Tuesday, April 30 Anglès to Boissezon via Cambounès

Walking, washing, food and shelter. That is the 'savoir vivre', the mindset in a day in the life of a pilgrim. Walking, washing, food and shelter and they each have their own challenges especially if, as today, you walk three and a half hours through the rain and as soon as the sun comes out and the ponchos are tucked away, the GR (Grande Route) splits and you take the road less travelled - the wrong road. The GR split but the way markers stayed the same. Even though Dayton kept thinking something was amiss, we kept following the GR indications until we came to Cambournès, a town which, despite all the cars parking in the streets, looked more like a ghost town with nary a soul to be seen. There was a clean and oh so convenient public washroom in the centre villa and a 'You are here!' map and we were not were we should have been or wanted to be. Dayton figured out the map and we headed down the twisting busy paved road, six kilometres to Boissezon, a very long six kilometres. Ha, when Julia needed to hitch a ride, it took four seconds for someone to stop. An hour and a half of walking and no one stopped for us. Maybe it was too dangerous to stop on that road. I'm going with that. With both of us exhausted and me feverish, we made it to the gîte in Boissezon, a town advertised as a picturesque artists enclave and textile community. Maybe in the 1920's or 30's but these run down ateliers have been abandonned and derelict for a long time. The gîte however is something else and we have it all to ourselves. It accommodates fourteen, has two gardens, laundry facilities, a kitchen and communal dining room and several bathrooms and bedrooms. We have a double room with our own ensuite with a very effective fan heater. Actually almost every room has two or three heaters and at the moment we have clothes hanging to dry in front of every one of them.

So washing - that can be another challenge on the Camino. Arriving soaked to your quick dry boxers means it's a gamble whether any laundry has a chance to dry by morning. On warmer days you can hang the damp stuff from your pack but not if it's still snowing or drizzling. I'm adopting the wet weather principle - if something is rain soaked, I'm deeming it laundered.

Food. On this remote, rural Chemin, finding food is a concern. This morning, knowing that everything is closed for the next two days (at least), we took advantage of that short window of shopping opportunity and were at the Anglès epicerie at 7:30am getting pasta, tomato sauce, chèvre cheese, an apple and two demi bottles of vin rouge for dinner today and tomorrow. I also ran up to the Boulangerie for a demi baquette and, with a surprising bit of self-discipline, by-passed the croissants.

Shelter. Again on this route, finding a place to stay can be tough. Some places are not yet open for the season, some are 'complet' and even if a gîte or chambre d'hôtes is available, phone reception to make the call to reserve a place is dependent on the intermittent or spotty Orange service plan. Today we had to ask the gîte manager to make a few calls before she was able to get us a place in Castres tomorrow. Even she had to practically hang out the window with her phone to get reception. So tomorrow is another short day, if we stay on the route, but that is probably good for me so I can kick this chest cold and fever,

Walking, washing, food and shelter. The bottom line through every challenge is to keep calm, take a deep breath, or an exasperated sigh if you will, and carry on.

 

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