After a very comfortable night we set off, again the walk started uphill, but soon it levelled out, the sweetcorn harvest was in full swing, for the second time just for a moment we thought we were in India or perhaps Nepal as we came face to face with a herd of buffalo in a field, obviously kept for their milk for cheese.
We stopped in a wayside church for morning prayer and then started on a steep downhill path to Conques, dropping a couple of hundred metres in about 1km.
We had arrived, we then headed to the Abbey to see if they had a room no rooms were available but we managed to reserve two beds in one of the dormitories but had to report back at 2 to pay and get checked in.
So after a short walk around town where we bumped into a number of old friends from the trip so far and caught up on their news and where they were going next. We had lunch and them reported in. After showers and a change of clothing we went and explored the town had a beer, at 6:30 we attended vespers in the Abbey lead by the three monks who make up the community, (We also discovered that the reason we did not see any nuns at St Come d'Alt was because only one is in her 50's and the rest are over 80, which is all very sad).
Despite the small numbers of monks the service was still very moving, we then went to dinner in the refectory where I had a great conversation with a lady from Britainy who spoke excellent English, and was planing to walk to Ronsavalles in Spain this year and then walk the Spanish leg next year.
Dinner was followed by Compline where all the pilgrims leaving Conques tomorrow were blessed, and we were given a copy of St John's Gospel and an illuminated pilgrims chant, which we had sung before our dinner in the refectory.
The words to it are Ultreia! Ultreia! Et sus eia! Deus adjuva nos!
If any or our readers can provide a translation please do.
Following on from the blessing there was supposed to be an organ recital at 9pm. We sat in the cathedral waiting for it to start and at 9:30 had just about given up hope, when the door of the cathedral opened and we heard a round of applause, and one of the monks walked in followed by a huge crowd.
This was because so many of us were setting off tomorrow, the monks decided to put on a Mass this evening, which delayed the recital. Because their main Sunday Mass is at 11am which is far to late for most pilgrims to go to, as we need to be on the road by 9 - 9:30 at the latest to get a reasonable distance under our belts, as unlike our Medieval predecessors we have deadlines of parishes and jobs to get back to.
And so at 9:40 the recital began, at 10 we decided we had to go as we were both getting tired and we were told they shut the doors early and we didn't want be locked out.
We are in a dorm of 11 beds it about 10:40 and near by is a snorer, I just hope the ear plugs cut him out, night and God Bless.
On the Camino in France
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