_Thumbnail.JPG) | 20.07.08 Sunday
Lourdes. Again.
Still on the Municipal Campsite Domec in Lourdes, this is a pleasant site in earshot of the station announcements but not obtrusively so. we have as neighbours a French couple who have done the Camino and who welcomed us to the site with the traditional greeting: “Do you need anything, are you well?”. This is the same sort of greeting we have received from others who have done the pilgrimage. I think it is an indication of what is to come. We shall see when we finish.
This has been a great two days rest our wonderful ladies brought with them in spite of the luggage restrictions of budget airlines, all that we need for the Pyrenean part of the journey. We will be joined at the end of the week by Ralph, Tony’s son, who is travelling down with Karl and Claire and their family. They will be seeing the Pyrenees through fresh eyes as neither they nor their two sons have seen these mountains and valleys before. We shall spend the next days as guides and local walkers with them until it is time for us to brave the Col de Somport and pass over into Spain, at this time they will take home all our camping gear and big rucksacks. We shall be able to travel light on the Camino proper using the chain of pilgrim hostels to reach Compostella.
Today we spent revisiting a part of the GR10 (the coast to coast Pyrenean) route we all did about 20 years ago. We drove (luxury for us two) up to Pont D’Espagne and went up to Lac de Gaube under the highest French Pyrenean summit (Vignemale). As in the past the increase in altitude of 4-5,00 feet got us above the cloud layer and we had lunch on the banks of the stream flowing clear from the lake with blooming orchids around us.
Back on the campsite all was low cloud and gradual drizzle as we packed up tents and sorted gear ready for tomorrow’s departure.
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