Decided to take two short days rather than do another 30 plus day. Then I forgot that it is Sunday and everything is closed. Everything.
The wifi here is very bad and sooo slow. I cannot upload any pictures anymore as it takes too long.
Walk today was non eventful. Flat farming country. Corn everywhere
Also walking toward the Pyrenees. They are getting higher and higher and more majestic with every kilometer passed. Passing down fields of corn with the stalks so high it seems as if I am walking down a corn tunnel.
Still lots of Pilgrims. I never see them on the trail just at end of the day. Weird. I am in a gite run by volunteers. Very clean and they have a dinner so we will see. The place is packed but all French. I am the only foreigner here and it gets very lonely cause nobody here speaks English. I thought there would be either more foreigners or very few pilgrims on this Camino. I was wrong on both counts.These people are part timers so it pisses me off because all of the gites are full. I mean it is their country so who am I to say anything. But it is not an international Camino. It is a French Camino. And there lies the problem here. There is no disputing that the countryside here is stunning and beautiful and the villages are quaint and historic but there is little to no social interaction among the pilgrims except for that among the French pilgrims themselves and they are not open to foreigners. In that sense Chemin Le Puy is not a true or a welcoming Camino. It lacks the true Camino spirit. I am glad I did it but I would not recommend it to any potential pilgrim.
From Le Puy to Conque things were great but after Conque things deteriorated significantly. No support infrastructure whatsoever exists. “Ferme” has to be the most popular French word in their vocabulary.
I never thought I would say this but I am starting to miss blunt and subtle as a ball pene hammer Honorario. Wow.
Another short day tomorrow. On the day after I am going to walk 30 plus to see if I can get away from the crowd I seem to be attached to. No fun.
No pics or video cause the network here sucks. I have had major phone problems since entering France and joining their Orange.fr network.
Tomorrow is another day. Hopefully there is a shop open somewhere.
Me and my buddy, the mad Spaniard!
Beautiful country.
Another great Canadian artist.
I have to agree with you. I have pushed 30 km + a day on the Camino del Porto. I have meet a few pilgrims who I generally meet with at the end of the day after an overheated hike. Maybe along the way I meet one or two but generally am on my on for ye full day . When u try and book and an alburgue it full. When u arrive there is suit cases and the place smells nice. After doing five Camino’s over the years , it’s no longer about the walking or the difficulty that arises it’s all about cheap accommodation for people who want to travel , by car bus train or foot. . Nobody really cares about the pilgrim , as long as the euro is being paid. The infrastructure on the CDN and the Porto are greatly lacking but the prices are high. Which puts me off doing these types of long haul walks again.. I still would recommend the French way. It is class. Dingle way here I come. Rant over. Buen camino duke. Take care.
👍🍺🍺🤠becoming too commercialized now..