Étape 10: Besombes - Port Lauragais, 22 kms, Cloud, Sun, 24

A Spontaneous Change of Plan

Our day started with breakfast at a pastry shop and my tea was served quite nicely!

Soon after we were in the car headed for our drop off point, but as the sun was coming up I asked Bob to stop for me.

Before we knew it the three of us were in the trail and moving westward again.

We kind of puttered along today, stopping frequently to look at the views,

the fauna,

and the ever changing light.

Carpe Diem

As we were walking along the stream this morning, Geoff proposed a change in plan for our day. The original plan was for Bob to pick Kathy up after 9 kilometres, and Geoff and I would carry on, while Bob and Kathy took a day trip to Carcassonne. Recognizing that we have very little time left with Kathy and Bob on this trip, and that Carcassonne is a special place, we decided to abandon the rest of our walk for the day, and instead take the time with Kathy and Bob. We recognized this as another parallel for people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. We notice how Kathy increasingly lives in the present; neither past nor future hold as much meaning for her. So we chose to live in the present today, too. For caregivers there is regular recognition that it is important to make the most of the “good days”, and we chose to make the most of this day. We had a great afternoon and got a number of pictures which will serve to remind us all of this day, and the choices we make along the way

Carcassonne!

There were four male singers inside the church and their unaccompanied voices were simply so very beautiful as the music rose to the ceiling. The cathedral, full of tourists went completely silent as they performed and it was one of those special moments that sometimes just happens in the right moment when on Camino. 

We’d brought the kids here in 2000 during a 6 week road trip and all three of them were seated together in front of this building. Um, they’re a bit older now:) I wonder if they remember?

Before having lunch we walked the walls of this ancient city that has had inhabitants present for over 2,500 years. I took some really nice photos from up there, but the wifi here is so terrible that uploading anything is taking forever. So I’ll leave you with two last photos and will post some others at the start of the post tomorrow.

I would also like to thank everyone for their blog comments and the many emails and messages we’ve steadily received. Some very supportive thoughts. We are trying to answer each of them, but if we miss you, our apologies. By the time we complete our day, write blogs, post to social media and find some food it’s often time to crawl into bed.

Oh, and one last thing, tonight we are sleeping at a truck stop which we’ve managed to do on most of our caminos. So now it truly is a Camino!!!

Today Kathy and I talked about the kinds of supports she finds helpful now and into the near future. There are a number of daily activities she can no longer do. This includes cooking, reading beyond short pieces, quilting and knitting, which used to make up large parts of her day. She would like more social activity than she currently has; she watches more t.v. than she would like. It’s difficult for her to initiate activities so the t.v. is more of a default and she would like some help to find other ways to spend her time. She walks her dog each day, and has some friends and family who are particularly helpful and others she would like to see more of. We brainstormed a number of things she could do rather than watch t.v., such as listening to audio books, looking at books with patterns and pictures that stimulate ideas, having someone help with crafts for Christmas, and exercise videos on YouTube. She sees a time in the near future when she (and Bob) would benefit from in home services, which would also give her added companionship. Aside from more visits with family and friends, these are all things the Alzheimer’s Society in her area can assist us in setting up. 

We found some maybe better wifi so....

On the way out of town we drove down to the river to see the Roman bridge and also we were hopeful to have a view back up to the old city. It seemed to work out.

There is a GR route that runs through Carcassonne and leads southward to the Pyrenees and eventually joins with the Frances as we will. I’ve looked at the route on maps and it does look interesting as it spends more time in the mountains. On the foot of the bridge we found our first indication of this route.

There is a small church at the base of the bridge called Our Lady of Good Health where these route markers were located. Inside it was quiet and I was alone when I took these photos.

Étape 9: Cahuzac- Besombes, 25 kms, sunny, warm, 26

Saturday Markets!

Imagine our surprise this morning, though I guess it shouldn’t have been, when we found an even bigger market setup in the central square on our way to find breakfast. 

It was just 7 AM and already there were lots of people checking out the produce and many more people beginning to stream in. Pretty exciting I suppose, but  where’s my breakfast? We did eventually find it in the various stalls and we sat in the dark by the river munching away.

Then we piled into the car and Super Domestic Bob drove the team out of Castres 30kms down the road to where we’d finished up yesterday. And off we went with a nice downhill start. I knew it was going to be a good day!

And of course Le Trois Pelerins had to play with their shadows!

As the sun came up behind us.

Soon after my compatriots found a perch and there was a bit of resistance to continuing.

Not all dogs one meets on the Chemin bark at us. A very select few are very supportive once they read our pennes on our packs.

We walked into the very cool medieval town of Sorèze and took our time wandering the streets as we passed through. A real gem held in time, and not a tour bus in sight!

One of the highlights of the walk I think.

We reluctantly left town and headed direction Revel where we would meet Bob. It’s also our place where we will place our heads tonight and recover. 

Were we having fun? Of course!

It took a while to connect with Bob, but once we did we walked into the centre of town and found...a Saturday market! A huge market where markets have been held since the 11th C. 

The big roof in the centre of the square is held up by huge beams and is the core of the market. 

So we’d seen these massive cooking pans earlier today filled with paella and other delights and I really wanted some, but it was too early. But it was now close to noon, so we purchased some and took it along with us as Annemarie and I walked on.

This was lunch today beside a stream we followed for a further 15 kms. Oh, there was also a brownie too! Gotta keep the energy and spirits up:)

We will continue along this stream all day tomorrow, so I won’t talk about this today except to say that it meandered along and the trees bordering provided us with lovely shade on a warm afternoon. We met up with our Kiwi family from a couple of days ago and they have taken a day off in Revel to recover from a bit of heat stroke. A good reminder about just how hot it gets out there on the trail. 

