Day 12- rest day in Conques

Day 13 in Capdenac-Gare

We decide to enjoy the ambience and history of the village of Conques instead of moving on quickly. Our rest day means that we awake at a time when we are normally trudging along the path. Our bodies are tired and so it has come at a good time to be able to wake slowly and to discover this amazing old town and take advantage of spending more than a few hours to explore and absorb all it offers.

It's going to be quite warm today -23 degrees so a superb day of playing tourist.

The church has a midday service which we partake in - we sit quietly inside this massive cavern to take in the majesty of the huge stone church and to be wrapped around by its history. There are more monks than visitors to the church and the session is sung in totality - the beautiful notes always appear so much more tranquil and pure in these soaring high stone churches. I was hoping to be able to souvenir the handed out sheet of French words that were sung but at the end one of the monks gently took the sheet out of our hands and stacked them away. With their Ling white cossacks and hood with sandalled feet I could actually feel I was back in the medieval ages.

In order not to totally stop walking we walk down through the village to the bottom of the valley to discover the old Roman bridge using the path that descends steeply (of course) out of the village.The stonework is beautiful and it's mossy layers are calling out for us to hear its storie. But unfortunately my Roman understanding is limited and so it is that we heave ourselves back up the hill again.

Since it's a rest day we decide that most definitely means crepes for lunch and it is with pleasure that we find sitting behind us at the cafe the Finnish couple that we met all the way back in Le Puy. I would have thought they would have truly moved on to another stage so it is great to catch up. I am also surprised that they are finding the camping a bit chilly when they were up in the high country and I was telling you about the ice in the morning. They informed us that even for them all the way from Finland things were getting a bit too cold and they had to find a gite.

We are being totally spoilt- our beautiful new friends Frances & Cathy (who returned to their home last night) have invited us to stay at their home. We have the chance to use a washing machine, to take everything out of the bags and reorganise in peace. And more importantly to be welcomed into the home of a very kind and generous couple who will be lifetime friends for sure. They live in Capdenac- Gare which is off the chemin and in the afternoon Frances arrives with his car to collect us and the back packs and drive us to their home. Frances tells us that their town is a new town in comparison to all these medieval places we are walking through. When I question him as to what new means he tells that it's age is about 1850 ( so new!!!) We are going to spend day 13 with them and then return to the chemin. This is such a treat and we are feeling incredibly humbled by such warmth and generosity. The French people we have met so far do not reflect one iota of the snobbishness that is so often referred to by travellers.