Friday 24th of September

I needed to arrive in Saint-Gervais-sur-Mare before the mayor’s office closed at 17:00. After leaving at 7:30am I covered the 23kms and arrived to check in, get my stamp and pick up the keys for the Gîte municipal at 16:52. I made it on time but was exhausted. The first half of the day was climb, climb, climb along many forestry roads and single track paths. Around 16:30 I got a concerned call from a considerate lady working in the mayor’s office asking if I would be arriving on time to pick up the keys. Her kindness spurred me on.

Like last night I have the entire hostel to myself. A modest charge of 16€ for the night, basic but clean and comfortable with a fully equipped kitchen.

I treated myself to restaurant meal on a terrace and got talking to Jean-Paul who was also dining alone. My tiredness vanished and we chatted for hours. When I laid my head down to sleep I felt grateful for having had a lovely day.

• Camino