Day 45: Conques to Livinhac

My day started with a hefty climb right after Conques. I'm still bad at climbing but it seems ever more clear that my strength lies in descending hills and mountains! I might be very slow normally but there I kick everyones ass 😬...

Soon I'll have reached my half way point in regards of time and length of Trail. Maybe I'll take a day or two off as a celebration in Toulouse then. Would be nice to be in a real city again. We'll see how I feel by then.

Lot of people on the Trail today. I like it as it gives me a little push. I tend to be faster with people around. It's a bit tiresome to explain five times a day that unfortunately my french is bad and YES I should speak better as a swiss and YES it SEEMS as if I'm speaking it because I can formulate the words so elegant but NO I don't understand and so on and so on... but that's okay too. I'm getting used to it and my explanations come automatically like from a machine without me having to concentrate too much.

As it is custom I stopped at the little church in the middle of the climb to ring the bell. It is a thing to show the others behind that they reached the halfway point. I was way too entgusiastic and was reminded of my little nephew who probably would've ringed that thing until it came crushing down if he had the chance 🤪...

The weather is super weird again, changing from misty, cold and overhung...

... to sunny and hot in just minutes! Pretty weird and the People around me are changing their gear constantly. I on the other hand wear my Robe and have almost always the same core temparature and just walk on without bothering too much.

... and misty again! Can you please choose one?!?

When I arrived at a chapel I just couldn't hold myself from bursting out laughing. All the Geezers around me looked puzzled because they had no idea what's going on but just LOOK at this statue of St. James 🤣🤣🤣! Showing his knee all seductively as if he were a little hussy looking for a ride and showing off some skin! I laughed and laughed for probably ten minutes straight until I was all out of breath.

"Aaaw yeah Baby, see something you like? ♥️"

"Oh nooooo stupid me just flashed you some of my beautiful boylike shaved ankles by ACCIDENT! Tihihihi, I'm such a CLUMSY little thing"

I can't stop laughing even now that I write this. Who would make such a thing in the first place?!? I'm so glad they did tough 🤣! Bless you, weird anonymous Artist!

I have a jolly old time today, singing and dancing along the Camino, enjoying nature and all around good on my feet. It's only short after noon and I already did like 75% of todays trail! Now that's what I call efficient 😬.

I saw a calf drinking on his or her mothers udder and I became strangely sentimental. I had to think on my Nieces and Nephews and how much they'll have grown until I see them again. I hope they'll remember me after all this time 😯!

My plan is to have a bigger stop in Decazeville for Resupply and maybe some food in a Restaurant and later hiking out.

I just assume my luck with beds run out by now and since the Village doesn't have an official Camping Ground I'll probably just put up my tent in the Forest. That's okay tough as long as I have enough Juice in my devices and some fresh drinkable (!) water.

I spent way longer in Figeac than I anticipated as I originally thought I'd stay here tonight. I changed my mind tough after realizing there was a Campground 5km further on the Camino in Livinhac. I managed to resupply tough and got me some repair tape and toileteries. I realized I need to do so in the bigger Towns because the small ones really only carry the bear necessities.

The last 5km were awfull hard because it was raining and the ground was just a heap of wet dirt. I was also tired because all in all I did over 30km today and a LOT of elevation as well. I'm glad I pressed on tough because I found a lovely Lady on the Campground who translated everything on her phone and gave me a room inside even!

Seems like my lucky strike isn't quite done just yet 😬!

There are intersting remnants of an old Bridge and I wonder why they broke it down. That's the moments I miss a detailled Guide. But then again I'm super happy being surprised all the time too! It's so adventurous coming into a new Town and discover stuff you had no idea was there in the first place! With Guidebooks one tends to always read ahead and it may gives you a feeling of anticipation it also takes away the feeling of surprise.

A Guy here in the Camping Bar just invited me to a Beer and if that's not a sign that I'm at the right place I don't know what is 🍻!!!

I'm feeling so enormously grateful and proud right now. If I weren't such an atheistic cynical Douchebag I'd probably thank some God but since I'm unable to do so I just have a little tear in my Eye thinking about all the good things happening in my Life and all the People that are dear to me.

I find, the only thing I miss from not having any spiritual streak whatsoever is having a place to focus my feelings of grattitude to. I often feel awfully privileged and not being able to put this phenomenon into a perspective that makes sence in contrast to all the arbitrary awfulness in the world makes it hard to accept and enjoy my own privilege.

Everything else in regards of Believing seems intellectually dishonest and morally inconsequential tough and I'm very happy God made me an Atheist.

Now I can't wait to have a real shower and spend my night inside!!!