The rain stopped after breakfast and with the sky overcast I left to continue my walk on day 2. During the night the rain had washed everything clean and I got directions on how to join the GR 653 to Saint Gilles. Having slept well and feeling positively energised I set out. I was unprepared for what came next- mosquitos, loads of them and soon, besides trying to keep a steady gait I was itching, slapping and scratching. Nothing to keep them away worked, they kept me constant company in spite of my efforts to keep them at bay. As the priory where I had stayed the night before was not on the official route (GR653) I had only verbal instructions on how to rejoin the main route. At a fork in the road I asked directions but wasn’t convinced I had been given accurate information. It was as if the woman I asked would preferred to give me wrong directions than concede to not knowing. I continued doubtfully on. After a couple of kilometers I had still not found any signs and was sure I was on the wrong path. Fortunately it was not too hot and though overcast the rain had stopped.

Google maps which had worked so well yesterday now failed me. I made a detour of about 2 kilometers before getting back onto the GR 653. Part of the route was along roads with trucks and cars whizzing past, other parts through fields and secondary roads. Not even halfway to Saint Gilles my backpack was digging into my shoulders and my hips were complaining.  I had already decided not to take a tent and mattress and was trying to figure out what else I could shed to lighten the load.

The route into Saint Gilles was very pretty alongside a canal and after having a picnic I found a shady spot to lie down and rest my weary bones. At the very first pharmacy I bought mosquito repellent spray and upon reaching Saint Gilles I stopped for a very welcome cold beer. At “Maison des Pelerins” in Saint Gilles I was warmly welcomed by Michelle, a volunteer hostess. She sat me down and explained all the house rules and where I could buy something to eat, do washing and so on. I was soo looking forward to having a shower and collapsing on a bed after the 21kms stretch but for the next half an hour I just could not get a single word in. She was about my age (63) and had endless repertoire of fascinating “Camino” stories. Eventually I got my shower and felt much revived. The dormitory slept 7 and that night there were 4 of us. Michelle advised me to ditch my sleeping bag. It was by far the heaviest item in my backpack. “If there are no sheets or blankets available-just sleep fully clothed,” she advised. Jean-Michel another seasoned Camino walker helped me to adjust my backpack so that my hips supported more of the weight. I slept well in the bunk bed and next morning posted my sleeping bag to my friend Andrew in Abondance. By the time that was done and I had finished breakfast it was 10:00am. I set off feeling much lighter. The next leg of my walk was 18kms to a place I had booked near Vauvert. En route I met Renald. I saw him walking towards me from a direction that was not on the route. He said he had taken a wrong turn and had come full circle. He had left Saint Gilles 3 hours before me. We had a short chat then I went to nearby house to replenish my water bottle and he took off ahead of me. The walking went better that day than the day before and I managed to maintain a slow but steady tempo. A few hours later at a bridge there was Renald again, pondering over his GPS and Camino guide. He had taken another wrong turn and looked quite hot and bothered. As it turns out he did’nt understand white and red stripes indicating GR route and so was not even looking at them! It was a revelation for him to learn the way is signposted! We joined up and walked together. Reaching Vauvert at 6:00pm we had something to eat at a brasserie before heading through the village to the auberge, Echovert, a place with outdoor solar showers, places to pitch a tent and outdoor dry toilets.Our accommodation for the night was in a “roulotte,” I actually booked for 2 nights deciding Sunday would be a good day to rest, do some washing and plan the next section of my journey as I wanted to make a detour and visit friends in the Ganges/Sumène area.

• Camino