Stage 40: Navarrenx - Uhart-Mixe, 31 kms, cloudy, 18

Guns & Cats!

Last night we stayed in a great little gite and had a full table of pelerins chatting Camino and about home and experiences. A real upgrade from the prior evening, though the pig was a nice touch. There were two couples from Norway who spoke good English and we had a lovely chat through dinner. Old friends who walk together. Very nice. The food was really good, possibly one of our better evening meals. We all agreed that breakfast would be at 7:30, but when it was time our landlord went missing. Quite odd. So we left some cash and headed out to find some food. We couldn't wait as a long day of walking up and down hills awaited our pleasure. Breakfast worked out ok and we left town as the sun poked through the clouds for what would be the only time that day. Loking back over the walled city.

The terrain, vegetation and crops changed today. Gone were most of the corn fields to be replaced by cattle and the beginnings of a sheep population. 

As we walked through the woods we began to hear the occasional gun fired. Very odd for a Wednesday, very normal on Sunday's, but this was odd. As we walked along in our dark walking clothes I was thinking about the article I'd read in a local paper which stated a change in hunting rules. 164 hunting incidences last year in this area with one fatality. So the hunting association and political types got together and recognized that changes had to be made because of walkers and more people enjoying the outdoors. Great, except as I thought about this a gun went off within a very few meters of us and we both called out a warning, though we had received none. Up high in the tree was a 'hide'. Dangerous if the hunters rant experienced and aware. Any way, no damage done, just a few jangled pelerins!

Now the Pyrenees are coming more into view! 

Very exciting to get closer and closer as we progress.

Dem hills, dem hills!

We connected with a Frenchman who was walking Le Puy to Santiago for the second time in 16 months. Very cool! A nice fellow and we connected several times during the day.

He flagged down a car and helped to sort out a deviation that cut a little distance off the highway as we were able to cut through a rolling hillside of big cows.

These are corn eaters!

And this is our new summer place...a down payment of €500!

And then we come to the cat part of the day. As we walk down a hill a cat appears and waits for us. It throws itself on the ground as we walk by.

A bit odd we think...we hardly know her!

As we pass she would jump up and repeat the process again and again.

And if that wasn't strange enough Annemarie actually stopped...

and gave her some attention! Another wonder of the Camino!

Then we returned to our regularly scheduled programming...walking up and down hills, over and over again:(

Generally on an upward trajectory as we near the Pyrennes.

We eventually catch up with our French pal...haven't seen another walker all day, nor will we. We tell him that we have arrived and as the rain is threatening we will stop. He decides to walk on 7 kms. A poor choice. Just after he leaves the sky opens and it rains for hours. We were in just in time! A simple gite where we have a great evening in store.

Just our two hosts and us. Often more folks join the family meal in a gite, but tonight only Annemarie and I are at dinner. It's the end of season with most gites to close over the coming 2 weeks. Lots of great chatter over dinner as both have some English and have walked multiple Caminos. We eat too much and drink probably more than we should, but...its Camino! Then the local liqueur come out!!

Yumm!

So a great day...

Almost in...one more good walk tomorrow. This from our gite window through the rain.

Bon Chemin!  Oh, but finally, Annemarie has written something!

The Cat

She sat ahead of us on the trail

Patiently waiting, her invitation to us in the flick of her tail

As we came closer she met us half way

"What took you so long", she seemed to say

And then the game began as she herded us down the path

She would plop down, expose her tummy, as if to say "you do the math"

At first we did not respond as she expected us to

She continued the game, her message clear,  "c'mon you two"

We chuckled, we giggled, as she continued to herd and flop

Dashing ahead a few feet before she would again drop

Finally, finally, we gave into her pleas

Giving her belly a little scratch, the pleasure almost brought her to her knees

She carried on, with more enthusiasm she plopped

To give her a good long rub, I stopped

And then it seemed we reached the end of her territory

She appeared to wave us on, leaving us with a cute story