Bénévent-l’Abbaye

We walked 21 kms today and it was just beautiful….it is getting rather repetitive saying this every day, but the countryside is just so lovely. Rolling hills, dairy farms with brown cows, some corn, saw a field today with celery and onions, cabbages (or cabbage family). Very pretty farms and villages…usually not a sign of life, but obviously things do happen! There are tractors rolling around a bit.

When we left La Souterraine this morning, it certainly was bustling for such a small place. And yet our hotel was the only place we could find to eat last night… It was deliciously cool when we left at 8.15 this morning, but soon we feared it was starting to get sticky…and it did for a short while, but miraculously it passed and remained comfortable for most of the day. All the predictions of rain for the week have not eventuated happily for us, though there are always clouds looming- and protecting us from the direct sun! Had breaks at 5 or 6 km intervals, found a bench with flower boxes at each end in a village overlooking the panorama for lunch, and arrived here at about 2.30. The town is perched quite high, and we were hot and thought we’d find a bar before checking into the hotel. But a walk into the centre showed no sign of bars - there were people, a bank and post office…and a beautiful church, but there were people waiting outside looking serious, and flowers at the door…we thought there was about to be a funeral, so didn’t barge on in, but must look later this afternoon, or tomorrow morning on the way out.

So we came to the hotel - very nice and quite posh. Hotel des Remparts, but not an old building (ie ancient - and in fact no sign of ramparts that we can see!) but 2 guys seem to run it and we had a very welcome beer while they got organised. Then we discovered that our bags had not arrived. So the very helpful man rang last night’s hotel, yes they were still there, and he rang our Cécile from Chemins de France and all got organised and they arrived in about 45 minutes. Phew, we were very sweaty! Amr was smug, as he always carries a change of clothes in his pack and I never do…I have faith! I don’t know if the problem was the taxi or the hotel, as there was rarely a helpful person at reception…Meanwhile we were shown to our room, and it is amazing!! Light airy, leading on to a terrace, will put photo. So a good place to be stuck without clothes. We showered anyway, and before long our bags were here. All very quiet, not sure if other people are staying, but dinner at the hotel so we don’t have to go hunting!Read more