Day 7 - An ‘easy’ day (Saint-Côme-d'Olt à Estaing - 23 km)
Despite this being only a 23 km day, we were all tired from yesterday's journey of 35 km and Dan's even longer escapade before he finally caught up to us this morning. You'll have to ask him for those details.
We met the gîte owner at breakfast - a Francophone from Montreal who has been running this gîte with his wife for seven years. It was great to chat with them.
The path today had a few significant climbs and descents; some of these were avoided by a couple of people in our group as they deservedly took the scenic route. Shortly after departure, we saw Clément and Lucie who were just breaking camp. More on them later.
At our first stop in Espalion, we ran into the young men from Mauritius who unfortunately were heading home today. In the last couple of days we've had to say goodbye to several pilgrims as they must return to work or school. We will definitely miss Olivia, Jeanne, Hugo, Xavier, Yvan, Terry, Alexi and Will to name a few. I would also like to say that I am very grateful that we have met so many young pilgrims this week. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed speaking with each and every one of them and how excited I am for their futures. They have truly warmed my heart with their enthusiasm and energy.
After a dip in the river at our destination, we headed downtown for a beverage and shortly thereafter, Clément and Lucie arrived to join us. We were thrilled to find out that they will be extending their journey and will remain on the path until next weekend. This makes us very happy as they are both amazing people who we would love to see more of this week.
Dinner was fantastic of course and we have yet to be disappointed with a meal at a gîte.
The weather remains perfect for us and we are looking forward to another wonderful day tomorrow.
