Day 16: Meltdown Day!

From my original blog post, written on May 3rd:

"Meltdown Day!

Well, it had to happen- meltdown day! I think I needed to stay strong while I was on the Cluny route with so few others, but today I lost it.

I slept well but woke feeling homesick and wanted to go home now! It was fitting to my mood that the route out of St Paulien was dominated by a factory belching smoke! However it didn't take too long before I was out in the proper countryside and it was clearly going to be a lovely day. I found a good little roadside spot, ate well of my bread and sardines plus chocolate and nuts, then got going, feeling much more at peace with the world.

All went well for ages. Then the Cluny Chemin did another couple of its ABC bits- Another Bloody Climb- well two of them actually! There was a really steep climb up to Polignac with its incredible fortress on top. Then steeply down. Then a long climb up to the edge of Le Puy, then steeply down- I'm used to those but they left me feeling tired, then I lost the signs!!!

A little 12th century chapel was nearby and I went in there and just lost it. Just as well I had bought some new tissues yesterday. I'd nearly finished when a Frenchman came in, who spoke quite a bit of English. He was s pilgrim who was having a rest day in Le Puy, who had already been walking for several weeks. So he understood about pilgrim tears and loaned an understanding ear while I cried some more!

Ahhhhh but all is better now. I'm in a gite run by the Amis of St Jacques, and a lady took me under her wing when she realized I was tired. She is even taking home my walking shorts etc to give them a washing machine wash!

And the good news is, tomorrow is another day, and I am having a rest day- and my French friends are arriving here after finishing their last third of the Cluny Chemin. Meltdown done and dusted. "