Into the second week

I'm in Carjarc now, and tomorrow I take off acros the causse, a limestone plateau with not much on it except pilgrims! It's been a good couple of days - the rain wasn't so tops, but at least I know that my rain gear works well! I spent a day resting in Conques - an incredibly preserved town from a thousand years ago that clings to the mountainside. I stayed in the abbey - it's famous for housing the remains of St Foy, a twelve year-old who was matyred. A monk frm the abbey stole them from another town and brought them to Conques. I thoght thre was something about stealing in the bible... But it was lovely to look out onto the church and i had dinner with everyone who was staying there. We sang an pilgrim's prayer and after dinner we went to a benediction service for our journey. Because i was Australian I had to get up (with a German man and a Belgian girl) and read in the church - luckily they went first and seemed to know what to do! After the service there was some organ music. It was really nice and traditional at first but it was bloody cold in the cathedral and when the monk broke out into "House of the Rising Sun" (I'm not kidding) I decided it was time for bed.

After Conques we spent two grey and rainy days walking through not such picturesque country, but last night we arived at La Cassangole and the nicest Gite so far. Marie-Claud and Jesus have a gorgeous set-up with a beautiful garden and cosy dormitory and kitchen. So good. Today, the ist was so thick I could barely see until about 11am when the sun broke through and the bluest of blue skies came out. The counrty is spectaculat and today was a very happy day. There's a little family of us walking together now. It's brilliant.