Finding treasure on the Camino de Santiago

“Life is a journey. Not a destination.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

6 May – Day 1 – 25,3kms – 40 584 steps walked from Le Puy-en-Velay to St-Privat-d’Allier

This walk in just two days has vastly exceeded my expectations.

So one would think that after training for and running several marathons over many years I would know that starting a race with “new anythings” is a bad idea. Well it seems I missed that lesson. I spent the first several kilometers yesterday (Day one) pulling my new walking underwear out of all sorts of nooks and crannies and adjusting my new socks at every turn. Ten kilometers of pure torture! Thank heavens for the scenery.

Day one – Le Puy-en-Velay to St-Privat-d’Allier

Day one actually started really early as I went off to mass at the Notre Dame Cathedral (and relax everyone that knows me, nothing has changed). I attended the mass because I read that they have this dramatic end to the Pilgrim mass where they open this huge grill gate trap door floor thing down the central aisle of the cathedral and it opens onto the steps that descend down onto the Chemin St Jacques and you effectively walk onto your Camino. Very dramatic and emotional all at the same time. I will post the video on Facebook at some stage for people to watch, it’s quite something. It really was a special start to my Camino.

As an aside, Priscilla my gorgeous bold Protea bag has exploded and I now have a little partner for her. Don’t even ask. I have decanted so much stuff out of her that it required it’s own transport tag and money of course. Anyway it’s better than arriving to a Bag that’s exploded for real. It was close.

The morning started out quite tough not just on the moving underwear front. The weather was really cold and the wind icy, and the first few kms were steep. I kept asking myself “Have you bloody lost the plot, you’re six years older than last time. Can you even do. This!” Suffice to say it required a little strict conversation with myself.

The views however overcome any adversity. Each view seems to be more magical and “Disneyesque”! I know, damn that Disney person for ruining all things real. Every little hamlet or town I walk through is very very still, there is no one around but it is simply beautiful. Enough to make me forget the underwear problem and the “Can I, Can’t I” thing.

The first little village (hamlet) I walk into, St-Christophe-sur-Dolaison (912m of climbing), is quite deserted but very charming. The church is open and it is really pretty. There are a few cats checking out the Pilgrims, but no one to be seen.

I come across very few pilgrims as i walk maybe 5 or six. As I get closer to Montbonnet I see an older man pulling his bag on a trolley. He looks almost 80 and seems to be battling. I offer to help him in my five words of French. He of course does not understand me and only realizes what I am saying once I physically try and pick up his trolley. He smiles and shakes his head and says “Non Merci!”

I am fascinated by the beautiful cows and they are seemingly fascinated by me. I never give cow a second thought at home as I don’t really walk in farm areas and I don’t even eat beef. But here they seem picturesque and dreamy and of course they are smelly.

I chose to walk in Spring because as you know I love flowers and my last Camino was late Spring and the flowers were simply spectacular. So I had to walk in Spring this time. Even though the chances are it could be colder. I have been not been disappointed. I have been delighted at every turn. There are flowers everywhere. I wish i could pics of all of them.

Today’s walk was set to be 23 kms and ended up being closer to 25. I have come to expect this on The Way so every morning I prepare myself for a few extra kilometers. It’s a brain thing to keep me in the zone, otherwise my body starts stopping when it gets to said number. So I add on a few kilometers to start as every day that I walked the French and Portuguese way it was further than the booklet said.

The plan was to walk to St-Privat-d’Allier a tiny little village on the route. We were however staying in Le Chier which was 5.6kms off the Chemin. The idea was to call the host at La Grangette our first stopover and they would collect us. Not having a French SIM card yet, I was not looking forward to this deed. Anyway I walked into the little village and I encountered my first Camino Angel. A French woman who saw me wandering and probably looking a little bedraggled and lost at 18h45 and took pity on me and asked if she could help. I explained in my five French words that I need to telephone the guesthouse (I had the voucher in my hand) she promptly took me inside a copy little Gite where there was a roaring fireplace and it brought much comfort to a cold cold pilgrim, and she called for me, from her phone.

She turned out to be a Pilgrim too and she in her best twenty English words explained she lived in Avignon and was hoping to make it to Cahors. She seemed to be doubting her feet. I was so touched by her help I gave her one of my little beaded South African flags I had brought along to hand to people that touched me.

Phillips from La Grangette fetched me in St-Privat and took me to their guest house. Wow. What a beautiful place and I was made to feel so welcome. We had to sit down to dinner almost immediately because it was already after 7pm. I had left very late today.

Jacqueline the hostess and co-owner served us the most amazing dinner. It started with pumpkin soup and baguette of course. Followed by a beautiful ratatouille with big sausages. Although I prefer to only eat white meat, I had decided not to restrict myself on this trip and simply go with whatever I got served as most of our dinners are included, so the only stipulation I made on my menu options for the trip was NO LENTILS. In Lentil land (where they grow lentils and it is considered the “caviar of the poor” that is probably not good, but I do not like lentils. The ratatouille and sausage was exquisite. It was followed by a platter of cheese that a horse could not jump over and even though we were protesting that we were full, Jacqueline said the most beautiful thing “A meal without cheese is like a beautiful girl without eyes!” Jennie and I almost collapsed with laughter and proceeded to eat the beautiful cheese. It will become one of our sayings going forward I am sure. It was followed by a piece of homemade wild cherry cake and banana ice cream (yes banana, who would have thought). She gave us a regional wild cherry digestive to try and then it was time to sleep.

Camino gifts today ….

– The absolute beauty of the day and the surrounding countryside. – The flowers in every shape and form – Spring in all it’s forms, buds everywhere, baby animals everywhere – The discipline from deep within to get my head in the right space and simply walk with not a soul in sight. – The pure joy, delight and privilege of just walking. – The Camino Angel who called La Grangette for me. – My feet co-operating and staying in the game the whole day. – The glorious meal provided by Jacqueline and the beautiful La Grangette we got to stay at on our first night. – The luxury of Wi-Fi for a Whats app video call to say goodnight to Warwick and get some inspiration for Day two