Camino French Style

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Trip start
August 10, 2023
Camino French Style Traveler
Leaving Leuven
August 10, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F
It will be 2 trains, 2 buses 1 plane, and 2 cars (1 blah -blah) to get to Lauzerte, France. It was welcomed by a handsome Belgian, many of you know him, and his pack of new friends. There was a Gypsy King cover band playing in the main square and the Big Dipper stars out the window of our room. It seems like I'm in a movie.Read more
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Camino French Style Traveler
First day walking.
August 11, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F
First day walking. I joined the group of quite experienced pilgrims today. Many of them have been on the trail for two and a half weeks. My first day was 30 km which is 18 mi for my American friends. It went very well some ups and downs on the hills, but it got quite hot in the afternoon around 90° Fahrenheit. The biggest drama today was my backpack was lost for a few hours. I used a company that transports your pack from one town to the next, due to the distance and my inexperience. I will walk with my pack from now on. Mystery solved thanks to our Pilgrim friends who speak amazing French. I am really enjoying the communal meals at breakfast and dinner.Read more
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Camino French Style Traveler
Day two with a pack.
August 12, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
Today started out very optimistically. We only had 20 km to cover which is about 12 mi. Started out well the trail was supposed to be flat and then we took the alternative route. In summary, it was not flat. With some good guidance from experience pilgrims I figured out how to use my pack to help me up these steep climbs. The poles are also extremely helpful. Strangely enough jogging down hills in a half squat is easier on my knees. So while I struggled to get up the hills coming down is kind of fun. Everything was pretty good and then it got hot about 2:00. I sweat from areas I didn't even know existed. In fact I think I have diaper rash. That was probably too much information. Learning a little more French everyday but still struggling to keep up with the conversations. I'm meeting people from all over Europe. Tonight we ate pizza in an amazing village with a German who started walking from his home. He shared his spiritual experiences visiting the holy city in southern France called Lourdes. You're said to be where two energy lines or lay lines cross. We'll see what tomorrow brings.Read more
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Camino French Style Traveler
Day 4, blisters arrive and my rhythm
August 13, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
Due to a little bit of heat rash in the sensitive area I decided to walk with a dress and my husband's boxer briefs. Really good airflow. We walked about 20 km which is roughly 12 plus miles in overcast skies with a beautiful breeze. Following a short nap we summitted into our final destination. We were met by it very pleasant host at our dormitory / bed and breakfast. I've eaten more bread this past 5 days than I have in the last year. But what can you say it's a French baguette!Read more
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Camino French Style Traveler
Day 5, walking on the sun
August 14, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F
Day five was a tough one - 30 km/ 18 miles (more than planned). Starting out with a few blisters that were well attended to the night before, I also had some tightened tendons in my leg. The trail had some rolling hills but nothing too steep. The enemy today was the heat and humidity - 90+ F. The last 5 miles we were walking on blacktop which felt like a tarmac, a.k.a. walking on the sun. I was never so happy than to arrive and see an air conditioned van waiting to take us to our hostal for the night. Corinne and Philip are our host here and they were amazing. There's even a little plunge pool which cooled me right down. I have to say I admire my fellow walkers. They seem to trudge through, even the tough times without a word of complaint -- in particular my husband. I think I married a Superman @DominicDewitte. He's super patient with me, and always looking for solutions to make it to the next location. In addition, his language skills in French, Dutch, German and Spanish are unbelievable. I will take a rest day tomorrow and cheer on the four that continue. It's time to reassess how I plan to do my real Camino in Spain -- what I will really pack, how many miles a day are realistic for me, and how to make the most of the time.Read more
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Camino French Style Traveler
Day 6 - rest and explore
August 15, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
I started the day with seeing the other pilgrims off with a breakfast. I then had a chance to attend Mass in a gorgeous cathedral here in Condom--it means confluence..Get your minds out of the gutter. This region is where d'Artagnan of the three/four musketeers was from. Then had a wonderful lunch with wood fired pizza and borrowed an electric bike to go see a 12th century castle. I don't know if it gets better than this. Tomorrow I work my way back to Belgium, stopping for the night in Brive. This has been a wonderful test for Spain.Read more
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Trip end
August 17, 2023

Leaving Leuven

First day walking.

Day two with a pack.

Day 4, blisters arrive and my rhythm

Day 5, walking on the sun

Day 6 - rest and explore