Today I am planning to walk about 20 km to Le Sauvage, a remote farm domain that stretches back to Templar days, about 1,000 years old. It is one huge building complex in the middle of a 5,000 hectare preserve, completely isolated. The driveway from the nearest road is almost three kilometers. I only get about halfway when I am wiped out again, and at La Falzet I stop. This time it’s heavy breathing, continuing high heart rate and a strange visual phenomenon. My eyes will not adjust to the light. I sit here with my head down and my eyes take in so much light that almost everything is blindingly white. This takes about ten minutes to clear back to normal vision. I don’t like this turn of events and I find a ride to take me to Le Sauvage. Karsten and Jocelyn, both very concerned about me, continue walking.

 It’s my oldest son’s, Frank’s, birthday and I cannot contact him. There is no Internet, no cell phone coverage and no WiFi. I hope that his day is a good one.

It’s very cold here. Today’s high is 15 degrees, with a strong head wind and sunny in the afternoon. We are very high and outside it looks like the very beginning of spring. The buds are just starting to show on the trees here. We are told that most years there is still snow at this point but this year is an exception. So we’re lucky

 The gite is good, clean, well equipped but they do not serve meals and there is nowhere else to eat. Mme Chausse, the manager, tells me that produce is available to make one’s own meal. I just go to bed and sleep. After Karsten and Jocelyn arrive, several other pilgrims, including Felicia, Sophie and Francine arrive and they organize a meal for everyone. This helps me a lot and I perk up.

Felicia, 27, from Paris, is a pretty blond clown with an expressive face that she uses to effect. Sophie, 39, also from Paris, is a small elfin woman, short dark hair and sparkling dark eyes, huge toothy smile, with a dancer’s body. Francine, 46, is tall, blond, Aryan-looking, long legs and a lithe body. She is sharp-faced and in repose, looks melancholy, but when she smiles, she smiles with her whole face and eyes. They are all only on the chemin for a short time and all started in Le Puy. They will join us tomorrow so now we are six walking together. I am still hoping for better days.