A few months ago Annemarie made arrangements for Kathy to join a Burnaby based Alzheimer’s support group provided by the BC Alzheimer Society. Kathy has been going fairly regularly. Bob has sent them a few of our walking photos and they’ve been really excited about what Kathy is doing and shared them amoung the group. As an indication of where the donations towards our Camino For Alzheimer’s Awareness go, $100 provides some one in the early stages of dementia with the opportunity to join others for 5 sessions of Minds In Motion, a social and fitness program. $500 funds a person to attend. Support group like Kathy is or a support group like Annemarie facilitates for caregivers for a year. We thought that by breaking things down a bit that everyone would have a better idea about where their donations end up. By the way, we are pleased to note that we’ve received 4 nice donations the past week, and thanks so much for this. We really appreciate the support!

Conversations With Kathy:

Following up on a comment Kathy made yesterday I asked her what people can do to help when she is having difficulty conversing. Yesterday she noted that she misses having good conversations, and if people are patient, she’ll get there. Today she started by noting there are good days and bad days, and the amount of help required varies accordingly...so if one day conversation is difficult, try again another day. I have also been reminded that introducing the conversation early, rather than later in the day works better. I asked if asking questions to seek clarification is a help or a hindrance, and she responded that most of the time it’s helpful. Kathy understands about the plaques and tangles that are getting in the way, and she will sometimes say “just wait, and my brain will catch up “ while making a weaving motion with her hands to show the roundabout pathway her brain is taking. She also said that conversing while walking is helpful; there’s something about walking and talking that works for most of us, and we’re finding great opportunities on these days together.

Bon Chemin!

Étape 8: Castres - Cahuzac, 31 kms Hot, Sunny & Wonderful! 30

Happy Feet, Happy Pelerin!

The crew was up and ready to head off to the square for a quick breakfast, partially found in  the food market that was just setting up Then it was so long to Bob and Le Trois Pelerin were off and away, eager for a new day. We followed the river out of town which a nice way to depart before the busy early morning roads.

After a bit of a harried time walking along a busy highway we found quieter ways and met the first of many new friends today. This group happily enjoyed all the handfuls of grass that we could give them!

Then back along a river for a time to a peaceful place.

There were definitely some hills to cross today, but we are heading towards an ancient lake bed where it’s more suitable for Kathy to walk. 

Walking with Kathy

Looking for the positives

Our time together


Using a tracker on Kathy’s cell phone, Bob caught up to us and took a game, but tired Kathy back to Castres for a shower and a nap while we carried on for the next 5 hours.

And then there were two. We arrived into the village of Viviers where we stopped at the city hall and had our credentials stamped and they were really pleased to see us. A very nice reception and a very Chemin oriented stamp, as have been many on this way. We’d read that often this wasn’t the case, but so far it seems to be the norm. 

Then off down country roads...

...and surprisingly we passed by this very old former windmill, now part of a farming complex.

We walked onwards, all the while my boots were getting more and more comfortable. My crushed toes slowly stopped hurting, even the small one Ken. Nice shiny boots that will look slightly different at the end of this adventure. Funnily enough, Annemarie and I have ended up in the same boots! Never saw that one coming.

We stopped at Dourgne at a posh restaurant for a cold drink and were seated at a plastic table away from the dinning British folks. Can’t say I blame them. It was hot and no doubt we were probably not at our best:) We were just happy to sit a while and enjoy a cold beverage, on ice no less! We then retired to a bench in the square where we shared our baguette chicken sandwich we’d purchased this morning. So good!! 

After our all to brief rest we headed back out into the heat. How hot was it? Look at what happened to these sunflowers,

Annemarie’s 2nd Conversation with Kathy

We had just met a woman on the road who wished us well. Although our French is poor, and her English appeared non-existent, we understood each other well enough to learn that her mother had died of Alzheimer’s. This triggered my next conversation with Kathy...I asked her what reactions and responses she gets when she tells people she has Alzheimer’s. She kind of shrugged, and I told her about the range of reactions we’ve experienced (see following piece - Responses and reactions). Yes, she said, that was what she has experienced as well. She said that when people shut down, they just need more time. And then we talked about those who respond with “I’m sorry to hear that” and she said that’s another way of ending the conversation, and those people need more time too. She talked briefly about losing contact with some family and friends because they don’t know how to respond to her, especially since she has lost the art of conversation...more on that tomorrow.

Responses and Reactions: When we have told people about our Camino for Alzheimer’s Awareness, we typically get one of three responses; a) people are excited or inspired, b) they indicate that someone close to them has Alzheimer’s and we have a discussion about our experiences, or c) people shut down completely. We had the latter experience a few nights ago over dinner when we were chatting with a walker who finished his walk in Lunas. We proudly pointed out the Camino for Alzheimer’s Awareness on our shirts, and he immediately shut down and turned away. I have heard from members of my support group that this reaction is not uncommon, adding to the feelings of loneliness that people with Alzheimer’s and their families experience. It was a good reminder to us, and reinforced the importance of building awareness.

I want to add that Kathy and Bob did meet us in Cahuzac, both napping in the car:)

Lastly, we also want to say a particularly special hello to my cousin Gord and his wife Karen up in Prince George, BC. They were to have met the four of us in Castres to walk onwards to Toulouse, but fate intervened as it often does. About two months ago Gord experienced a stroke which changed everything in their lives for a time and has impacted the whole family. The support and response from family and friends has been wonderful, clearly indicating the high regard they are held in. I’m delighted to hear from their daughter Melanie that Gord has worked very hard and behaved well enough to earn weekend passes! We speak of you both often as we walk, knowing that you will, in time, find your way back to your passion for walking. As the French say to us when we pass by, “Courage!”.

Bon Chemin