it must be said I did make good time today. With the exception of a fairly long uphill patch coming out of Cajarc (and it was such beautiful scenery leaving there), the rest of the day was pretty flat. The down side was that most of the day consisted of walking on sharp, jagged stones. It's as if they want the pilgrims to be in need of some sole healing as well as soul healing during this journey.

Last night I stayed in a place with three others who were only walking a little of the way. We all had a lot of trouble understanding each other (they were French), but with patience and the help of my dictionary we worked it out. I'm starting to find that no one is doing the entire walk right now. Every single person I've come across is walking only part of the journey, and everyone (except for that Swiss guy a few days back) thinks I'm crazy for trying to cross the Pyrenees in November. One of the French women last night told me that it's supposed to be an exceptionally cold winter coming up this year. Of course, to my understanding, if the Pyrenees are under snow there is a cheater's way around at a much lower altitude. Oh well, I will cross that mountain (or not) when I get to it.

I'm staying in a church tonight, which sucks. They won't let me cook my own food (and are charging for dinner and breakfast) and I have to go to a mass this afternoon, just what I feel like doing after a long day's walk. I won't be falling for that one again! I just wish more places were open to stay in. Maybe I'll just start sneaking into people's garages along the way as it gets dark and hope they don't notice.