Photo: Farm in country
September 13, 2017 In the morning there was a steady drizzle. I followed the busy route D40 for awhile, but it seemed too dangerous to continue so I took an isolated road that cut thru a forest. It was a very nice route to take and I was warm and dry.
When I got to Velles I had hoped to buy some food for tonites dinner. The farm where I was staying did not offer a dinner option. I was disappointed that the only food shop in Velles was closed on Wednesdays. The rest of the 29 km (246 km total) day was on pleasant rural roads. When I got to the La Moulin Mou farm, the English couple, Tim & Mary welcomed me and offered to include me in their dinner plans. Mary was painting the house shutters white.
Tim & Mary had graduated from an agricultural university in England in the 1970 s, but they could not afford to start a farm in England. So they went to France and had been building their French cattle farm ever since. Tim told me that they sold some cattle directly to an Italian buyer and others were sold to a coop. Once a month they would butcher a cow that would be sold locally to consumers directly.
Credencial stamp of gite:
Photo: Grapes
September 14, 2017 It rained a little as I started walking the roads following the D920 to St Marcel. Argenten Sur Creuse was a very nice town to stop, many shops. A few kilometers later I met two English women walking the paths. They were on a few days holiday.
After 22 km (268 km total) I reached Gargilesse and got the gite key from the Mairie. Gargilesse was a small, very scenic village. I shared the spacious, clean municipal gite with a Dutch man.
Credencial stamp of gite:
Photo: St Germain Beaupre church
September 15, 2017 It was a difficult day for walking. There were many hills, some quite steep. At Crozant, I could not find the pilgrim path, so I took the road for a few kilometers until I saw the pilgrim signage again. After 32 km (300 km total) I reached St Germain Beaupre around 4 PM. I rested next to the church and waited for the La Beaupre bar- restaurant to open because they had the key to the municipal gite. A woman from Belgium, Lisette, also waited with me.
After we had checked into the gite and gotten settled, Lisettes two other female companions arrived. We had dinner at the restaurant of wine, salad, veal, potatoes, cheese plate and ice cream.
I was a little nervous starting the day because over the next 7 days I would be walking an average of over 30 km a day. I was worried about getting shin splints and at times I could feel a little twinge on my right shin.
Credencial stamp of gite:
Photo: Cows in country
Photo: Farm house
Photo: Artist house
Photo: Artist house
Photo: Gargilesse
Photo: Gargilesse
Photo: Gargilesse gite
Photo: Ralph in Gargilesse gite
Map of camino segment
Map of camino trip
