My Own Little Pilgrimage

As I awoke in La Rochelle I wondered whether I should stay another day, as the sky was clear and blue, with the prospect of a nice day…however the wind was still fierce, and i decided to stick to the plan…..which was to carry on down South , for some hopefully better weather.

I had a comical time in the reception, speaking to an elderly lady, who clearly couldn’t speak any English, and my French was difficult…to say the least, although we managed , and I only paid for 2 not the 3 nights she wanted !

Then it was off, and along the quiet French roads, I had (for economy,and touristic purposes !) decided not to travel on the Peage roads, and to stick to the ‘back roads’ which was quite informative as I travelled across the countryside of Bordeaux, noticing that the grape vines were only just ‘waking up’ after the winter, and sparse leaves were just beginning to show

I had wondered whether to stop in Bordeaux itself, but it looked mighty cold and inhospitable as I travelled through it, and so carried on driving, again across the country roads, seeing vast areas of cultivated land, and forest, which as I went over mountain passes, were covered in rain, and the fields seemed to be almost under water

By mid afternoon I had reached my destination – Lourdes, scene of my recuperation last year, and a wonderful pilgrimage location…and the sun was shining and distinctly warmer !

So, I worked out which campsite to stay at, and went back to the one I gad stayed at last year Camping Sarsan, slightly noisier than others, but close to the centre…and cheaper !

Even the owner remembered me from last year – must be making an impression (of what I wonder ?), and I was quickly installed, had a look around what I planned, and settled in for my evening’s BBQ… before the rain started !

Oh well, there’s an intermittent internet signal in the office, so at least I can make contact, and the prospects of a nice weekend, where at least I’ll be able to manage mass in English, and remember those I need to !