Day 15: Stage 13: Lourdes,🌤️, 27 km, 22°

The Sweet Sound Of Bells!

After, getting all my chores done last night, except for the blog late on, I walked the short distance to the Vietnamese restaurant that Ronald had told us about.

We were there right when it opened and had fun going through the very extensive menu. It was particularly interesting for me having travelled in Vietnam and knowing the food. However, the menu was all in French, which made it all the more interesting.🤨

I chose a wonton soup and duck with mushrooms and a side dish of rice. We ordered a small bottle of red wine, and we hungrily tied into the food!

The food was excellent. Like most restaurants in France, the food was very good with so many wonderful flavors. 

We sat for a couple of hours exchanging stories and experiences. We agreed to send photos that we had taken of each other, and today they would send a photo from the top of their climb and I was to send a photo from Lourdes. These things all happened.

I started slowly this morning. I got up and made myself a huge mug of hot tea, and ate a couple of my honey cookies that I’d bought two days ago. They’re small cookies and made with the local honey. A very subtle flavor, and not too sweet. 

I pulled together all my gear, folding everything up and stash everything in its proper place. I checked the weather and was delighted to see that I could expect two days of decent weather. So also packed up my now clean Gore-Tex rain gear, and I was feeling pretty happy about that!

I left the apartment as I found it and walked to the patisserie where I was able to find two very nice pane aux raison!

I ate my first one while walking out of town and my second one at around 11:30.

A very nice walk today, with the first half on roads which was ok after three days of slugging through the mud.

It was very nice! I walked up a valley through lots of agricultural and livestock areas complete with little villages.

I eventually came to a place where I had to climb, and it was a stubborn little 250 m hike up the side of the valley. However, after the last several days spent with my 2 favourite mountain goats, it wasn’t so much. 😆

After I climbed to the top it was just a matter of navigating my way, down hills and of course up hills. 😆

Everywhere I walked there were bells ringing across the hills. Cows, sheep and goats making a harmony that resonated continuously as I walked. The sound travels a great distance, which is of course why these animals have bells on. I don’t think I can remember a walking stage where I heard so many bells. I must say that it really spiced up my walk today. I took a number of videos where the bells were very clear and sent them home to be enjoyed.

Traffic was basically light and there were a few cyclists which confirmed that I was walking a fairly scenic route.

Once I climbed out of the valley, I seem to sort of stay just above 700 m.

I enjoyed an ever changing vista as I walked along. It was lovely particularly after the rain I’d been experiencing.

Eventually, I left the roads to cross a sensitive pastoral zone. That sign on the gate provided my instructions, but my eyes mostly picked up the sheep dog warning!😬

All I can really say is that it was an amazing experience! My highlight of the stage.

I crossed a spectacular landscape along a beautiful trail. It take me took me right through an agricultural land reserve, and there were flocks of sheep as I pass through. It was very cool!

I still had a concern in the back of my mind. Would I run into a sheepdog as I traversed this area over the coming kilometres? Of course, that would mean a confrontation with a big aggressive dog who is understandably there to protect and guard the sheep. It would mean that I would have to somehow circle around the flock to stay out of its area of operation. I had been prepared to do just that while walking through Switzerland, but fortunately I didn’t have that sort of an encounter.

I’ve had lots of those sorts of encounters in Spain and elsewhere, but eventually all were resolved with good outcomes. Meaning that I wasn’t bitten, or chewed to pieces! 😆

During past walks, I’ve walked through numerous flocks of sheep, and I know to go very slowly and to not startle them. And that’s what I did today with very little problem.

It was a beautiful piece of walking that went on for quite a while, but all too soon came to an end. I will remember today for a very long time.

I finally arrived on the outskirts of Lourdes, and I knew I had arrived because the tourist train went rolling by.🤣 Just awesome… I should have jumped aboard!

Annemarie and I spoke briefly last night and she booked me a small room in Lourdes while I was madly repairing my gear. It was nice to have that one less thing to deal with.

I have booked a bed in Arudy at the pilgrim accommodation for tomorrow night. I still need one for the night after and when I complete this post I’ll start to look at the options.

Shortly after arriving in Lourdes, I had a quick cleanup and then went out to see the cathedral. There were so many people from around the world come in search of their miracle. I’ve never personally had an urge to come here, but as I was walking through anyway, I decided it would be a shame not to have a look see.

From there I went in search of one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the catholic world.

Now that I was here, I actually a little bit curious to see what it’s all about. I know the story, but just to see the whole thing should be quite interesting.

My first impression was of a city that had gone down that commercial road and over the precipice. Everyone trying to make a little money from the never ending passersby. Perhaps that’s a bit sceptical, but it was pretty evident to me.

I walked up to the cathedral and stood for a moment, watching all of the people passing by, many in wheelchairs that they have rented on arrival. Here to hopefully find their miracle. There are so many of them.

I had a look around and I was surprised to find that the least busy part of this whole development was inside the actual church. I walked inside and sat down and there was hardly anyone in there.

The large groups were everywhere else, and I suspect that many were down at the grotto where the miracle was confirmed by the Vatican.

I decided not to go down to look at the grotto. I suppose I didn’t want to get in the way of those who specifically came here on their own pilgrimage. My pilgrimage follows a different road, and I will continue along that road early tomorrow morning with a long stage to Arudy.

That’s it for today. I still have a few duties here to perform before I turn in for an early night.

Bon chemin.

Geoff🙂

(437 m vertical, 1425’)