Chasing After Jess

After a brief and restless sleep, we woke up at 6:00am, our bodies aching and our minds still foggy. Despite the fatigue, we quickly packed our backpacks and set off at 6:45am under grey skies, hoping both the weather and our physical condition would improve as the day progressed.

Something we were worried about was connecting back from the GR4 to the GR65. We found it really easy to follow the markings, with a little bit of help from Buen Camino – an app that has a great satélite map showing exactly where you are vs. the route. The return to the route was beautiful, with lots of lush green trees.

I am writing this blog post late, but here is a screenshot example of Buen Camino navigation from later in the track!

Leaving town, we ventured onto a sandy path that wound through lush countryside, heading towards our Chambre d’Hote (B&B) in Aubrac-Aumont.

We moved at a brisk pace through farmlands, dense vegetation, and forests, trying to make up for the extra 3.5km we had to cover due to the detour to our gite the previous day.

The terrain was a mix of challenging rocky sections and roots, especially during steep ascents and descents, plus mud (I’ve included some pictures to show just how tricky these parts were), but there were also plenty of flat, gravelly stretches that helped us make up time.

The highlight of our day came at an unexpected time. I was getting sick of walking, and sick of the mud. All of a sudden it started bucketing with rain. I was passing a lovely lady’s house and she invited us inside. Soon after she had us seated at her kitchen table, serving us coffee and a freshly cooked omelette. This lady’s name was Sophie, and her kindness to us touched my heart so much. Her son joined us for lunch and even though we can’t speak french and they couldn’t speak english, we somehow made it work!

Now for my favourite part!!! Her son Jonathan turned to me after I said we were leaving and said, “would you like to give a gift to the baby lambs?” I had no idea what he was talking about since no baby lambs had been mentioned prior, but I realised he was asking if I wanted to FEED the baby lambs! I love baby lambs, and he went away for a few minutes with his lunch still hot on the table and came back with two baby lambs and a big bottle of milk!

Exhausted, we finally reached our B&B, “Le 24.” Our hostess, Francois, was wonderful and spoke fluent English. Our room was charming with French linens and antique furniture. She had such a beautiful home, and had the kitchen of my dreams! That evening, we enjoyed a delicious steak dinner at a local hotel.

This journey continues to test our limits, but also rewards us with unforgettable experiences and incredible acts of kindness. Here’s to more days of walking, discovering, and connecting with the beautiful world we live in.

Jess x