Bread from Heaven

Two more days have whizzed past very quickly. We're starting to write this knowing there is no wi-fi tonight for us to publish, but at least when there is, this time we'll be ready.

We last left you at the Convent. As well as being a luxury overnight stay, this was a very sociable experience. Just after we published our post, our friend Sandra from Lichtenstein, bought us all a beer so we sat in the gardens talking and drinking until 10.00 p.m. which is late for the Camino. We greatly admire Sandra as she has given up her job and her flat to do this walk, and she, like us, is going all the way to Santiago. Also going all the way to Santiago, is a German-Swiss man called Johannes who has walked all the way from Switzerland.

The next night's accommodation couldn't have been more different (n.b. the walking was again different: we followed the River Lot and, when we weren't climbing steep hills, were alongside fields of sweetcorn, with very continental vistas). In the end we didn't stay in a caravan, but in a room in a mobile home in the middle of no-where, but with views for miles from the decking outside.

We shared the mobile home with our friend Johannes, and were joined for our evening meal in the house, by 2 French couples. One of the couples had only been married 5 days and they were very young and nice. They spoke good English as they worked in the nuclear power industry in Finland.

We had tonnes of food, with lots of garlic - you'll be glad we're so far away - and even more to drink. We started with a French apperitif, which was like sherry, the we had red wine and rose, then a local (Aumont) tea and a peach vodka to finish off.

And then you should have seen the breakfast table. There was toast and lots of spreads, but also about 10 different types of sweet cake. It was a bit early to do them justice, but Yorkie did his best. We would have sneaked some for lunch if we'd known what would happen!

We'd had a very long day yesterday (18.8 miles and nearly 900m of ascent) so we lingered over this magnificent breakfast and made a late start of 9.20 a.m. as we had a much shorter day today.

As we had stayed in the middle of no-where, we couldn't buy lunch first thing as usual. We weren't worried as there was a shop after 9km. But when we got there, shortly after 11.00 a.m., we found it had shut at 10.30 a.m. Never mind we thought, we would survive on our last English cereal bars and buy lunch another 8.5km on, at the next town.

When we got there, it was after 2.00 p.m and the bar had stopped serving food and the shop was closed until 4.30 p.m. We were about to buy some peanuts from a machine, when the true spirit of this great walk came to the fore. Our lunchless plight had been heard by a fellow pilgrim (a Swiss medical student) and she gave us the remains of her bread and some cheese, and joined us at our outside table for a chat. Another couple overheard what was happening and gave us a huge tomato. This was simply marvellous and we were very touched by this generosity.

We have now walked on another 3.5km to a rather lovely private gite where - yippee - we have a clean and spacious en-suite room all to ourselves. Our Swiss student friend is also here, so it will be good to talk more over our meal.

There is supposed to be an Internet cafe here but sadly it is broken and the nice lady owner is waiting for her husband to come and fix Windows.

Love from the Camino Bears xxx