hot hot hot !! chaud, chaud, chaud !

It is very hot and I have found myself a tree to sit under and wait
until it will cool down a bit...

So, this morning I had been walking on a cycle track  along a canal for
several kilometers already and was heading towards a bridge to take me
back to the main road. I had just passed a road which joined the cycle
track when a car came up, the driver honking his horn and gesticulating
that I should not continue where I was going. He then explained that the
bridge was rotten and could not be used.

What to do now - going back the way I had come would have
added several kilometers to my day s walk which was rather long for my
poor foot anyway. So the gentleman suggested - (he had asked before
whether I was going to St Jacques and told me that he had been) so he
suggested that he take me two canals farther away from where I could
join the main road by just walking straight ahead - St Jacques will
surely forgive you.

So I got into his car and he was duly impressed with the weight of my
pack when he put it into the boot of his car. When he put me down again
he said - This has quite rejuvenated me. L was surprised, had thought
him to  be about my age. So I askee - Oh 69, almost 70, he said.
- I am 70, I said, and this adventure is my birthday treat....

You can see that I was pleased with myself....

When I reached the main road it was almost midday and I felt I had to
take advantage of the fact that there is less traffic at midday. So
instead of having my stop for lunch and a sieste I pushed on over the
bridge of Brault and to the roundabout where I left the main road to La
Rochelle.

And right there was cafe - what more could I want...
However tey did not do any food - If you want to instal yourself in that
corner, go ahead, nobody comes here at this time of the day. So I
unpacked my picnic and had a nice cold coke to go with it
and coffee afterwards. And tha lady refilled my waterbottle with icy
water.

What I did not have was a sieste. Which is why I am sitting under this
tree. I was beginning to feel quite faint with the heat before I found
this bit of shade. Could not sleep however because of creepy crawlies.
And now the wind has sprung up and is blowing beautifully. So I will
pack up and get going again....
eom

Il fait très chaud et je viens de trouver un arbre pour m’asseoir à l’ombre jusqu’à ce que cela se rafraîchisse un peu.

Voila ce matin je marchais sur une piste cyclable le long d’un canal depuis plusieurs kilomètres. Je me dirigeais vers un pont qui me permettrait de revenir sur la route principale.

Je venais de croiser une route quand une voiture arriva, le conducteur actionnait l’avertisseur sonore et me faisait de grands gestes. Il voulait me faire comprendre qu'il ne fallait pas continuer dans cette direction. Il m’expliqua ensuite que le pont était très rouillé et dangereux

Que faire maintenant, si je faisais demi tour, j’ajoutais de nombreux kilomètres à une étape déjà assez longue pour mon pauvre petit pied !

Le monsieur, qui s’était renseigné pour savoir si j’allais à Compostelle (et qui l’avait fait lui aussi) me proposa de me déposer deux canaux plus loin et que St  Jacques me pardonnerai si je faisais quelques kilomètres de moins !!

Donc je suis monté dans sa voiture et il a été impressionné par le poids de mon sac en le mettant dans le coffre de sa voiture.

Cela me rajeunit me dit il !  Comme je pensais qu'il avait à peu près mon âge, je l’interrogeais et il me dit qu'il avait 69 ans, presque 70 !!!

La marche conserve ....

J’ai rejoint la route principale vers midi et ai décidé de tirer avantage du peu de circulation à cette heure pour continuer. Au lieu de faire un arrêts pour manger et faire ma sieste j’ai continué jusqu »au pont de Brault et au rond point où j’ai quitté la route principale qui va à La Rochelle.

Il y avait un café sur la droite, que vouloir de mieux ? !

Bien que l’établissement ne serve pas de repas, j’ai été invitée à m’installer pour manger mon casse croûte avec un coca bien frais suivi d’un café. A mon départ, la tenancière a rempli mes gourdes d’au très fraîche.

Mais quoi ? je n’ai pas fait de sieste !!! C’est pour cela que je suis actuellement assise sous l’ombre d’un arbre. Mais je ne dors pas à cause d’affreux insectes …

Et maintenant une petite brise s’est levée …je vais remettre mon sac et continuer

Another St Jacques Encounter- Une autre rencontre ...

 
Yeasterday morning I was painfully beginning my day s walk in miserable
weather - first day after my rest and visit to see the doctor. Suddenly
a car overtook me and parked in a nearby parking lot. Out climbed a man
who walked over to me and asked -
Are you going to St Jacques - Yes, I said, and he was hugely pleased and
proceded to tell me that he had been last year - it had been a wonderful
experiience - he had met two Belgians and another Frenchman right at the
bwginning and they got on so well that they stayed together al the way.
And his wife who is handicapped and in a wheelchair took care of the
logistics from home thus looking after the four of them. And next year,
he continued, I will go again and my wife will come with me in the car -
and you know, earlier on you walked past my house and I saw you and felt
sure you were going to St Jacques and I got into my car and intercepted
you - I just had  to know........


