Day 2 (Saint-Privat-d'Allier à Saugues - 20 km)
Today was a relatively short but elevation challenging day. The uphills were long and steep, the downhills were rocky, very steep, narrow and at times, treacherous. We were very grateful that it was not raining.
On this Camino, the meal situation is very different than our last one in Spain. In most places we will have the opportunity to get both supper and breakfast included with the cost of the bed. Logistically, this is a good option for us as we will be guaranteed essential nutrients and will not have to worry about finding a place to eat. With villages generally further apart with fewer services, this is our best option. What it means is that because many pilgrims take advantage of this, we all seem to depart in the same timeframe which can lead to congested areas on the narrow portions of the trail.
The leapfrogging effect is active here on day two. This occurs as you pass individuals or groups at one point of the day and then they pass you later on. Over the course of the entire Camino, this can happen dozens of times with specific people or groups. Today this group included Jean-Paul who is walking all the way to Santiago, Spain, Jacinthe's family of five (she's the donkey), Will from England, Clément, and many others whose names are still unknown to us.
We met a group of Austrians who do a trip like this one week out of the year and have been doing so for years. Led by Robert, a professor in Innsbruck, the group of 24 range in age from 35 to 80.
When we ran into Clément who I met yesterday, he mentioned that he was having some issues with his knee. Captain Dan promptly pulled out a knee brace that he had in his pack ‘just in case.’ Clément was very grateful and rewarded us with some delicious cheese.
As we enjoyed some wine and cheese mid-afternoon, we noted that the three of us were the only non-Europeans on the trail to our knowledge (so far). We also decided that despite the Covid environment and government recommendations to stay at home, we had made the right decision to come on this journey. We had assessed the risk, taken all the necessary precautions and feel extremely blessed to be here.
