Your HostYour Host
Big Gee in Action
 
Visitor Map YouTube Channel Home Backpacking Caving Climbing Travel Mountaineering Rappelling email Me       
Links Disclaimer Credits

Index   AT   AZT   Ciudad Perdida   [Camino de Santiago]   CP   CT - GCL   Inca Trail   JMT   LT   MST   Other Trips   Gear
Intro   Summary   Gear   Map   Trip Index   [Journal & Photos]   

Notice: Undefined index: PATH_INFO in /home/restlessadva/public_html/include/stdBigG.php on line 582
Previous Day   [Today]   Next Day   

Album: photos:20021008

L'isle Jourdain - Gimont
08 October 2002

Firstly, to address yesterday night's hopes and dreams. Today finished great. I am writing from the Hotel du Feu's restaurant where I am finishing a bottle of local wine and french vanilla ice cream. They call it just "vanilla" here.

Today was about 13 miles through farm country. It was warm and sunny and I appreciated every shady spot. The miles, kilometers rather, went by easily. It was about 6 hours of wide vistas. The hils are gentle here and the trail mostly follows country lanes and dirt tracks between fields. Although I missed my turnoff and ended up coming into town via the roadway, the route is fairly well waymarked. The blazes for the GR653 and all GRs, I think, is a horizontal red and white stripe. Because this is also a Chemin du St. Jacques there is also the occasional scallop shell symbol.

By far the most noteworthy event today were my amigos nuevos. I was on the outskirts of the village of Giscaro when my thirst informed me I would be asking someone for water soon. So I began practicing my little French speech, "Bonjour, je suis un pélerin. Est-ce que je peux avoir du l'eau, s'il vous plaît?". "Hello, I am a pilgrim. Can I have some water, please?" Don't laugh, I have to keep it simple. Once before I used this to great effect. Unfortunately the guy was a German and did not speak French. But he understood that I was asking for water and we had a nice conversation in English.

This time was reminiscent of the last. But this time it was a young Portuguese woman who started shouting gibberish into an old farmhouse. From the house, a giant commotion could be heard as it's many inhabitants could be heard shouting to one another evidentally unable to find the French speaker among them. I started shaking my empty water bottle and pointing to the spigot on the side of the house but she had already hussled off to the door where an elderly man was peering out. At this time her husband arrived, and I discovered that they were a Portuese-Spanish family and to my relief they could both speak Spanish. In fact, at that point everything settled down and we had an actual conversation although a simple one. They were totally blown away when I replied I was going to Santiago de Compostela. The wife's look of shock was priceless. Apparently she does not consider it walking distance. :) Not only did I get water, but the husband brought out some cold orange juice, and before I left he presented me with something for my trip, 50cl of Coca Cola. In the US long distance community, these people are known as Trail Angels. It is comforting to known that wherever I go in the world, I am always at home. I have a picture of the family but I won't need it to remember them.

Available Images:



dscn2082 jpg dscn2083 jpg dscn2085 jpg


Notice: Undefined index: PATH_INFO in /home/restlessadva/public_html/include/stdBigG.php on line 582
Previous Day   [Today]   Next Day   
 
 
 
Created with the tool photo album generator a tool written by DaveTue Feb 10 23:43:15 2009



Activities discussed on this site are often dangerous and ill advised.
You can do everything right and still die or be seriously injured. Such is the nature of adventurous pastimes.
The people affiliated with this site make no claims regarding the safety or veracity of information.
Caveat lector. Think for yourself and make your own decisions.


index.php last modified on 25 January 2017 12:30:51 UTC