Day 31 Eglise de l'Hopital to Lanne-Soubiran

***Edited post as I had wrong church mentioned where we stayed

[Editor's Note: I think this paragraph is intended for the previous day and will have Neve confirm before it is moved.]
 

Today was a 35 kilometer day, that is a biggie and our second longest day. We have walked one 40 kilometer day. On the Inglais I walked 52 kilometers one day but 35 is a rather long day.

The Hungarians made it out before us. Two big lessons today, we had removed two chairs from the church to air clothes on during the night. One kilometer or more into our walk I remembered we had not put them back I turned around to of course put them back. This took over thirty minutes and it was suggested " someone" would probably put them back at which I made sure the kids knew it was totally my responsibility to do so. I think it was a good example for them to see, it is always difficult to backtrack on the Camino, but one must fix their mistakes especially in this situation. To rectify this would take thirty minutes and they waited for me. The second lesson was that I have no wifi here so I never look at my phone unless at a bar or staying at a place that offers wifi. Right before I remembered the chairs I did glance at an old email where Maureen and Frank had suggested a gite, I had gotten my towns confused so we had actually passed their recommendation sadly. But when I turned around to fix the chair situation I,all of a sudden, noticed several beautiful cows near our path that I totally missed when my nose was in my phone... I actually made a comment to the kids about the " the cows that just appeared", at which all in chorus said " had been there". Lesson learned that I am fortunate not to have wifi here and that many wonderful things can be missed...

We wanted to make it to a church known for providing a nice place for pilgrims. It's garden was arranged where we could sleep there and they even had a nice inside area enclosed ( not in the church but near the bathrooms) where you could sleep on the floor if needed. A nice French couple was there already, this was our first time meeting them and they seemed very neat.

We passed a nice restaurant for lunch and I decided to splurge on lunch for the kids. They love food and morale really picks up when food is involved. I try to fill the day with special goodies.

Their burgers...

My salad...

Tons of harvesting!!!!

Houses of the area...

Alittle more about tonight's accommodation , we pulled in late as you can see from our pictures. It was a beautiful walk though. I have really liked the days since Condom. Fields and fields several busy with harvesting activities.

Tonight's accommodation were really sweet the garden area of the church and the Marie ( town community building) were shared and you could tell there was a lot of pride in sharing it. Many of these towns offer tranquil places for pilgrims ( and its citizens) and this was one of them. I think I have shared this pilgrimage route has been walked by millions for over a thousand years so pilgrims are an important part of their towns.

We had a great opportunity to put up hammocks. Bronwyn, my eleven year is a really cool girl! Infact, and I mean it, I always tell her that she is " the coolest girl I have ever met". I can say this freely around my other daughter it doesn't take away from her it's so sincere and truthful and someone has to be the coolest person. She is afraid of little, nature loving, passionate about all she does and artsy in her own style. On this night once I was comfy in my hammock Bronwyn came up to the side of my hammock saying she was afraid, she was hearing a noise on leaves, some creature out in the wild was scaring her. This is not typical Bronwyn, though I suggested a deer maybe. As we ate in the far around their supplied picnic tables we did hear a symphony of night creatures, it was really nice. Reichen went to see what was making the loud, stalking noise, on the crushed leaves and it was a fat toad !!! This has been a great story!!! We joke asking her which scared her more the toad or the self cleaning bathroom?

Kissable goat!!!

Dog on the blog...sassy little thing!

Day 30 Chapelle de Routges to Eglise de l'Hopital

We had an excellent nights sleep! The chapel was open but we slept outside beside it under the stars. The sky is so beautiful at night and this small church is among miles of grape vineyards. We are noticing huge machines picking corn, sunflowers and grapes.

We would meet many pilgrims who said they didn't even see the special chapel we stayed in last night:(...

Pastries...

It started to sprinkle, the grapevines were never ending, a beautiful walk!

Today was a long day but it had certain breaks that made it a really special day.

We walked through a town that was having a fundraiser for two children with fibromyalgia, the whole town came together for them and it was pretty touching. We stuck around for over an hour and spent a good amount of time talking to a puppeteer who made his own puppets and has traveled in the States a lot. I went to one of the local bakeries and bought some special tarts and bread and we sat around this town, Lasserre-de-Haut that had such a heartbeat.

We went through one town where a gentleman was in the church stamping credentials. He was so knowledgeable about Camino and the different , non typical, routes. He offered us to sleep in the chapel but we were not ready to call it a day, far from in fact. I could have talked Camino with him all day though...

Then in walks a beautiful woman from New Zealand, Jane , the oddest coincidence she walked the France's with a gal from North Carolina who I know!!!! What a small World!!!!!

Eauze was the typical stop for tonight but it wasn't calling my name and the man at the chapel recommended a chapel still hours away where he said we could sleep. Isolated and no longer used for services we set our sights on that. We walked until dark when we saw it with lights on!!!!!! We opened the door to find " the Hungarians" there ( I think I shared they are two Hungarians and a German guy) but we with the greatest of intentions call them " the Hungarians". I joked all day that something told me they would be there, strange thing but I get strong vibes such as this. 

My shoes are trashed, our shoes are trashed. After my Camino Norte I sung the praises of HOKA Stinsins, my feet were blemish free and I still , at home, wear the HOKAS I wore three years ago. I suspect some change in manufacturing because these $160-$170 pair of HOKA Stinsons are NOTHING like the pair I had three years ago. I bought six pairs for us, all of us are in them and the problems and the wear and tear were immediate. I can not endorse them again sadly as I was a true believer in them!

Dog on the blog, a cutie in the sweet town...

Day 29 Condom to Chapelle de Routges

Tristan really wanted to go back into town today before we took off. The campground was a good thirty minutes past town so we would have over four kilometers of walking done before even hitting the trail. I wasn't too convinced I wanted to do this but glad we did. There was a kids "running of the bulls" complete with a little after party and the time will be remembered forever.

We got back to the campsite and departed for the day at 4:00 in the afternoon!!!! It was actually wonderful!

On the way Reichen found a bottle of unopened, uncorked, sealed wine totally abandoned on the road near nothing else and Karsh found a wasp nest that he thinks fell from a tree...

There was a detour to an old wall city where the monks of Condom use to live...

So glad we made the detour to Larressingle...

Grape vines are everywhere and this walk would be very peaceful!

A treat was in store for us tonight...

My guidebook would reference a church that is a nice place to take a break...

There was a threat of rain and we slept outside of this small church though it was open and we could have slept in there...

So peaceful...

A late dinner and we were all sound a sleep thirty minutes later. I think we were out at about 9:30pm

This church is the oldest in the region and this door was for lepers and those feared in the community, seemed like a great photo op for us...

I think the term is a cogate door...

It's supposed to rain tomorrow...

Dog on the blog was seen as we were leaving Condom, I commented how I loved its ears and I think the owner said in France you are not allowed to cut them.