July 6 2019 Bon Courage

https://youtu.be/ABrOJ97ctbg composed by Mark Kolt

The walk from Le Puy en Velay to Saugues has the air of legend in our family.

My eldest son Julian had walked from Le Puy to Santiago de Compostella five years earlier.

He recalls a memory of walking from Le Puy to St. Privat D'Allier without any snacks, and with the confidence of a twenty five year old had decided not to rest and eat at Montbonnet along the route. As a result he was forced to stop not long afterwards on the side of the road exhausted, depleted and essentially begging for food. At some point an older woman (probably my age) and her adult daughter walked by and asked if he needed help. When he shared that he did not have any food they gave him a granola bar and dried apricots. He remembers the distinct feeling of energy from the food coarsing through his body soon afterwards and he was forever grateful to them for their kindness. It was through this lesson that I knew to take healthy snacks with me along 'the way'.

Julian also shared how difficult the walk was to Saugues. He remembers having difficulty climbing a hill and having another pilgrim encourage and cajole him to the top. He was so angry and frustrated by the time he arrived in Saugues he simply did not WANT a stamp on his credential to remember the experience. It's worth mentioning that with this bumpy start Julian did indeed walk to Santiago in record time. I have attached his story below. He has so many wonderful photos that I simply missed along the way.

Everyone says that the first three days on the Camino are difficult and even more so, the first few days on Via Podiensis (the route from Le Puy). I was prepared for 'difficult'. I didn't know if I could manage difficult but I wasn't overly alarmed at the thought of attempted something 'difficult'. I've accomplished a lot of difficult things in life. I'd given birth to three kids for heavens sake. I was syc'd up for 'this will be a challenge but Buen Camino!' Or perhaps 'Curahee!' that the troupes yell in one of our family's favourite movies 'Band of Brothers'. However that was not what I heard.

The first time I heard it was leaving the Sacristy in Le Puy. A priest asked me who I was traveling with and when I replied 'no one', he looked me in the eye and said quite seriously 'Bon Courage'. At that moment I perceived the comment as a little condescending. He absolutely did not mean it that way but to me it had the essence of ' Good luck '(eyeball roll).

I remember chuckling and actually agreeing with him with a light hearted 'Wish me luck :)'.

Walking throughout the previous day though between Le Puy to St. Privat D'Allier I heard the greeting a few more times and it started to dawn on me that perhaps 'Bon Courage' was not necessarily a greeting but rather a wish. Today's walk to Saugue would prove the point.

I got up at 6am, shared a bit of breakfast with a couple from Budapest, headed out at around 7:15 and bought my baguette. I had remembered that a pilgrim the day before had spoken about purchasing a baguette and cheese for her journey so I decided to do that as well. Fortunately the little town bakery was next to my gite - Kompost L. I bought some bread, cheese and fruit then headed out on a beautiful day down the main road that pointed to Saugues.

After about 15 minutes on the edge of town I double checked my Miam Miam Do Do app and, ugh! realized I was going the wrong way. This was my first experience at what it felt like to retrace my steps. Fortunately I had not gone too far out of my way.

One odd thing I had noticed in the morning was a blood red rash-like patch on the backs of my ankles and lower calves. I had never seen anything like that before. It wasn't itchy or sore it was simply unusual. I didn't mention it to my family because I didn't want to alarm them but I watched it closely. I thought that perhaps it was an allergic reaction to a pesticide on the hay from the farmer's field that I had rested on the previous day.

You can read more about my adventures in my NOTES HOME below:

NOTES HOME:

Me - (to Julian) OMG first of all did you actually walk from Le Puy to Saugue in one day?

That is 45km and would have been absolutely impossible for me!

Julian: No. I stopped in St. Privat D'Allier like you - two days just conflated in my mind sorry about that! I remember the walk to Saugue being just generally hard because you basically cross a mountain.

Me: So got up at 6am, shared a bit of breakfast with a couple from Budapest... maybe more of that later. Headed out at around 7:15. Bought my baguette (you taught me to always carry food). Then headed out to a beautiful day this way.

Julian: Oh no!

