Day 31: Nowhere to Montfaucon-en-Velay

I think I saw a fox today. Not sure tough because I was still half asleep. I take it as a good omen tough because why not? Can't hurt.

Spent a very rainy (but for me dry) night in my tent. I'm so glad to have it with me because together with my sleeping bag it only weighs about 1.2kg and gives me all the freedom in the world!

Had a little shed next to my tent with a bit of roof and even a table and some garbage containers. Enough to keep my stuff from getting wet without having to take it into my tent with me. It gets crowded with all the stuff you see and the backpack was wet on top of it. So I decided to stay there as it is a good a spot as I could hope for. There'd have been an Albergue about 1 hour later but it was kind of late and I was very tired and wet. And in this condition, the fastest and simplest solution seem the best.

The night was okay but it was windy and altough I like the sound of the raindrops on my tent it also made me a bit nervous. Because after a wet night it's so awful to pack your stuff when it's raining because one has almost no chance of staying dry... and also, getting out of ones warm sleeping bag is just HARD when it's cold and wet outside. All one wants to do is staying inside it and sleep as long as possible.

The little battery life and Internet I had on my desposal suggested that it wouldn't get any better today and that I might would get even more wet if I prolonged anymore. So out it was into the cold! Packing everything as good as possible and having beeakfast in the form of Chocolate and a Can of fruitmix - don't judge me! At least it gives me some sugar and vitamins!

It was so misty all the way so far and I really hope it'll be better weather anytime soon. It's so depressing not to see more than a few meters... :(

On the way into the next village I saw a sign "way to Geneva". Wow... okay?... I mean, TECHNICALLY it is the way to Geneva but that seems like a reach. Why not call it "Chemin de Moscow" or "Chemin de Tokyo"?

And yes I know I need a shave! I look and probably smell like s Clochard 😬. I'll try and get a proper bed tonight and hopefully I'll manage to pimp myself a bit up.

I just decided to have an easy day and only walk on to Montfaucon-en-Velay. I'm good enough in my schedule and there are several possibilities to sleep in a bed without me getting broke there. I'll have two hard days before I finally reach Le Puy and I don't want to overdo it.

I realized I stessed myself because I wanted to catch up with Lili but that's a cardinal mistake! One should never try to catch up because that means to probably walk more and faster than is good. And also I don't even know if she'd want that.

After Breakfast in a Café where I had to pose for several photos by residents I discovered a WW2 memorial that's kind of interesting. It reads beyond other informations like names

and ranks the following:

"To the glory of the crew of the B-24 H Liberator "Patsy Jack" N42-64445. They were hit by flak on a bombing mission over the Pontet oil refinery on August 2nd 1944 and retreated to the Haute Loire region. The crew bailed out of the burning aircraft while pilot Lt George Cappleman stayed on board to rig the controls so the plane wouldn't crash into one of the many villages in their path."

Fascinating stuff I think. I always love discovering historical sites like this!

The church is very pilgrim-y which I of course love! Gives me a warm feeling to know one's appreciated and aknowledged... especially when one looks and stinks like a Hobo as me

today 😬

I was very lucky and stayed dry the rest of the day. It wasn't the most interesting part but I passed my time listening to Audible - I just now listen to "The Fellowship of the Ring" which is just perfect as a hiking Audiobook! All the descriptions of the nature in Middle Earth and the fact that he describes so vividly how good one feels after showering, food and a beer makes me feel very connected here in the wilderness.

Didn't had much battery nor Internet today so my parents had to check for a Albergue tonight. It's SO helpful to have People at home helping you while on Trail! Especially when they actually speak the language of the country you walk trough 🤪! Thank you Mommy and Poppy ❤️.

I was so much more relaxed knowing I had a bed and a shower after two harsh nights outside. I really need that now because the days are pretty long and tough.

Besides Forests and Fields I saw some very pretty ruins along the way. I love those, not only because they are pretty and mysterious but also because it makes me fantasize what might once have been there!

There were a lot of Rivers too along the whole way and I was reminded of the PCT where we either didn't have any water whatsoever or had to wall straight trough the current. One more thing I appreciate about the Camino: here we DO have water AND Bridges to cross them 😘

I don't have much more to report about today. Came in pretty late and the first thing that came to my attention was an interesting WW2 memorial. Usually those depict brave Soldiers or Saints but this one shows an elderly, grieving couple over the corpse of their fallen son. I find this depiction similarily touching and very tasteful. It must've been a bit of solace for the families to know that they are recognized in their grief. For they also gave up a lot for their country... and they had to live on with their pain too!

There is a Bouqet of fresh flowers under it, pressumably because today is "Victory day" in Europe (well, exept Switzerland because we never had any Victory over anyone since we kicked the Prussians out and also we don't like free days from work for some stupid ass reason...).

Which of course meant that AGAIN all the shops and restaurants were closed. I was super lucky tough because after I took a VERY much needed shower I actually managed to get a Burger in the only open Restaurant or "Inn" which is also right down the Street from my Albergue! I felt SO much like a Hobbit while munching it all down!

Now I only have to get rid of this beardlike growth on my face and I might even look like one soon!

Or at least like a normal human being.