Sunday, July 28th

9:38pm
In case this afternoon turns it into something else, I just have to write down how wonderfully brilliant today's walk has been so far.

It began with a dog. It's master was there, the dog wouldn't obey his "laissez" command, so he grabbed it, smacked it, dragging it by the scruff of it's neck, taking it away. I was about to offer my stick so he could beat it some more, but it was great.

Downroads, mostly, usually made roads, but ones of only one-car width, through fields, through forests, unbelievably charming villages, particularly Lanne Soubiran, just sensational.

Today I'm glad to be walking to Compostelle.

10:25am Still good, resting by a farm somewhere. I'm supposed to meet the others near a farm called "Manet". Began walking before they did, maybe I've already missed the farm, don't care much if I have, just following the balises. The Raju book stopped making sense about an hour ago. Hmm, just love these Grany bars.

11:02am
Manet
And on cue, they arrive. I can't have been that much ahead.

Must be one of the most photographed places on the French side of The Way. A reminder of the 924kms yet to walk.     Clementine, Moi, Saint Francis et Assisi.

3:14pm
Aire-sur-L'audour
And the yang to this morning's yin was this afternoon. Taking shortcuts through heat, on bitumen, through the less-than-beautiful part of Aire-sur-L'audour, rather than the carefully chosen GR ways of arriving in a town that shows it off to it's best advantage. And, no, the gite hasn't been booked, and I suspect the caravan park idea has been knocked on the head by the guy in the office. I have no feckin' idea of what's going on; conversations are had, people are spoken to, 'd'accords' are said, and nothing gets translated. I have no idea what's happening.

6:57pm
Yes, it's the feckin' caravan park. I hate caravan parks. I hate anything with a soft roof that's under a big feckin' tree.

Earlier wanders around the village, not that there's much to see. Maybe because it's a Sunday, and everything is closed, except the bars.

Looking forward to the French side of this epic being over; all the crap with finding places to stay. There's six days to go.