Me: Wrong way! Loose 1/2 hr. By the way I love my Miam Miam Do Do app. For it to work you need to buy he app, then the sections of the trek that you want, then download those and voila, it's a little like google maps... it follows you along the path and shows you where to go AND gives you bits of interesting information.

Julian: Nice! Well at least you only backed up about a half hour.

Me: One would assume that you would exit in the opposite direction that you arrive, ah but that is for cars. Le Chemin de St Jacques is a little path to the left of the bakery where I had originally bought the baguette 20 min earlier (and really close to my gite). The church bell kept telling me what time it was... 7:30, 7:45. Anyways, the last I heard of the church bell it rang 8 chimes! But I was already a ways away. In the right direction.

You see in the video... those are real mountains and there are even higher ones in the direction that I would be going.

So the path that you need to take to Saugue has a ranking in Miam Miam Do Do, actually all paths have a ranking. The one to Saugue (which is about 21km) is ranked as medium for some kilometers, difficult for some kilometers, medium, difficult, then easy and easy (when you are actually exhausted). Essentially for everyone other than Julian, who knows full well, you are going up and down steep mountains. A lot of it is along narrow paths of about 1 1/2 ft wide. It was all quite lovely for the first hour. I was in a beautiful forest. I found wild strawberries.

And the birds were singing so beautifully

Then you enter La Foret de Gevaudan. Literally downhill... trying to think of the angle... I would say the angle of the 100 stairs in Flin Flon or an escalator but with big rocks, some boulders, exposed roots and lots of loose sand and pebbles. This was down a fricken mountain. I clung to my walking sticks (which I adore) and any tree along the way. Really thinking 'what is an almost 60 yr old doing out here by herself!' This is crazy. It took me more than an hour, probably a lot more than an hour when I think that I didn't arrive in Saugues until 5:00pm

Carla: LOL way to go!! Age is just a number!

Me: Anyways, when that is done and you are worried that your toes are chewed up already by day 2 (they were fine but I bandaged them up anyways). Oh and I forgot to tell you, in the first lovely section with the birds singing I found a 5 euro bill on the path. The bird calls should have been followed by evil organ chords.

Carla: Oh oh!! This sounds like a trap!

Me: Following the descent you roam around the countryside until you get to this little town like Beauty and the Beast where I stopped to recoup and have a sandwich.

Realizing what a crazy walk it is to get thus far this town has a lovely sitting area for travellers to rest.

Delicious sandwich, baguette, cheese, lettuce with balsamic dressing and fried onions!

After this you encounter the next difficult section, climbing right back up the other side of the mountain. Something so discouraging about walking for an hour along a highway then the highway switching back to take you pretty much to where you started. On the map it's essentially a 'V'. Anyways at the top of the'V' I once again head into the woods, still climbing along a shaded path, which felt good. By that time I was only about half way to Saugue. I ended up taking a breather in the shade on a big hollow log when suddenly I heard a loud sound coming from inside the log almost like a typewriter. Not sure what the hell that was! That quickly got me moving again. A couple more hours took me though farmland which was quite lovely. I heard thunder in the distance. Preoccupied with that I didn't check my Miam Miam Do Do app as I should have, but I didn't get too far before a local resident redirected me. I think I was only 4km from Saugue at that point (which for me is a 1 hr walk). Once again I was walking along a little path along a farmer's field that was about a foot wide, but the surface was flat, and it was a nice easy walk with little sandy pebbles.

Thinking (but fully realizing how exhausted I was) 'I got this', my toe suddenly caught the one larger rock hiding in the grass on the side of the path. Next thing I know is that I am being propelled forward. Now when that happens, when you are holding walking sticks and have a 18lb pack on your back, you end up doing a full-on face plant. Crazy, but 'Thought #1' was 'Did anyone see me' I was so embarrassed. I fumbled under my body, unfastened my backpack, rolled onto my back looking up at a cow in mid chew looking down at me with a 'What the hell did she do that for?' quizzical kind of expression. 'Thought #2' was 'Gosh this feels so great to be lying down.' I reached over, grabbed my water tube and snacks and just laid there for what felt like about 15 minutes in the 30+C heat, then 'Thought #3' finally arrived which was ' Am I OK?" Yup! A few minutes later I dragged myself up and started pulling on my backpack when sure enough three strong young backpackers were coming bounding up the path. Them to me 'Ca va?' My response: 'Ah oui, ca va bien, bonne journee, presque la!' I cheered them on.

