Day 5 - It's all about the people (Peyre en Aubrac à Nasbinals - 28 km)
Today was fantastic. The weather was absolutely perfect with a temperature in the mid 20s, sunshine and a light breeze. Breakfast at the gite consisted of the normal fare - café au lait, bread, jam, and butter. The walk started earlier than normal because we had about 28 km to go. After purchasing a sandwich at a boulangerie before departing town, we headed out at 7:30. We spent the first couple of hours in beautiful pine forests until we hit the aubrac, a region of few trees, rolling hills, stone fences, cows, and incredible openness.
Shortly after we entered this area, I ran into David and Brenda from Seattle. These are the first non-Europeans that we've encountered so we had lots to talk about. They will be on the trail for a while so I expect to see them again.
After a particularly long climb in the aubrac, I crested a hill and came upon a spectacular vista. As far as the eye could see, the land was a vast scene of beauty. Neither my words nor my pictures can adequately do the scene justice. I can honestly say that this was the most beautiful site I've seen on this journey and I had to stop for a few moments to try and take everything in. I was completely gobsmacked.
A few kilometres later we came upon a river that beckoned us with its cool sparkling water. Dan and I could not resist the urge and spend several minutes savouring the cool refreshing water. The river rejuvenated us for the final few kilometres to our destination.
As we entered town, we saw Clément and his friend Lucie. A couple of days ago, Dan gave Clément a knee brace but we had not seen nor heard from him since then so this was a very special and unexpected reunion. Clément told us that the knee brace had made a huge difference in his pain and he was able to continue his journey. It was an absolute pleasure to see him again and to meet his friend Lucie.
Once settled in our gite, we got ourselves cleaned up and met Olivia and her friends at a local establishment to kill some time before supper. The three young gentlemen we met were from Mauritius and will be on the Camino for about a week before having to return to their engineering and architecture studies in Toulouse and Paris. We thoroughly enjoyed their company and their stories. Joined by Will, we all had dinner at a local restaurant and continued our conversations. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed speaking to all of these wonderful young people and how much I love that they will be experiencing the Camino so much earlier in their lives than me.
I've always said that one of my greatest pleasures on the first Camino, and on my hikes in Canada and the US, is meeting people. Today was an extraordinary day because of the wonderful pilgrims I was blessed to meet. I'm looking forward to seeing what or who will enter my life along the Way.
