Kindness

“Where will you stay?”  That is a question I’ve been asked a lot and I ask myself each day…. I have a list of suggested accommodations from the Pilgrim Organisation in France. However it’s early in the season and things aren’t open, and the list may well be an old one.  I usually check in with the tourist office in town and get their help mid afternoon.

I thought I was in luck when they told me the next town had a dedicated pilgrim place.  But it’s shut on Wednesday afternoon and we can’t get the key because everyone has gone home and nobody is answering their phone! That led me to a charming B&B instead and the host who drove me into a nearby town where the Lebanese pizza place didn’t shut on Wednesday.  I had the best pizza ever together with a wonderful simulating conversation with the owner/chef.  I was the only customer all night.

Then I arrived in the rose capital of France on a drizzly evening looking for somewhere to stay.  My list had an English couple who aren’t doing overnight stays anymore but invited me for a coffee, which turned into delicious homemade soup and beans on toast like never before flavoured with blue cheese and balsamic vinegar.  “Please stay” said Katie and Malcolm: “we’ll have to fix the shower first but you’re welcome”.

Such simple kindness is actually massive to a travelling pilgrim.  Warm food, a warm bed and a warm shower, what more can you wish for? Thank you Katie and Malcolm.  Your generous hospitality is gratefully received and your smiling encouragement helps me pedal onwards on this big exploring adventure.