Until shortly after our lunch break around 1, we would have said it was a peaceful and uneventful day, walking at a relaxed pace through pretty countryside. But as we ate our baguette, the thick dark clouds looked threatening and deep thunder sounded ominous - especially to me. I hate storms.
More than 24 hours later ... Last night after dinner at the abbeye, we returned to the gite but no internet connection, so I couldn't finish my entry for Day 13. It's now around 9.30pm on Day 14, so this and the next update will be very brief.
Back to the thunderstorm. We'd just left a small village where we'd stopped for lunch, hoping against the odds that we'd 'out walk' the storm! Yes, I know! Well about 10 mins later, we could tell the downpour was about to start - we could hear it coming! Then some kind of Camino miracle. A corner about 10 metres ahead and what looked like a bus shelter. This, in the middle of nowhere, outside a 'sleeping' village with not one shop or cafe open and little sign of life. Not your average bus shelter, not the modern 'all metal' structured, but an old stone one, very solid, and very deep. We ran inside and literally seconds later, not rain, but hail! Incroyable!
So, to finish this late update quickly. We survived, and dry as a bone. The next few hours walking to the abbeye were quite peaceful, and picturesque. Arriving at the abbeye gite we were reunited with Guy and Martine, Bruce and Pascale (the dreadful snored from night 2). And we heard that Ivan was in the other abbeye up the road, with Didier. We were with the 'souers' and they were with the 'freres'.
After dinner, everyone was early to bed, as there was a big day ahead for some of us ...
A demain, until tomorrow (which is actually today).
J X
