Friday, June 17, 2005

The Chemin de St. Jacques, Days 1-3

I just finished the three most intense hiking days of my life. I'm a swollen, bruised mess, but am very proud of myself for making it this far.

My sister (I'll post pictures next week for those of you that don't know her) arrived in Paris on Sunday, and we took a long train ride to Figeac (it's near Cahors in southern France, if you'd like to look it up) on Tuesday. It's an ancient town--many of the buildings are over 800 years old. If you're into medieval architecture, Figeac is the place to go. The plan: hike from Figeac to Mossaic in six days along the traditional pilgrimage route. The Chemin de St. Jacques has multiple routes throughout europe, culminating at the northwesternmost tip of Spain. The route (especially the Spanish portion) has gained a lot of popularity in recent years.

We've survived the first three days, traveling from Figeac to Cahors.
Day 1: 31 km
Day 2: 27 km
Day 3: 31 km

Jeanne and I are completely exhausted. I'm actually too tired to write for long, but promise a complete update in a few days. The countryside is gorgeous beyond belief, and we've made numerous friends along the way. I think we're throwing in the towel tomorrow, and plan to take the train to Avignon for a few days to let the blisters heal.

More to come...

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