2017-09-15 St-Alban-sur-Limagnole – Ferme les Gentianes (33/114 km)

Well, without internet! I’m at the middle of the Aubrac highlands and I have only a very weak telephone connection, not sufficient for Blogger. So, I have to write this today in Word and lift it over to Blogger tomorrow when I get into more “civilized” areas. 

Started from St-Alban-sur-Limagnole my usual time after breakfast at the gite. Had originally thought to walk the 17 or so kilometers to Aumont-Aubrac. But when I arrived there at lunch I decided to continue, to avoid getting the heavy rain promised for Sunday up in the highlands. I had found a place to stop at the middle of nowhere, that allowed me to make three days walk in two. So after having picked the wrong place for lunch – only a Quiche Lorraine – I walked past two good eating places leaving the city first under the railway and then under the motorway. But we should not forget the "La bête du Gervaudan" (The beast of Gervaudan). He is everywhere around here - in various shapes.

I and two ladies passed each other several times. And the last time that happened I could not but ask if they spoke some other language than French. Mine is too bad. One of them shook her head the other one said in German that she spoke some of that language. So, a Swede and a French lady then communicated in German. Hmmm! I found out that she was a teacher and that this was their last day out. School started again the coming week and since she came from Champaign and it would take some time to return from Aubrac. Her son, that also was a teacher, had worked some time in Stockholm. I left them at “Les Quatre Chemins” where they intended to stay. I continued to “Ferme les Gentianes” where I’m staying now at the gite and writing this.

The landscape of the Aubrac highlands suddenly changed character. Instead of forests and fields covering rolling hills it became only rolling hills with pastures and moors and a tree here and there. More like the moors of Scotland. And isolated houses built in grey stone. Maybe this is a part of Scotland?!

(While I wrote this I suddenly got a weak connection to internet. So you'll have the text but no photos. I'll upload those tomorrow. --- And tomorrow is now today, when I'm editing this)

Un día con cambios en los planos. En Aumont-Aubrac decidí continuar hasta - el yermo. Trovaba un “gite” después de 16 km más, situado en el yermo. El paisaje cambio carácter. Más como Escocia con landas, colinas y bovinos. Pero muy pocos árboles. También encontré dos mujeres. Cuando las pregunté cuando hablaban otra legua que francés respondió una de ellas. Hablo alemán. Y después, un sueco y una francesa hablaba alemán.