Whoa. What a day. We set out from our accommodation in the wind and the rain. It was supposed to rain and be windy all day and it didn’t disappoint.

The good news: no mud today. We walked along roads all day and for a portion of the day there was some dodging traffic but we also got to walk on roads where there was no traffic.

Today we at least had a stop at a cafe scheduled after 6 kms. We passed by a grocery store because there was one next to the cafe. As we came into town through the city gate we found both the cafe and store which both looked closed. By chance we pushed on the door of the cafe and it was open. We asked about the store it is permanently closed. Ugh.

As we entered I saw a fireplace in the corner burning. It looked so inviting. We put our coats close to it to dry them up a bit. An older woman entered the cafe and talked to the two guys we visited with when we entered. A few minutes later she came to our table and said she would take us back to the grocery store when we were ready. After a very delicious meal, Noël went with her while I got our stuff ready to go. It was so generous.

Okay I hope you find this as funny as we did…we come to a village called Les Quatre Vents (the four winds) and when we left it lets you know you have left the four winds…but they lied, still so much wind all day.

When we arrived at our current lodging 11 kms later our hosts greeted us with open arms. We were drenched and wanted to get out of our wet clothes. The man was very interested in helping us and his wife stopped him and said they want to change. 😂

After getting out of our wet clothes off we went downstairs where they have a small store. We picked out some items to cook and then our hosts came with a large charcuterie for us. And she had made homemade bread for us too.

Finally she is offering us breakfast. 😊

BUT… the piece de resistance is that these hosts just got on booking.com on Saturday and we booked on Sunday. We are their first guests! Pretty cool. They even took photos with us. Which I will share tomorrow.

I hope you are well!

We started our day with some coffee and toast at our accommodation. And got a decent start at 9:40. We already knew that the distance was going to be around 21 kms with no place to stop and have a coffee or snack. Sandwiches were made and packed for the long day.

The day started out well on a nice paved road but soon turned on to a muddy farm road, which turned into a muddy forest road. About 2 kms into the forest there was a sign that warned about boars and hunters. My pace picked up. We had at least 7 kms to make it through the forest. The ground was uneven, and did I mention muddy?

I kept thinking about soldiers through this forest because we were literally walking through trenches. We hadn’t made it out of the forest when we saw another warning sign about wolves. And yea we picked up the pace again. Even the town we got to after the forest has a wolf on its seal.

There was a closed gite that had a bench where we stopped to clean our boots, have a rest and a sandwich. The wind picked up and we had to put in our outer jackets.

Still having 9,5 kms to go, but again on paved roads we enjoyed the scenery and the rolling hills. The paved roads didn’t last. Once again into the mud that we decided was really clay. It molded to our shoes. Stopping once again to clean them off.

Finally we got to the town where we are staying and had to sit down and clean our shoes a third time. The grocery store was on our way to our lodging for the night. As we came into Auxon I mentioned to Noël that it would be nice if we could hit one of these villages on market day. As we turned the corner there was a man all set up with vegetables and fruits. We bought some and Noël had a very in-depth conversation with him. Then we went on to the grocery store for the rest of our errands.

To our dismay the store was closed. But there was another one a km away. Our accommodation wouldn’t be ready for another hour so off we went. We got what we needed for dinner and then back to our lodgings and back into the sticky clay. Noël has already cleaned the boots again and treated them for the rainy and windy weather which is forecast for the next eight days. Another warning!

Although we had warnings and troubles it really was an extraordinarily good day, did I mention muddy? 😂

Buen Camino!!

Okay I’ll say a couple of things. We re-examined our bags and found another kg/2.5 pounds to let go of. So we took an Uber back to Troyes and mailed it home. We enjoyed Troyes a bit more and then came back to Prugny.

Hoping for lighter days and higher climbs. Oh well the higher climbs are coming whether we hope for them or not.

I want to start with an observation: every time I have walked a Camino I learn so much. And sometimes re-learn lessons.

Letting Go!

Sometimes letting go is physical. Maybe you are carrying extra weight and make the decision to donate it or send it home, whatever it is you realize that you don’t need it. So you let it go.

Sometimes letting go is mental…you realize that you are holding on to ideas or ways to do things and you learn to make a shift. And that makes all the difference…letting go allows you to make room for more opportunities.

Sometimes letting go is spiritual…putting down things that no longer serve your growth. I can’t name these for you. Again when you can do this your burden is lighter.

When you can do this your burden is lighter physically, mentally, and spiritually!

The other day while walking I saw a trashcan and dropped a tissue in it and then had a thought…every time I pass a trash can I drop a burden I’m carrying such as a regret or anger or guilt, or envy. You see how this works. It might be I have to repeat some things over and over. That’s okay. It’s all about letting go.

Hope this helps you on your journey!! Buen Camino!!!