What a lovely, lovely 20 km walk along the Canal du Midi into Toulouse this morning. For a big city, Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France, this is the prettiest 'get into town' walk ever ( apparently getting out of town tomorrow is not so easy or attractive as it winds through a huge industrial area). We left Donneville at 7:05am and arrived in Toulouse at 11:00am. There were several areas along the canals where houseboats were moored row upon row, just like in Amsterdam
We worked our way slowly towards the Office de Tourisme with a brief and oh so perfect stop for a burger and fries. Next was the Decathalon store for new boots for me, the very same Merrell Gortex boots as I am wearing but a half size larger and over $100.00 cheaper - although if you buy two if the same boot it is never cheaper - even my math skills can compute that.
After checking into our Ibis hotel by the train station we set off shopping again. We walked farther and hours longer shopping through this city than walking to it, starting at 1pm and finishing at 8pm. Dayton has a new shirt and hat; old boots, hat and guidebook have been mailed home; a new TopoGuide book for Toulouse to Jaca was found and purchased after quite a city tour; we got our credentials stamped; finally had a glass of rosé and a beer before heading for the train station to book 'get out of town' tickets for tomorrow morning; got groceries and topped it off with a pizza a emporter. Exhausted. Twenty five kilometres tomorrow might be easier than this cross city shopping expedition.
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Karen and Dayton, Robin and I are trodding with you step by step. I am glad you found some larger boots. Did your boots ever leak? Robin loved her Merrell's but her pair took on a lot of water. Sorry about the tendinitis. Just go as moderately as possible, and I am hoping that, as a practicing yogi, that you will find the same ability Robin found to walk with pain but without suffering. She made it from Leon to Muxia by learning to coexist with it. I know this gets out on the fringe a bit, but she did it and so can you. BTW, she uses those same little balls all the time.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
John and Robin
So far so good with the tendinitis this time. On the Camino Frances I walk with tendinitis and an ever swelling ankle from Castrojeriz to Finisterre and for weeks beyond. I was at the point of moving into serious damage by the end. So the boots...only one day of wet feet with the first pair. Looks like this Thursday the new Merrells will be tested as rain is forecast. One thing I didn't realize before I switched boots was that I had a massive blister and today it's triple the size. No wonder my feet still hurt. Mefix has let me down for the first time ever. Hopefully Compeed and a little padding will take care of it. Always something. Thanks for your interest in my blog.
DeleteHi Karen and Dayton, I'm back reading your blog again as we are preparing to go back and walk from Arles to Toulouse in September-October. Great reading! We are contemplating whether to go the other way, starting in Toulouse and walking back toward Arles and perhaps continuing a bit further on -- toward Italy. Do you think it will be hard to follow the markers if we head backward? Sounds like lots and lots of uphill after St Guilhem le Desert!
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