SO still 4 kms to go.

Finally and ever so slowly I made it to the top of a town which I thought was Saugue. There were these amazing tree sculptures.

Not quite!!

I crossed the highway ready to head down to the town and the sign says 'Chemin de Cimes'. The town apparently was Cimes below. AND with these videos and photos I lost power to my cellphone. You remember Julian when you are on your last bit of strength. I felt like 'I don't care if I get to Saugue. I'm done.' Anyways... good news Cime is attached to Saugue. SO I made it! AND I am staying in a room with the girl from Quebec and her friend.

Richard: Lots of adventures. The bird songs came through quite clearly. That Miam Miam Dodo soungs great. Better than a guide book. The food looks delicious.

Cecilia (my daughter in law): I'm glad to hear that you are OK! What an adventurous day!

Julian(my son): You pulled through like a champ mom! That 100% sounds very familiar though!

Richard (my Dad): Saugues or Sausages whichever, get your passport stamped. Tiring and terrific. Well done!

Me: Passport stamped! I didn't get one last night though, the owner never returned. Heading to La Sauvage tomorrow. Should be easier.

Mark (my husband): Your descriptions are amazing. It's like being there myself. I just got a call from Tante Dolores in Montreal. She wanted to know all about your Camino. I read your descriptions, even played her your recording of the bird calls. It was great!

Tante Dolores is wondering if all of this will be going in your blog?

Tante Dolores mentioned that she's visited Saugues. Apparently in the Cathedral there's a stained glass window of one of the 'Canadian Martyrs' who was originally from Saugues.

Tante Dolores made the mistake of telling the priest that there was one of the Canadian Martyrs. The Priest replied, ah yes, but before he was Canadian he was French...

Also reached my mom at Plage Albert by phone tonight, read them your what'sapp posts. Everyone is charmed. My mom said, 'you can call me with updates anytime!'

You may be far away but you're bringing the family together nonetheless...

ME: I was actually thinking of Tante Choulou and your mom yesterday. I spent the night with threewomen, the french canadian, her walking partner from Belgium and a very young looking woman who is a Carmelite Nun. I forgot how direct the Quebecois can be. She was quite funny actually. FIrst she asked how old everyone was... and then she asked what everyone does. When she learned that the nun was 'une religieuse' she pretty much exploded with questions. The nun 'Laure' asked if she was a person of faith and she responded 'ah non! Je vien de Quebec!' I tried to explain the best that I could in my limited french about Tante Choulou being a nun in Montreal.

The meal was delicious and the company was wonderful.

I remember arriving in Saugues completely exhausted. On one of rest stops along the way I had reviewed the list of gites to stay at in Saugues and had decided on Arc en Ciel. Truly the light at the end of the rainbow. This lovely hostel had the ambiance of a country home with a large kitchen, comfortable sitting room and I was placed in a room with none other than the woman from Quebec that I had met on my first day with her walking partner from Belgium. Being a novice on the road still I was trying to learn the ropes. How to best pack and unpack my bag, did I like my traveling towel, could I fold it up tightly back in it's bag, was my soap, toothpaste and brush readily available? I had purchased a nifty all-in-one toothbrush with the toothpaste dispenser hidden in the handle of the toothbrush. I learned to love this gadget but the first attempt at using it was challenging too. Honestly less is more on the Camino. Grabbing my toothbrush/toothpaste gadget, towel, soap and lush bar shampoo was often more than enough to carry to a bathroom.

I brought an inflatable pillow that sometimes came in handy but many times a pillow came with the bed and I was happy to use that instead.

Once I was washed and settled, having no desire to roam around town and happy to rest, I decided to read my book in a comfortanble chair in the vestibule. A few people came in and out and we greeted each other with a 'Bonne Journee'. I don't know how the conversation came about but a young woman whom I would later learn to be Laure, the Carmelite Nun approached me to kindly inform me that ' Bonne journee' meant 'good day'. I had been using it all day as in 'Buen Camino' 'Have a good journey'... I thought it was the friendlier 'Bon Courage' greeting. Such an odd experience because I knew very well that 'Bonne journee' meant 'Good Day' but I had completely forgotten its meaning that day. It is fascinating how accustomed and confident we become in our own language, security, customs and environment and how unsettling little things like a poor translation can throw you off your moorings. It makes me ever more sympathetic to visitors and immigrants in my community.

