Day Eight Aubrac to Saint Come d'Olt

It turns out into a big day - we have a little detour in the morning going out of village (not by choice but listening to the wrong advice but the positive side is the sight of a nice sculpture on the outside of the village that we would have missed otherwise)and then another added extra in the afternoon with another detour which meant a nine hour day and nearly 30 kilometres. It's a perfect day to get a little waylaid as there is no wind today & the sun is shining- a perfect walking day temperature I can tell you the body knows it and is yelling at me in not so nice language.

My new word is strong woman - Une Maîtresse Femme -which I learnt last night at dinner.
I was being told by our host last night about an Australian woman who was 70+ who walked alone earlier in the year and was averaging 20-30 kms an hour. I questioned what she was on and he said he should have asked as he too was wondering. I was letting Cathy know this story and she informed me about this word and passed on the name of a French woman who is called this - apparently there are books written about her- I've noted down the name as a potential book suggestion for book club.

The ice is everywhere-I think it is 2 degrees as we set off. I need to put the raincoat on over my jacket to cut out the morning chill. We walk along steep descents today which is littered with many stones and rocks of various sizes. Some are firm but many are not so our process is slow. We walk like a crab sideways and tentative- an added complication is that all the autumn leaves are falling and totally covering the track. It is like a total blanket and hides all the roots and rocks. While it is easy to think of us walking along kicking up the many coloured leaves in gay abandonment as if we were part of a Norwegian deodorant advertisement, the truth of the matter is that while pretty they cause a lot of angst. I grip my poles in fierce determination as I prod into the earth to take the load as I tentatively place a foothold after another. It would be so easy to misplace a step and go head over heels, causing all sorts of issues. You never know until you place your foot down to feel underneath if it's firm ground or if it's moulded by a rock. The other problem is the small brown balls that litter the path as well which prove another trap if you step on them and feel your foot roll. These are the fallen chestnuts inside their little cases that are breaking open. There are many and often they fall around you as you walk.
The constant pressure on the toes as they are forced downwards makes the soles of the feet burn and you start to hallucinate about the next stop as a way to alleviate the pressure. And if there is time the luxury of even taking off the boots and socks.

We meet a lovely lady from Switzerland called Rosanna who we walk with for a while. She has walked many Caminos and I get the sense she is a nun or on a spiritual journey as when I comment about being alone she states that she is not alone and points to the sky. She has just retired after 40 years and will walk this chemin and then next year walk from Switzerland to Jerusalem. We pass a large rock where people have placed a stone (A common site along the way- a gesture of acknowledgement- it is also the same in front of the stone crosses) and help her out by taking her photo in front of the rock. She walks faster than us and we part ways.
Just as we are getting to the stage of 'I can't walk another step' something makes you go for another kilometre or so and we find we are rewarded for our persistence . At the end of the track towards a small hamlet ( which means about 5 houses) and around a corner we come across a large stone hut that was once used to bake the bread but is now set up by one of the hamlet owners as a shelter for the walkers with chairs plus a great feature- running water. On the table there are big urns filled with hot water or orange juice and coffee/tea- sugar with the suggestion of a donation of a euro to cover the cost. It is bliss to sit and have a rest with a hot drink and to catch up with the regulars that we have seen walking with today. It is similar to meeting around the washing stream in the old days when you catch up on all the news.
Often due to a language barrier you are left wondering about different scenarios. And so it is when we observe a Belgium couple who have fluorescent strips around the bottom of their leg pants. The other lady in their group does not have this extra decoration. Watching this group now at our little haven we notice that the lady without the Fluoro strip holds onto the arm of one of the others who had the strip- our deduction is that she is sight impaired and is able to walk the chemin with the support of her friends and seeing where to step with the aide of the bright strips of the neighbor's pant legs. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to walk this route with sight impairment and we are left in total awe.

Our destination tonight is an old convent in a village called Saint Comê- d'olt. Our detour means we walk into the town via a different road but we have quickly located the sign to send us to the huge stone building that once was a working convent, then a school and now accomodation for the pilgrims. We are directed to a room where boots are required to be deposited and walking sticks are stacked in a large box.
The rooms are what used to be the nun's rooms but are now renovated with an ensuite and then the basic bed with a blanket and a window. Our bathroom is obviously designed for someone who uses a wheelchair but we are very grateful for all the extra handles to hold onto as we hobble around. Come to think of it maybe they make all the pilgrim bathrooms in this building have extra railings as we seemed to need them after our long painful days and there are manyt hobbling to dinner like myself.
I am always amazed by the chemin/Camino communication telephone and how information can be be relayed up and down the route by word of mouth. So it is this afternoon as we pay the nun our money, get our credential stamped and meet another set of walkers arriving at the same time. The lady is French and the male is named Dawes an American. Once he realises where we are from he immediately states 'oh you are the two Australians -I've heard about you'! The same happens for others where they have heard of someone from their town or country before they have met them.
There are still some nuns here at the convent and dinner is prepared by the Mother Superior- we line up as if we are at boarding school with our tray and point to what we would like. The choice is a slice of beef, pasta and a vegetable called serifi which I've never had before- it is similar in texture and looks similar to an asparagus but when I look it up the English word is Oyster Plant which still doesn't help me. There is a soup and then a particularly nice profiterole all washed down by wine. The dining room had the table for us and then three long tables all set with linen tablecloths and serviettes- apparently tomorrow there is a big celebration for the children's first communion- the photos of the children were set up on the table in readiness.

I sit next to Dawes (the American who I had met when we checked in ) for dinner and he explains that he is a ski instructor in Colarado and is travelling before winter arrives in the US and his work begins. It is encouraging when people like Dawes whose leg muscles are like ropes ( I wasn't perving I promise but it was hard to miss noticing when he walked past me in his shorts) say that they are finding the walk tough. It is also encouraging that it is not just us who found the route today a hard one but many at dinner when relating their stories of extreme fatigue.
Our discussion at dinner last night with Cathy & Frances somehow ended up on the topic of feng shui and the principles behind it including the importance of numbers like 8. I am delighted that they have understood the concept as Cathy tells me how this chemin is a good one as when she stopped in front of a certain group of cows this morning she spotted one particular cow had the number of 88 on her ear tag. A very lucky number and we both agree it's a good sign.
I look up from my meal as another pilgrim joins the table and it is with delight as we both recognise each other - it is Rosanna from Switzerland. The wam greeting as if we have known each other for a long time and not just one day is another marvel of this type of travel. The camaraderie makes it extremely special and adds to the experience.