Interesting things in France

A few curiosities we encountered during our travels: 

- one of the old standup toilets which used to be so common in Europe but now are hard to find. This one in a public WC in Clermont actually had toilet paper!

- There are beautiful war memorials in every town in France, but some stand out like the one in Bayeaux we mentioned in the Hegira last November.  The one below in a beautiful park in Beziers, showing Victory surrounded by her Artisans: soldiers, casualties and families, seemed a bit over the top compared to the usual French memorials to "Les Enfants Mort" (Our Dead Children).  

- also, carved in sandstone, the figures are wearing away after only a century! 

This last item will be of interest to Catholics... We've seen these offerings boxes in at least three French churches this trip.  We are wondering just exactly what the poor souls in purgatory are doing with these offerings?

Rain in Castres

A rainy Sunday rest day in Castres: chance to wash clothes, go to mass and look around the town before moving west tomorrow. Arrived last night at 8 pm after four bus rides south and west to get around the mountains. Weather report gives us 5 days of sun starting tomorrow before rain next weekend.  We think we will walk for two more weeks and then use our Eurrailpass for more travel the last week, perhaps getting back to Heidelberg for a day or two and maybe an extra couple of days in Paris.

Lovely Lodeve

Bussed today west to Castres to get out of the mountains. But before we forget , want to note the beauty in Lodeve, a place we would like to visit again. The cathedral had lovely stained glass and an intact cloister which was open to the public. Also the Chambre d'hôte we stayed at, Atelier du Solondre, run by Sally Mcewan, and painter husband, David who does wonderful portraits and equestrian paintings, was delightful. Sally used real sealing wax and a signet ring to sign our Pilgrim "credential" which records our journey - the first time that has happened.

From Lodeve to Castres

Yesterday confirmed the wisdom of our plan to skip the rest of the on-coming mountains and go onward to the plains.  We did what was supposed to be 14k from St Jean de Blaquere to Lodeve - took nearly 6 hours of walking over rocky paths, rocky strem beds and rocky roads. Lots of ups and not many downs! Rain is coming, so on to Castres with 3 bus changes in between, rest/touring day for Castres on Sunday and onward Monday.

More Mountain pix

Last two days in the mountains have been beautiful and one more to go today to Lodeve but then we are going to bus west to flats in Castes to avoid several days of upcoming bad weather and higher mountains - a bad mix! Then keep walking west to Toulose. Here are few more pix that give ideas of what we have been seeing up high.

The Way to St Jean

Today went from Montpeyroux to St Jean de Blaquiere. Turns out that most pilgrims make the 26 km between St Guilhem and St Jean, over two mountain ranges, in one day.  Now that we have done it, we could probably have done it too, if we started early.  But it took us two days - and a long one at that - because today we missed a turn and probably wound up losing about 3plus hours and 8 km of walking out of our way (turning 12 k into 20k) before we finally backtracked to the missed turn Then we had yet another mountain to cross over while we were tired and almost out of water. But we are in a great chambre d'hôte tonight, Chez Charlotte, had a good locAl wine, and all is well with the world... Pix say it all...

Over the Mountains

On Wednesday moved out of St Guilhem into the mountain for several days. First stop Montpeyroux. The mountain trails were narrower than anything we saw in Spain - real mountain switchbacks, fields of scree, the sort of trails we have lots of near our home in Arizona.  Got to Montpeyroux with the few hotels totally booked but after some misadventure found a Gite Pelerin - place that rents beds just to pilgrims for the night. No sign, no directions and no English.  But the mercado was open so we fixed dinner and found a bottle of wine with which to drink to the life of our dear friend, Bob Boatwright, who died yesterday while we were on the trail.  Life and the Way goes on... but we do not forget.