Arriving...
I arrived on the train yesterday afternoon still feeling the effects of the trip to Lyon and something eaten in transit that has left its mark. The train ride 'UP' was very nice and it was indeed up with a slow steady climb into the Massif Central. Here are a few quickly taken photos from the journey. Very pretty country side. 
The first real excitement I've felt on this journey found me when Le Puy finally came into sight! 
Other pelerins arriving!
I'm staying on the top floor of a nice little hotel which fortunately has a restaurant as well. My view...
I've been suffering a little, perhaps something on the plane during a very long 33 hour day. They cooked a simple meal for me last night and insisted on bringing it to my room which was very nice of them. The Camino seems to already be providing solutions. A couple of Skype calls home helped to improve morale and this morning I have visited the pharmacy and exchanged pleasentries in French...how scary is that? However, a few smiles, some laughter and voila, a hopeful solution to my problem passed across the counter.
Today I have much to do to prepare including getting my cell phone set up, finding food and water for the day tomorrow and fitting in a bit of sight seeing. Our good friends Sarah and Sally from Canberra paved the way for me when they visited here a very short time ago. So I have it on good authority that this is a very nice place to begin. There were certainly other hikers and a few other pelerins on the train yesterday as this is a very popular trekking area with many GR routes around here, including a walk to Nimes where it is required that one walk with a donkey no less! At least you would always have quiet company and some help with your gear on a long stage. Sarah, I just saw your lovely comment on the blog as I came back to my hotel to finish writing this for posting...thanks for that! Very special.
This morning I woke early to find an email waiting for me from my amigo Didier! Those who followed my journey along the Plata will perhaps remember this name. I have stayed in touch with Didier these past many months and I think he has just told me that he plans to join me for part of the Le Puy. I sent an email back to him to confirm, but he said that he would see me soon, so I'm hoping that he is coming up from the south of Portugal where he now lives. Google translate can mess up things a bit, hence the confirmation request. If he is in fact joining me, then that would be brilliant! Such a boost! His French is better than mine (he was raised in Basque France), and when we need to find out something in English then of course I can step right up;-) Didier has almost no English.
So off I go to get my list of things done and to find out just how the heck I get out of town tomorrow morning. Very excited! More later...
Later...
I walked up to the cathedral and picked up my credential and a Le Puy walking pin for my hat...a special moment. The phone place doesn't open until 14:00 so I'll return there after I complete and post this entry. I've just made myself a nice lunch of Spanish ham and a wonderful French baguette...yum! My system seems to be settling, so for sure I will walk out tomorrow and just slow my pace. In any event, my walk around town was a delight. Up to the Cathedral...
And the view from the beginning of my Camino. I'll exit via this gateway and proceed down and into the city. 
From there I walked the old town on my way to climb up to the 8-10C Rocher St Michel. Some of the sites...
A nice little climb to the top! Enough to get my heart rate up and my legs working for the first time in a few days!
Some how it wasn't very busy inside, and it had a little of the feeling I found inside the church at Eunate on the Camino France's. A nice place to sit, contemplate and enjoy the peace - and the beautiful windows.
Simple, but I found them strangely mesmerizing.
If there was any doubt that this town is sitting in the middle of a volcanic zone, there shouldn't be now with basaltic mounts everywhere.
Feeling that I have been something of a slug since leaving home I decided that a walk was in order to sort my route out of town and to sharpen my eyes up to the different trial markings used in France. Not a bad decision as I now know a little more than I did. 
Just ignore the number...I've decided to. Besides, as usual this one is no doubt wrong...it's further. I must admit that after finding this sign I needed a moment.
The climb begins here! I turned back...
But not before taking these for Aussie Dave...I hope you are following.
So now I'll post this overly long entry. This is a part of my journal, so I make no apologies for length. Off to get the phone set up and then I'll return to prepare my pack for the morning and have a light meal in my room as I prepare for tomorrow. Thanks to my family and many friends for helping me to get this far. It was strangely more difficult this time, but now I'm so pleased that I made the effort. The walking weather for the next week looks excellent with sun and temperatures in the low to mid 20's. Simply a perfect window! Tomorrow I toss my dirty old transit clothes in the garbage and put on clean walking clothes to begin afresh.
Bon Chemin!
Lovely place to wander around. I imagine you are working your way through the mountains as I type this--or else enjoying a beer at the end of the day.
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