Nasbinals

Very upmarket buffet, and then David, the joint-manager (with his brother- the family has run the hotel since 1928) took it upon himself to solve the luggage issue. He rang the same people on the same number, but was not taking no for an answer, and decided the solution was for the case to go to the Post office ( if it wasn't there) and for La Malle Postale to pick it up (likely tomorrow) and take it to our hotel for tomorrow. Lots of animated phone calls later he assured us it would be done, and sent us off. We were hoping but not convinced.

Today was a long day - 27km officially, but 30km or so as both hotels were away from the town centres. We also crossed the Aubrac Plateau, which has rave reviews as a beautiful heath land, and in summer they are probably deserved...

It was drizzling as we left in the new ponchos (which worked well) and Saint Craig of Kiama (he of umbrella yesterday) had lent me a pair of waterproof over-trousers which he said were too big for him. They probably were too big, as they were big for me, but in the cold and the rain they were a godsend.

The country was grey because of the clouds, but everywhere were long, low stone walls, green fields, or paddocks with daffodils, and small woods. Most of the track was a walkway between paddocks, but we were on rural roads now and then. That was better than the boggy sections: they were horrendous after just a little rain, so I can only imagine WWI.

Unfortunately the sleet and rain began in earnest around 1015, and kept on until around 2pm, along with a gale. I doubt my chinos would have survived the mud, or have dried out by dinner. We were warm enough under the ponchos, but fingers number quickly, and stayed numb until the wind stopped, or the rare burst of sun. Having said that, it wasn’t too bad with the ponchos and waterproof boots: we could walk along quickly without getting hot.

We went through a few hamlets, but no villages or towns, but made good time because it was too windy , wet and cold to stop except inside, and the few little cafes we saw were crowded, or in the open. We saw a man with a Phileas Fogg type contraption harvesting daffodils in the driving sleet... unsuccessfully, though, as he seemed to spend as much time under the machine as on it. Maybe he was sheltering?

After passing through a few small hamlets and past occasional churches, we finally made it to Nasbinals. It is a lovely old village with grey/fawn coloured stone houses, all with rooves made of flat rocks.

One family has a monopoly on hotels in the town, and guests are apparently allocated on the day. We reached the first hotel on the outskirts of the village and were pleased we could have a break, but our names weren't on the list for rooms there. We walked into town to the central place (with restaurant and bar) but we weren't there, either. We had to walk 500m to another side of the town, but it was flat and not raining.

Dinner was in the town rather than the hotel, and the same local specialties that Rosie and Amr had nearly 10 yrs ago - very good. Aligot (mashed potato plus cheese and garlic - consistency of play-dough) was a sight to behold, and very tasty, along with a local sausage.

Just before we went we had an email from David, the Aumont-Aubrac manager, with a small glitch: the bag was delivered to the Le Puy post so late that it could not be collected today, and the Post is closed all weekend (plus perhaps Monday as a public holiday) so it will not be collected by la Malle Postale until Tuesday, and hopefully early enough then for it to be delivered to us where we will be that night - a town called Golinac. Four more days of only one pair of pants and shoes instead of one day more...but a timeline that ought to be achievable.

Our hotel is a branch of a family hotel business. 1. Opened at 4... but if you knew your room number you could take your key and go in anyway. 2. Wifi and soap, but no tea or coffee. 3 Great view over open fields 4. Bed seems okay. 5. Quiet. 6. the ogress who did not want to let anyone in to breakfast...

41,520 steps, 32.6km and 44 flights.Read more