INA publié par Papy vélo




Hier matin, j'ai commencé péniblement mon périple sous un  ciel peu clément. Premier jour après le repos et la visite chez le médecin.

Soudain un véhicule me dépasse et se gare un peu plus loin. Un homme en sort et me demande : Allez vous à St Jacques ? Ma réponse affirmative lui fit très plaisir et il me raconta qu'il avait fait le chemin l'an dernier, que cela avait été une expérience magnifique, qu'il avait rencontré deux Belges et un Français et qu'ils avaient cheminé ensemble0

Sa femme qui est handicapée et en fauteuil s'occupait de la logistique pour les quatre depuis leur maison.

L'an prochain il recommencera et son épouse suivra en voiture.

Il m'avait vu passer devant chez lui et s'était empressé de prendre sa voiture pour me rejoindre et me parler.

St Jacques encounter with a Spaniard..Rencontre avec un espagnol.

St Jacques encounter with a Spaniard...

I was happily walking on a dyke along one of the numerous canals in this
area (west of L Aiguillon) when I saw a cyclisr pedalling in the
opposite direction. As he was passing me he called out - Chemin de St
Jacques - with a Spanish accent.  Yes, I answered.    Buen camino, he
shouted over his shoulder as he cycled on....

That was this morning. It is a hot day - fortunately there is a gentle
breeze. And as I am doing only 13 km today to spare my foot, I am having
two long breaks. This is the second one. I am only 3 km away from my B+B
sitting in the grass next to a canal, listening to the birds and the
frogs - nobody about...

end of story

Je marchais gaiement sur une digue le long de l'un de ces très nombreux canaux (Ouest de L'Aiguillon sur mer) quand je vis un cycliste qui roulait dans l'autre sens. En me croisant il me dit avec un  accent espagnol : Chemin de St Jacques ? et je répondis oui ; Buen Camino me dit il en continuant à pédaler.

C'était ce matin. Un jours très chaud. Heureusement que l'étape était courte ! Je ne fais que 13 km pour épargner mon pied et j'ai pris deux grosses pauses0 C'est déja la deuxième et je ne sis qu'à trois kilomètres de mon hébergement, assises dans l'herbe, le long d'un canal à écouter les oiseaux chanter.

Health issues

For the last few days Ina has been experiencing pain in one foot. She decided to rest for two days at her latest camp site and to consult a sports doctor this morning. The outcome was a treatment for 8 days and the need to shorten the daily walking stages. The risk is that she may have a ‘fatigue fracture’.

Next Monday she will have an X-ray taken in La Rochelle (she will be joined by Riton and Marie Claude on Sunday). Depending on the results she may return to Ploumanac’h for a month to then return to La Rochelle and continue her adventure.

Her morale remains excellent. But a call on her mobile would surely make her very happy!

Problèmes de santé

Depuis quelques jours, Ina ressent des douleurs à un pied.
Elle a décidé de passer deux jours de repos au camping et a consulté un médecin du sport ce matin : traitement pour huit jours et étapes raccourcies.
Le risque es t d'avoir une "fracture de fatigue".

Lundi prochain elle fera une radio à La Rochelle (elle sera rejointe par Riton et Marie Claude dimanche) et selon les résultats elle rentrera pour un mois à Ploumanac'h pour repartir ensuite de La Rochelle et continuer son aventure.

Le moral est excellent.
Mais un appel sur son portable lui ferait surement très plaisir !

Two anecdotes somewhat conneceted

Title - Two anecdotes somewhat connected

(I am practcing writing on my telephone)

This happened when I was still in Bretagne - I have since passed la
Loire Atlantique and am almost leaving la Vendee.

I was crossing a market in my usual getup with the big yellow sack on my
back when someone called to me - St Jacques is that way....

I turned round and said - Thank you, that is where I am going, really...
He was quite surprised, had thought to make a great joke. So we had a
talk and finally he sent me on my way with a slice of sausage.

And two days ago I was crossing a huge empty parking lot in a commercial
area when a car came rushing at me, a man got out and asked me  -  Where
are you going  -  To St Jacques, I answered.  -  I knew it, I knew it,
he was jumping up and down with excitement. And he told me that he had
gone the way I am going starting from home in Les Sables d Olonne and
that he liked it so much that he wated to do it again.

I have heard of lots of people who have done it  several t times. As
much as I am enjoying myself, I cannot see myself doing it again, even
if the time it takes are no consideration.
 And money it takes. For me it is something to do once in a lifetime.
end of message