It's Amazing how a tiny little symbol like this one can mean so much...It started to appear on the backs of the velo route signs as I followed down the coast of France. There is a great route that follows the coast pretty much the length of Breton all the way to Biarritz.

 

The rain stopped for a day or 2 but has started again. I met some other pilgrims outside the Cathedral in Bayonne. This was the first church I have encountered that offered any service for pilgrims. We found lodging at the Association Maison Diocesane in a suburb of Bayonne. A great big complex of some kind with a hundred rooms for travellers and conference goers.

 

 I'm going to get the train from here to San Jean Pied de Port. Hopefully, it won't be snowing up there.

The anxiety I feel at times can seem insurmountable. I just keep going. Sometimes just going home seems a better option. I just don't like being uncomfortable anymore. My reasoning is that as one who has guided in the outdoors for so long, I don't need to be miserable to prove my worth to any person, living or dead or for that matter God. I don't gotta prove nuthin to God that's for dang sure. I have this running dialogue pretty consistently about this relationship and that things are really quite good. All I need to do is trust...So far my experience has been most positive. 
 More photos @
https://picasaweb.google.com/117111156682678516435/AtlanticCoastAndSouth#

 

 

 

Bordeaux

Lovely city Bordeaux. Unfortunately it has been raining all day. I took the train from Paris yesterday and it was raining there too. I don't like riding in the rain. After 10 years of guiding in the outdoors I'm over it. I did manage to stumble into the right church today and picked up my first official pilgrims stamp for my credencia. I didn't think to ask except that I overheard  another pilgrim come in asking for a stamp.

 

The photo below was taken in the Chapel of St. James at l'eglise St. Micheal. These are said to be actual remains of St. James. In the top right corner is the telltale scallop shell.

 

 

See more photos of Bordeaux on my Picasa site.

https://picasaweb.google.com/117111156682678516435/BordeauxFrance#

 



Cycling in France...

 

Here I am crossing the Seinne River. Not much of a river here so far from the coast.

I ended up taking the ferry across from Newhaven, England and have been pedaling from Dieppe.

I'm about a day out from Chartres. I hope to stay there and leave the bike for a few days and go to Paris. I just could not get my head into cycling in and around Paris. London was enough of a headache. With my lack of French language skills asking directions is challenging.

This northern countryside is much like the American midwest and the novelty is wearing off.

I did go through Neufchatel (the cheese comes from there) and at least there were cows. I'm in the French cornbelt. Not much happening.

 

Oh and by the way, the French have a funny way of advertising with English...

To see more photos go to my Picasa albums @



https://picasaweb.google.com/117111156682678516435/CyclingNormandieFrance#

Leaving London

The bike is ready to go. If all goes well I'll be on a train headed for the coast tomorrow. Of course I need to find my way to Victoria Station downtown first. What could go wrong? It's only London...Not a grid city. More like a tightly connected tangle of small villages and townships woven together with narrow streets, busy avenues, and roughly 11 million people all trying to get somewhere at the same time in one hell of a hurry.   

I have decided to take the ferry across from Newhaven to Dieppe in France and pedal to Paris. There is a new cycle route that connects London to Paris by way of the ferry. The Avenue Verte is said to be mostly off road all the way, at least on the French side. Guess I'll find out. It's about 180 miles and ends at Notre Dame.

I've discovered 2 great bike shops in London (there are many more I'm sure). First, Phil and Paul at www.bicyclemaintenancecompany.co.uk were awesome and the good folks brixtoncycles.co.uk were also very helpful. 

Anyway, I'm off tomorrow.....

London

 

 

The Union Jack just in case you need a visual representation...

 

Anyway, I arrived fairly painlessly to my destination in London all things considered and no sleep last night...Right after take off flying into the darkness and away from all that comfort and familiarity, I had this thought, actually it was more like a panicked shriek "What the hell am I doing"!!!? Breathing always helps. Then later, much later as we began to fly toward the dawn and I could see lights over Ireland, I started feeling a little giddy and then I thought, "OK, I can do this, just one small step at a time" .

 

 

So without any sleep, I climbed the ladder into the attic and began pulling the pieces down.

 

 

 

 Then I started putting the pieces together and now it's starting to look like a bicycle again. Now I do need to get some sleep...
Stay tuned...

 

 



Sponsorship, sorting and packing ...

Sponsorship:

Check out Gardenschwartz Outdoors on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/GardenswartzOutdoors

I've been working all summer to save some money to be able to take this trip and I don't part with my money easily. Every purchase is a slow and methodical deliberation. I think to myself, "If I buy this item that I think I need right now, how much food could I buy later with this money"?

I really needed some new gear. Or so I believed. If we think about the early pilgrims, how many of them traveled with nothing and slept in the open on the ground or if they were lucky in a barn. Maybe I'm extravagant, I don't know but I do know that at 50 years old, I feel some physical pain in my hips when I sleep on the ground if it's pretty hard. I have made my living over the past 12 years sleeping in the outdoors and the thing that actually works best is a thick bed of pine needles. Sometimes, it's not practical. I own a thermarest (the 3rd in 17 years. Not bad) and it is full of patches and leaks a little these days. I have had the same headlamp for 7 years and is held together with duct tape. The lens is scratched and does not throw much light anymore.

It occurred to me in order to spare some cash to ask the retailers in town in which I have been a loyal customer if they would be interested in sponsoring part of this ride. So I asked. Wow, that was a revolutionary thing to do. Gardenschwartz Outdoors in Durango Colorado said yes. I was thrilled and quite honored really.  I now have a new lighter weight Thermarest and a new shiny headlamp. The photos below attest to both the old and the new.

This is the old Thermarest next to

.

the new one.... Funny that most of the patches seem to be on one side. Wonder why.....

The old headlamp. I splurged on replacing the duct tape a few times...

The new headlamp. Still in the package.I wonder how well it will work that way...

Below is a shot of just the camping gear and odds and ends that I'm taking. Tent, sleeping bag, stove, cooking pot, towel, lock for the duffel bag, assorted tools, front panniers and French phrasebook. Well, the French phrase book isn't really camping gear but it could provide some entertaining reading while chilling in camp at night.

I still need to sort clothing and the bike. That's a whole other can of worms...