There is a new photo album called: Espalion and Golinhac via Estaing for your viewing pleasure.

A little bit about them, in addition to the notations under each one..

In the order the photos appear:

On leaving Espalions on the 13th September; A shell left by a fellow traveller-could some French scholar translate please? One of the many bucolic scenes that embraces the journey in this most scenic and fertile region in France- unfortunately for the foot traveller it is through the Pyrenees and at least three or four, (sometimes more) times a day the trail takes one over the hills requiring total concentration on where one will put one foot at each step! (I should add this is very much a personal experience-I watch in admiration and a tinge of envy those who seem to effortlessly climb and descend, often without the aid of sticks, and especially the women talking, as the go past me. I digress for a moment.

You may recall disaster day and the "Good Samaritans". Well, in the morning of that day the trail was literally 'cow tracks' for a good three or four Kms, climbing all the way The ruts had deepened over the years and apart from the ubiquitous rocks, had the added problem of being lined with sticky mud caused by the rains of recent days. Anyhow, nearing the "summit" of this stretch I paused to take a close up of a young steer sitting alongside the track, nonchalantly chewing its cud, with apparent disdain for these strange two legged creatures, who for their own reasons follow in their hoof steps.

Cautiously, (I thought), I paused on the slope and let my sticks hang by their straps - took my little camera out of my pocket - turned to shoot, missed my step and careened down the slope. Fortunately, I literally hit the wall or in this case the rock fence which halted my progress but jolted the camera from my grasp and it sailed over the fence (and another barbed wire fence behind it), landing way out of reach. I was prepared to leave it there knowing I would be unable, without risk, to retrieve it. A passing couple saw the whole drama checked on my wellbeing first then the man offered to climb over the rock fence and under the barbed wire one and return my camera. We then took each other's photos all the while the steer continued chewing and wondering even more!

More soon

Jim