2017-09-11&12 Le Puy - Saint-Privat-d'Allier (25/25 km)

Monday morning. Left for the airport very early. Got delayed in Paris. Charles de Gaulle seems to be a hopeless place. Except for sparrows on the flor.

On the other had it didn't matter since I had plenty of time in Lyon. Waited and waited for the train to Saint Etienne. It seems that the connections were heart by a strike. Late into Etienne ment that I missed the next train to Firminy. Actually the next train had worked out all right but I got a hitch with a taxi that got stuck in the afternoon rush. Well we made it to Firminy in time for the bus. Had an interesting talk to a lady who should walk the Camino to the honor her mother. They had planned to walk it together but the mother passed away.

We got to Le Puy and together we walked up the hill to the Gite where I had stayed during the spring. Friendly reception but then it was discovered that we hadn't booked in advance. No beds!!! Well the hospitaleros - volunteers - were friendly and we could sleep in spare beds in their rooms. I ended up with the male hospitalero. Very tired that night I slept like a log. After all the day had worked out very well.

Early up on Tuesday morning. A the breakfast in the "Gite" we sung the "Ultreïa" hymn. That followed us during the spring walk. At the morning mass in the Cathedral there were around 80 people most of them French. The hospitalero had told me that the Le Puy route was the most popular in France. About 80% walked that and the remaining 20% the other 3 routes.To thank my German friends from the spring I wore their yellow Le Puy T-shirt during the mass in the Cathedral. I saw the lady from Monday bus briefly at the mass, but she was staying another day in Le Puy.

I left the cathedral in a light drizzle. A number of people with backpacks leaving the city walking up the steep hills. The city quickly gave ways to countryside. Small villages and a land build on old lava flows. Stones, sheep and bushes. The top of the day was at 1.200 m. A happiness of being "on the road again" came over me several times.

Met and spoke to some French people. But my French is rusty and those I met did not speak anything other than their native language. The only people that broke the French hegemony was an Australian couple from Canberra.

Had lunch together with the Australians in Montbonnet.

Was uncertain how far I should walk but checked the situation for the coming days and decided for Saint-Privat-d'Allier. A small but beautiful old place with a castle at the edge of a rock. Also a pilgrims place with several gites. But the track down to the village (city?) was steep and stony.

Stopping there at "Gite la Cabourne" early in the afternoon gave me time to write my blog. While I'm writing the place is starting to fill with people.

“Le chemin de Compostelle” – el Camino de Santiago a nuevo. En el lunes con avión de Gotemburgo a Lyon y después tren y autobús de Lyon a Le Puy. La mismo albergue que en la primavera. Pero con improvisación dependiente era lleno.

En la madrugada el día después, la misa en el catedral. Cerca 80% de los peregrinos de Francia. La ruta de le Puy es el mas popular de las clasicas. Subí las altas colinas con alegría. Con la excepción de una pareja de Australia, sólo encontré franceses. Pernoctar en Saint Privat-d’Allier una vieja ciudad, pequeña pero interesante. Muchas colinas escarpadas y un castillo clasico.