Buggered.

This chambre d'hôtes is probably the most comfortable on this time out, but the room was full. Some walkers and some hunters and plenty of snoring. The beds were comfortable, but a little too close together: at €20 for all the host has done (including washing my dirty stuff) I'm content. And I definitely slept long enough for the day ahead.

I'm early for breakfast. The hunters are in one room and the "pilgrim" are in the other. Coffee and croissants. Our host is drying my clothes off I think he's an ex-pro who played for Marseilles, but before Chris Waddle's era. Oh I got that wrong he played for another team in Marseilles no wonder he looked at me like I'd lost the plot?

There are a couple of hills ahead, but they're facile(apparently) compared to yesterday when we crossed in Haut Garonne and out of the regional park. Two of the guys in the room are walking from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean on the GR10 which sounds tough, solitary and dangerous. One guy report 14 centimetres of snow one night when they looked out in the Morning they had no idea where to go.

A farmer is bringing in his herd of cows and he's also got quite a pack of hounds backing him up: the howl at me as I pass by along the country lane. In the distance a church bell tells me it's eight. There is a little drizzle, but when I put on my waterproofs I'm far too hot. The Pyrenees have a drape of fine mist covering their heads.

Just now I disturbed a stag while it was bellowing. It sprang away into the undergrowth and was gone; I jumped out of my socks!

***

Giants everywhere. And I've lost it here totally. Huge rain, massive mud, relentless gullies - up and down - and I'm sodden. The most difficult 25kms in ages. I thought today was facile? But I didn't care last night. Actually I'm a broken man at 3pm and I'm not sure fresh clothes and Cassoulet will make any difference. You'll find me in a ditch between Barbazan and hell. This is the most insane day I've ever had. Just walked up into the citadel to the
Presbytère to find it's fully booked! But how is that possible? Can a priest honestly turn me away? Then I thought ... It's a business, back down the mountain I go to Le Plan and a bottle of Abbaye de Crespin Blonde is given me without any refusal. It's 5pm and I am literally incapable of fighting off anyone attempting to bugger me!