I remember the owner of the gite in Saugues being a young lovely woman. The family raised their own meat and tended their own garden for food. She was well versed in the local herbs and flowers and made a delicious meal for all of us. It was during this meal that I had the opportunity really visit with my new soon to be walking partners. Andree-Ann from Quebec and Caroline from Belgium. As well the lovely Laure joined us for supper. The conversation was spirited. After walking for 9 hours my mind had to put in equal effort to keep up with the conversation that was happening around me at the kitchen dining table. Andree-Ann asked everyone our names, our age (which mortiphied me since I felt I was the old duck in the room and everyone seemed so svelt and experienced compared to me) and what we did (which I thought I could describe adequately). Andree-Ann teaches french to immigrants in Quebec, Caroline works in accounting and Laure shared that she is a Carmelite nun. There was a beat and then the room exploded in conversation.

Laure's story is fascinating. If I understood correctly It seems she comes from a family that is not religious and her parents were very unhappy when she joined the Carmelite Order. In fact she hadn't spoken to her mom in fourteen years. Mother Superior suggested that she should reconnect with her mother and they were going to be meeting together for the first time on The Camino a few days later ! How wonderful. It became one of those magical real down-to-earth honest conversations that happen a few times in life, and I think often on the Camino. Ah! my second Camino gift! I grew up with nuns whom I loved (except for Sister Charles in Gr 2 who put my name on the board for no reason at all. She was grouchy. But I thought the reason was because someone mistakenly gave her a boys name when she became a nun). There was Sister Mary who was young and had the best cashmere sweaters in the school, Sister Marilyn who was our science teacher in Grade 8 teaching us about our province and minerals showing us a little black and white photo in our science textbook pointing out that Flin Flon Manitoba (where she was from) was the best place in the world to live. I'd remembered that lesson 20 years later when we moved our family to the mining town North of 54. Mark's Aunt Dolores Lavoie, fondly known in the family as Tante Choulou, spent her adult life as a Missionary White Nun in Malawi Africa and later Poland. She is one of the smartest, bravest and fascinating women that I know. Choosing a calling to support people through prayer and practical aid is to me as understandable a purposeful life as choosing a vocation to support people in the arts. Neither of us are doing it for the money. Trust me! It was obvious to me that Laure has chosen a beautiful life for herself and I was curious to hear what her reunion with her mother would be like. Andree-Ann was incredulous How could a beautiful woman like Laure spend her life in prayer. I think this was a powerful experience for Andree-Ann.

L-R Caroline Gilbert (Belgium), Andree-Ann Richard (Montreal, Canada), Me, Laure

https://tumbarumba.co.uk/PILGRIM%20WALKS/VIA%20PODIENSIS/Day2.htm

Julian Kolt's Camino https://youtu.be/E-tcsDIi2R4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmelites

EMAIL FROM MARK: Composed a piece for Laure.

In honour of your new pilgrim friend, here’s a link to a youtube piece I did a while back, on the theme of .Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABrOJ97ctbg Also I don’t know if you remember the composer Francis Poulenc.    We did a piece by him when we were doing piano duo in New York.  Anyway, it just so happens he has a pretty notable opera called “Dialogues des Carmélites”.             https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd9EFJaURmI    I saw it on Public TV at one point when I was stranded in a hotel room, and was suitably Impressed.     It’s a rather tragic story about the persecution a group of Carmelite nuns suffer during the time of the French Revolution.    And those sound effects you hear every few bars, yes, that’s intended to be the sound of the guillotine.    Scary and tragic, but it’s also the real deal, as operas go….. So proud of you and your grand adventure…Mark            ...

Attachments area Preview YouTube video July 16 Our Lady of Mount Carmel July 16 Our Lady of Mount Carmel Preview YouTube video Dialogues Des Carmelites (final scene / Salve Regina) F. Poulenc Dialogues Des Carmelites (final scene / Salve Regina) F. Poulenc