A rebel without a clue.

Day four a new pinnacle. Walked to St Laurent Cerdans to find it's bleeding closed for everything - it is France's rurality because everyone eats at home, the full bounty, of the Haut Vallespir: up in these hidden pastures... The last village of note before Sud Catalonia and not any suggestion of a reason to hover around for more than to go up one stairway to go down a Jacobs's Ladder of a escalier back to the main route and an Auberge which is no longer a restaurant and to know my foot is capot,  again, after 25 kms. 22 on this bleeding 'way' and mainly up a bloody main road, because there is no other way unless I grow wings, until finally some paths and minor routes? So I hitched to Tapis in a beat up Blue Transit, without back seats, sat amongst the detritus of life, empty food crates with a lovely solitary Collie eating a baguette. The owners both shades, with kinder, took me so I can eat... They passed me by, but as I waved vigorously, they saw me in their rea...

A night full of dreams. In one I was shot dead, alongside a sister, by a ruthless woman - in the same water as a deer and her faun(as the mother deer kicked away at me to get away from me, the hunter and her companion: but it being a dream I entered the spirit world quite alive and determined to track down those responsible! This morning I have a short stretch further up the valley Le Tech to Arles sur Tech and then a decision to make! To go along the valley or up onto the Puig along the GR10 to a Gîtes d'etapes... I am wearing only trainers, but the sole isn't worn out and seems to have good traction! Woke once in the night by the hoots of an owl, or two, and slightly chilly so put on a jersey - first usage of the sleeping bag this time: the apartment had no bedding (€26 extra). Been told to leave it quite as I found it as she waived a €150 deposit which I really don't have! I am at €60 until Friday... I closed the shutters and returned to heavy dreams! Usual two coffees, ...

No walking through the river today. By 12 kilometres a little painful in the left foot so at 14 kilometres I've stopped for today. Up ahead is Arles sur Le Tech, tomorrow, but today it's Amélie les Bains and all those who come for purification by waters... No one wants to grow old and disabled so mineral thermal springs must make us all better? In the general hubbub around Avenue du Dr. Bouix for a coffee and a change of footwear. Easy walking alongside the canal, but on the Via Verte, converted railway track over Viaducts, etc, along Le Tech, striding on concrete does me no favours and the foot flares up once more so I called it a day. In an apartment the other side of Le Tech from Amélie-les-Bains: not bad after I got over the shock of being asked for €150 deposit: if I had it giving it away would've left me stranded. It's a relief she said OK no worries: just leave the apartment as it was found which is very easy. Had a siesta - which I should have had yesterday, but...

This was a day of two halves separated by another over river something thingy. This was subtly different! It was under three bridges, thorns in my hands like stigmata(acacia) and into such an enlightening town: Céret. Clambering over polished stones, boulders and rocks, some slowly gathering moss(it's been dry this winter and spring) I fell headfirst into a group of trees which had thorns ready to spear me like on a crucifix or like a crown around my head? Boy that was strange! 

Good morning Le Boulou, slightly hazy this Tuesday. A bit too many vin blanc after that tremendous day - it was meant to be me meandering passed Banyuls? But not so bad. At the boulangerie Maison Dubois at 6:30 to think about the route into Spain(a la Catalonia), but like yesterday I want it up to me at that pass ... And just like that I decided I am not following the thousands pouring north and south through that low pass but am continuing up Le Tech! Ceret next along the cycle way.

Bages and a pleasant odour of jasmine(or was it acacia) fills my morning thoughts with peace. Fourteen kilometres before a break. A natural and coffee break. Just prior to 10 and another 2/3 hours will deliver me to? I will need lunch, then locate the hotel. Back to the Boulanger on the main street for a bag of a local flavour La Rousquille as elevensies at ten as the breeze stiffens from the west off Canigou. Last leg of today. Just over 5kms to go. Heading to the Tech river then west to Le Boulou. Too early for repase at midi in the last village: but the Brasserie doesn't serve food anyway... It's a pleasure today in the sun taking all the cobwebs away that have hung heavier and heavier, weighing terribly on my body and soul. Don't kick dogs, especially French German shepherds. Is it going to rain? Doesn't matter. The second half of today was so off the scale as I followed insignificant paths with no clear way to the destination I was going. A proper random Camino day...

The start of another week. Got through yesterday in one piece. Slept soundly - it's peaceful around this neighborhood. I've always felt France is a very quiet place on a Sunday night/Monday morning as they still adhere to Sunday opening times(no shops as such are open) so it's very much a family day. The bars are open until early evening and a couple of restaurants are open too. But it's hard to find. After I'd calmed the demons of fear yesterday - once more - telling myself it costs nothing to walk, I've paid for this evening already and have enough (cough cough) for what today throws my way(42€). As I don't get PIP until Wednesday I was hoping I could get to Tuesday without dipping into Credit Cards for a day. €70 per day on the Camino seems expensive, but this is not a widely used path, it's not in Spain - yet - and it's during a time of increasing inflation, etc. I'd like to be on my way by 7am as that's prior to sunrise over the Mediterr...