Merci Beaucoup to all of you...

  I was given a gift today with weather, trail and pilgrims. Thanks for all your thoughts and grace today. I woke up at 6:30am to rain. By 7:30 it had stopped and by 8 when I started out, looked like I might get a few hours of just overcast. I wanted to get back on the GR/Chemin/Camino today. Within a mile of leaving, I ran into Thomas and Elizabeth from Germany. We chatted and walked for maybe 10 minutes and talked about the experience, weather and other things. They said that they would have stopped days back if they hadn't booked ahead. We said our goodbyes and did a group selfie. 

  The trail was ok today. I got a bit worried when I hit a section of rocky hike-a-bike, but only lasted about 15 minutes. Much of today was rideable and some nice downhill sections. Weather was overcast and threatened rain a few times, but held off. There is something so nurturing about the Camino. Even though you are having a hard time with trail or weather, it's seems more supportive of your effort.  Knowing that others have gone before and seeing the markers showing you the way. 

 I only ran into 5 pilgrims all day. Lots of time by myself. Sometimes it nice and you can have the experience to yourself. Sometimes it so isolating and lonely. I ran into a guy about 10 this morning. I stopped to talk with him. He is Alan from Belgium and today is his halfway point. It seems he started his pigramage in Belgium and had been walking for 4 weeks much of it by himself. He told me that being alone was harder than the rain and mud. He told me he was so grateful that I stopped to talk with him. We walked for about 10 minutes and I too was grateful for someone to talk with about the experience. Blessings to Alan. He is halfway to Santiago today. I kind I realized that I didn't have it so hard. 

  About half an hour later I came across a   20-something yr old guy who was really happy to see me as well. He spoke no English but he was really trying to tell me what was going on. I got that he was having foot problems and pain and that he couldn't go on after today..He was almost crying not just due to the injury but more because he had to stop. I told him I was so sorry and went on. He was probably a couple hours to the next town. 

 I got to the town at the end of the first stage, Limogne en-Quercy about 11am, right when I had hoped to. It's a cute town and they were having a farmers market today with some really nice produce, meats and cheeses. I was wishing I was home and could buy some of these. I walked around for about half an hour and it started getting cold and dark. I jumped on my bike and decided to take the road the last 18 miles to Cahors. 

 I got here with no rain this afternoon and checked into my hotel. It was nice to see pilgrims arriving this afternoon and I chatted with a few. I got laundry done again and feeling better today. I'm going on to the GR again tomorrow and good weather is forecast for the next week.

Dave