Day 44: Espeyrac to Conques

Slept wonderfully in the little chapel while it rained outside.

Had Breakfast with the young Girls and their mother and to my surprise and delight they were speaking perfect english! Turnes out the mother is quite the traveler and the young ones spent their youth in Dubai of all places. It was nice having a real conversation for a change. A Pity that they only go to Conques and travel home from there...

Turnes out the Gite was on Donativo base and I gave them as usually a bit more to make up for the sad fact that sometimes there are People who don't pay at all - which makes me angry beyond believe and if I ever catch one I kick them to kingdom come! The People working in this Gites are so incredibly nice and do all that just from the bottom of their hearts and they really only deserve the best! We have to take care of these rare cases as they make up the real Camino Spirit in my humble opinion... and the Covid years were hard enough on them already!

Stumbeling in a church along the way I was greeted by what looked like a bald Rasputin. The Guy is also a Pilgrim and he tried drying his tent on the benches inside the church. Poor Guy, I'm sure he spent a miserable time in the forest tonight!

He told me about his travels and that he came all the way from the czech republic... now THAT'S a real Pilgrim if I ever saw one! I hope he gets his stuff dry because walking with dump gear is the worst!

The obligatory war memorial made me very sad as I saw six(!) members of the Boscus Family on it. Now how awful is that?! A whole generation of a Family wiped out... and probably the father too, seeing how two of them share the same first name.

A sudden realisation came over me that there's probably nobody alive remembering those men. They fell in the first world war and their mother and sisters and widows all passed away long time ago. And all that's left of the lifes they gave in this senseless war is this memorial and probably a gravestone. I thought about looking for them on the local cemetary but it felt like voyeurism at the moment so I didn't.

It's interesting but I met a german woman in the Gite tonight. She lives in the northern Britony for like 30 years now and she was surprised to hear that some french People act hostile towards me when they suspect me to be german. It was obvious she barely had this sort of experience which makes me happy for her.

I would lie if I'd pretend not to understand a certain hostility towards the Germans after they suffered so much because of them (and others) in two world wars. It must be hard not to see what all these sacrifices were good for. And to feel as if your supposed victory over a people who did so much harm to you isn't a substitute at all. It isn't surprising that it took several generations to get over this trauma.

Just arrived in Conques and WOW what a town! No wonder it's on the list on Unesco's most protected places in all of France! Georgous old houses and wonderful little shops with Arts and goods...

And how lucky am I?! I just asked without much hope if they have a place in the Monestary and would you know it? They did!! Just got the LAST bed available!

I'm over the moon... I was so sure I'd have to stay in my tent! L'Opportuniste strikes again 😬!

Saw a lot of People I know from before while walking down and for the first time on the Trail itself I'm excited to go out tonight and meet them!

Which makes it all the more frustrating that they let me wait here in the courtyard until they sorted everyone out and got them their beds. I get it is difficukt for so many people but still...

It's great that I made it here early in the day so I actually have time to see some of this town. Sightseeing isn't always high in the list of priorities when you're tired and far away from Towncenter...

Interesting place here, somehow between a Monestary and a youth hotel for middle aged french people on vacation.

Out of shere boredom because they let me wait until I can get into my room I weighted my pack. Everyone was awfully impressed by the 8kg but I was actually hoping for less... I shouldn't have packed all that Sunscreen and my face lotion! Darn Tourigriño is what I am! The Guy overseeing us said it's the lightest one he saw so far and that Yesterday he saw the heaviest with 25 kilos! That's crazy!!! Who could be so insane and take so much shit on their back?!? I wouldn't even know what to take to get this amount of weight 🤪

After I got my bed and showered I hit the town and had a Beer with some of the People I met the last couple of days. It was nice to have a real conversation in english again for a change.

I also listened to the Monks singing. I really like that and was able to do so a couple of times already here on the Trail.

I originally planned to later also see the lightshow in front of the Cathedral and join their late prayer but after dinner with the other Pilgrims in the big hall and a tiresome monologue in french by one of the monks - altough very interesting and funny - I was just way too tired and went so sleep early. I have some longer and tougher days coming up in which I probably have to sleep in a tent too and I need my rest for that...