When we left Figeac we had planned to have a rest day in Condom. The original plan was to arrive here today (Saturday) just before lunch and leave either tommorow afternoon or Monday morning. However, because of the night halts, the ease of the terrain and our improved fitness after twenty days of walking, we brought forward our plans and arrived yesterday afternoon.
Before we went to bed, we had been told by the hotel owner that we could have breakfast at any time we wanted as it was entirely self service. In a corridor on the ground floor, they had set out our breakfast, and in a fridge nearby they had left orange juice, butter, jam and milk. A gas ring and saucepan had been provided for us to heat our water and milk, and the timing was up to us!
After breakfast we set out to explore. From our room we had a fine view of the Cathedral tower and the river.
We decided to go first to the cathedral and say morning prayer, before we did anything else.
From the outside it's a magnificant building, and the inside it's equally impressive. The fabric is well cared for and it is obviously a place that has been prayed in for centuries, and gives you a sense of peace and the presence of God as soon as you go in and sit down.
This sense of the other, is aided by organ and choral music being gently played through the church's sound system (something I have noticed in many French churches).
Condom cathedral is somewhere that both of us felt we could spend hours in, and is, we felt, one of the most "spiritual" churches we have been in on the pilgrimage so far.
It was now 11am and we decided to visit La Poste again to see if the iPod had arived. (In truth both of us expected it not to have, due to the industrial action in England, and we had been looking at how to get back to Condom from places further along on the trip). I presented my passport, the lady went to the cupboard for Post Restante letters and came back with not just one but two jiffy bags for us. One was my iPod fixed and firing on all four cylinders thanks to the ministrations of Nick. The other a food parcel from Meryl. We immediately headed for a cafe with wi-fi to send them an e-mail to say the parcels had safely arived.
As it was a nice day, we decided to have a walk along the river and also check out where the Camino left town, ready for tomorrow. On the river were a group of youngsters messing about in canoes and obviously having a whale of a time.
On the way back we had to weave our way around men playing petanque on a gravel square opposite our hotel.
By this time it was lunch time so we bought a few bits from a pattiserie and ate them sitting in the sun.
In the afternoon we went to a cyber cafe to upload our pictures and then did some shopping, before a meal and bed.
On the Camino in France
Before we went to bed, we had been told by the hotel owner that we could have breakfast at any time we wanted as it was entirely self service. In a corridor on the ground floor, they had set out our breakfast, and in a fridge nearby they had left orange juice, butter, jam and milk. A gas ring and saucepan had been provided for us to heat our water and milk, and the timing was up to us!
After breakfast we set out to explore. From our room we had a fine view of the Cathedral tower and the river.
We decided to go first to the cathedral and say morning prayer, before we did anything else.
From the outside it's a magnificant building, and the inside it's equally impressive. The fabric is well cared for and it is obviously a place that has been prayed in for centuries, and gives you a sense of peace and the presence of God as soon as you go in and sit down.
This sense of the other, is aided by organ and choral music being gently played through the church's sound system (something I have noticed in many French churches).
Condom cathedral is somewhere that both of us felt we could spend hours in, and is, we felt, one of the most "spiritual" churches we have been in on the pilgrimage so far.
It was now 11am and we decided to visit La Poste again to see if the iPod had arived. (In truth both of us expected it not to have, due to the industrial action in England, and we had been looking at how to get back to Condom from places further along on the trip). I presented my passport, the lady went to the cupboard for Post Restante letters and came back with not just one but two jiffy bags for us. One was my iPod fixed and firing on all four cylinders thanks to the ministrations of Nick. The other a food parcel from Meryl. We immediately headed for a cafe with wi-fi to send them an e-mail to say the parcels had safely arived.
As it was a nice day, we decided to have a walk along the river and also check out where the Camino left town, ready for tomorrow. On the river were a group of youngsters messing about in canoes and obviously having a whale of a time.
On the way back we had to weave our way around men playing petanque on a gravel square opposite our hotel.
By this time it was lunch time so we bought a few bits from a pattiserie and ate them sitting in the sun.
In the afternoon we went to a cyber cafe to upload our pictures and then did some shopping, before a meal and bed.
On the Camino in France
2 comments:
This looks and sounds an idyllic place and a well deserved rest day, although I guess by now you are lean mean walking machines! Enjoy the Charlie caterpillars!
Just spent an hour or so reading your blog from start to finish. Now that I'm back on holiday I will aim to peruse it more regularly I promise!
It seems you are having a great time - good scenery, good food and good company. I had no idea there were so many people doing it. I envy you your fitness too, I've never even been on a walking holiday myself.
Mum and Dad join me in sending you both their love and best wishes for this trip in a lifetime. I'm glad it didn't all end in Cheltenham!
I think you will soon be in Spain.
All the best
Jon Townsend
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