Day 59d: An oasis of the Soul … (06/12/2019)
The going was a bit more challenging than I had at first expected (due in part to the strenuous nature of the path itself, and in part to my hips somewhat loudly protesting the extreme effort that the previous day’s walking had required), and yet I did finally make it to the Gite au Soulie de Saint Jacques (transaltion: “Hostel of the Soul of St. James”). This hostel was well-known (at least amongst certain pilgrim-circles) for its humble ambience and gracious generosity, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Peter (from England) was the hospitalero on call when I arrived, and he treated me with great kindness from minute one — offering me a gratis cup of coffee, chatting with me amiably about my Walk, encouraging me to rest awhile in the hostel’s on-site solace-rich chapel, and finally giving me a treasured piece of route-advice that ended up saving me from a great deal of pain & suffering* … 😀
“Solace — I like that concept. In fact I’m going to make it my own. There is just something about sinking into one’s surroundings that makes us feel like we simply belong. Belong … Hmmmm … To long to Be. It’s an unusual word, yes, and yet all semantics aside it is up right up there with Solace.” ~ inspired by Melina Marchetta
*It turns out that the final kilometer of the Camino before entering the beautiful city of Conques (my end destination for the day) was an extremely steep & slippery & stony trail highly unrecommended for anyone of my relatively unfit physical status. The alternate route that peter offered was several kilometers longer, true enough, and yet was smooth & dry & gradually sloped — three trail-traits for which my hips already yearned … 😉
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