The Camino Gypsy Chronicles: 3 French Anecdotes

1.) 'Riders On The Storm': One evening, while attempting to check on our laundry, the owner of the Gite informed us that there was a hold up and that it wouldn't be done until tomorrow morning (unfortunate, as my nightgown was in the bunch). Seems as though some bicyclist pilgrims had rolled into town, and I quote, "They have no legs, and it's raining tomorrow!" Two people biking with no legs seemed a rather unlikely feat, so our translation of Monsieur's broken English was that the cyclists must have no clean pants to wear tomorrow. What this had to do with the rain or why that put their laundry needs before ours (we too would brave the downpour) we had no discernible idea. We simply nodded our heads in agreement, trying to be hospitable, while smiling our toothy American smiles. A few days later we learned that Monsieur's English was just fine. Two handicapped bicyclists, paralyzed from the waist down and wearing crisply laundered pants, were indeed pilgrim riders on the storm. And, subsequently, our new heroes. To follow Olivier and Jonathan's adventure log onto http://handreves.eklablog.com/m/

2.) 'A Friendly Hello': As mom and I sat down to eat our lunch at a sunny picnic table overlooking a sparkling blue lake, two friendly, local hound dogs came to sniff us out. They didn't beg or bark. Just sort of stared at us with a mixture of love and curiosity, and then went back to their yard only a few feet away. Just as we were wondering where the owner was, a man came out of the front door on cue, smiled at us while nodding his head hello, walked over to the small stone wall by the front gate, undid his belt, proceeded to take a piss, zipped up his pants, gave us a polite "bonjour" and then went back inside. What did we learn from this surprising incident? That when it comes to friendly hellos, sometimes animals are more civilized than Frenchmen.

3.) 'The Turning Of The Cork': A few nights ago in Angles, while scavenging at the Epicerie, we met a young, American pilgrim couple by the wine section (and by "section" I mean 3 shelves). They had been living in France the last few years, teaching English, and were taking their vacation on the trail. After chit chatting for some time, we got down to brass tax - what kind of wine should we get to soothe the pain tonight. We explained to the couple that the rigors of the Camino were "causing us to become alcoholics!" "No," the young man with his Nikon camera dangling from his neck answered back, "you're becoming French."

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Pictures from Angles to Boissezon to Castres.

Plaque to commemorate American parachuters during WWII who landed in this area August 1944 and were hidden by French Resistance fighters.

Massive timber harvesting has become a regular eyesore on our journey. At first it made me sad to see it; then mom so eloquently reminded me, "but maybe these are the wonderful trees used to make our toilet paper."

Strolling into Boissezon. Our Gite is the first building on the left. It was locked with a sign that said to get the key from City Hall. City Hall was closed. For the day. There was a number to call. My cell phone was dead. There was a woman walking her dog with a cell. It got no reception. There was a pay phone. You needed a special card. Finally the man at the butcher shop took pity on us and let us use his landline. The Gite is unlocked for us minutes later.