Shops in France

Many shops in France is only open 5 days a week, closed on Sunday and Monday! Good for the staff, but not the customers.

France have a lot of socialist values, but then this the country that coined the phrase: Quality, freedom and brotherhood - so it is not so surprising is it?

Panorama from AutoStitch 20110530

Panorama Cathedral Aire-sur-l'Adore
But trad church has a certain beauty!

Un petit cafe for Daddy

Barcelona de'Gers 20110530

20110530 Alter aerie of Cathedral of Aire-sur-l'Adore

Working place for the priest?

Traditional church versus cell church

Aire-sur-l'Adore Cathedral 20110530

I am starting to feel that traditional church is really losing it's grip on me.
And the Catholic church is the most traditional of them all.
This cathedral has this enormous quire/space around the altar. It's fenced of.

The purpose in ancient times must have been to instill in the believers the holiness of God and also the position of the priest who could enter into this space.

But what about the priesthood of the believers? This kind if church and liturgies they have makes the church of living stones almost impossible to contemplate.

I wonder how these buildings speaks to the average French person? I hope I can find someone to ask.

Early foggy morning at DuBarry

20110530 kl 08:00

The most beautiful toilet window in the world?

In the Gite of DuBarret before Aire-sur-L'Adour. Real stained glass window.

Even the French names are more beautiful than un English

This cat did not like me.

This where I lived last night

In the three hundred year old barn of Le Haget a farm and horse riding centre. Very good food, Flock for aperitif and Armagnac for dessert (special Brandy for this part of France)

Nogaro is a great place!

Why? Because the bar La Progress allows you to bring your own croisant to your petit cafe and have open internet!

Sent from my iPhone Ole Jacob Groenvold

Very nice and friendly French couples

And the food was great ofcourse!

Pilgrim feet Manciet 20110528

Just got my third bandage on my foot. The front blister burst by itself - so I just slapped another omnifix on it without lancing. Good or bad to wait for it to burst? We will see.
Continued below

Gate for the king of the road

The tree musketeers

Now we are five after I joined

In AGLC we believe prayer is the key!

Trails for the slightly deranged but yet able bodied persons

Sometimes it is hard

Walking can be tough and the 29 km today made my feet burn but the knee problem I felt this morning sort of disappeared! Prayed about and thak God this old body is still working!

How to treat blisters

Before you scroll furherdown, please be aware there is a certain yukkiness of the picture.

8 am and I can see Lectour across the fields

Been walking since 6:30 am in cool sunshine on my third day of walking. Plans to do about 25 km today and just see where I end up. Have not booked anything and will take my chanses.

The long and winding road 20110526

Hot! About 32 degrees!
Doing 29 km today and so picking up distance. Not bad for a 59 year old.

But yesterday I had a good long talk with Paul from Exeter in England. He was doing the Camino with two steel hips! And he was 75! He told me his wife had popped her clogs some years ago. (Very colloquial English for being dead)

Lectour 20110525

Catholicism in France as seen in the Cathedral churches in Lectour and Romiuo is leaving me increasingly cold.

The churches in France are so far from my ideal church - which is actually a simple for of gathering of caring brothers and sisters. A church of living stones. A church of disciples.

End if the world

Somebody said the end of the world would come at 21/5 of May 2011. Did it? I did not notice. If it came it would be good,

On the other hand I am enjoying life and food here in France. Just had a great dinner again this time Salad special from this aerie with duck meat, rose wine and an Apertif a pre meal drink with the local speciality Armanaque and white wine. Now I feel motivated for tomorrow! I am also ready for sleep at 8:30pm

Pain barrier in Norwegian and English

Gikk 29km idag og brøt vel igjennom smertemuren. Hardt. Akkurat nå er ikke lysten til å fortsette veldig sterk, men den er tilbake i morgen kl 06:30 etter frokost. Planlegger en hviledag i morgen med bare 16km til Condom.

Walked for 29 km today and broke through a pain barrier. Don't feel very motivated right now, but tomorrow after breakfast at 06:30am the drive will be back! Planning on a "rest" day for tomorrow with only 16km to Condom.

Life is beautiful out here in The countryside

Castet Arrouy 20110524
Bad thing none of you my Friends is here enjoying it with me,
Good thing I am alone and can do things just as I like it.

Had breakfast at 06:15 today and started walking at 6:45 just when the sun got up. Nice and cool about 10 degrees. Now at 12 it is closer to thirty. Made 15km today and tomorrow I will go for about 20-25km

Icecream apple and cream in St. Antoin

Yummy dinnertime.

First lunch

St. Antoine 20110523
Anne Vitot owner of Gite La Petit Luminiere drove me to
Auvilar from Moissac, so now I have walked my first nine km this year and are eating Lunch here. I believed due to my limited French this was it, but it turned out it was just the starter. Got a bed for tonight so this is great!

First morning in southern France

20110523 On train towards Moissac
I am watching the sunrise coming outside. Red above clear blue across the fields and the filds zipping by. Temperature feels like it is about 10-15 degrees. looks like it is going to be a glorious day.

Air France is trying to squeeze you for your hard earned cach

Checking in for France this morning I had packed on suitcase and one backpack total 19kg.
They told me I could only check in one piece and the other one would set me back HKD 700,-

Quite nasty surprise really although OFCOURSE it must have been written in small letters someplace.

Anyway they did not get me this time. I repacked my backpack into my suitcase that is expandable via a zipper and voila as the French say, I saved myself a cool 700 with 10 minutes work. I am going to treat myself with wine and good food for those money!

On my way to France

Friends
Outside Amazing Grace Church in Hong Kong yesterday! All keyed up for another long walk in France towards Compostella

This is where I come from! And I carry in my hearth all of my friends and the prayer requests they have or have not given me.

I plan to blog to my Pilgrim blog http://Pilgrimchina@blogspot.com

Some of you get this mail directly from the blog. If you would like to follow me and pray for and with me please read it, its not a virus. This mail probably will be double.
Have a good time in HK

På flyplassen den 22/5 2011

Sent from my iPhone                   Ole Jacob Groenvold

Begin forwarded message:

From: Ole Jacob Grønvold <jackgroenvold@gmail.com>
Date: 22 May, 2011 9:33:46 GMT+08:00
To: <olejacobg.pilgrim-from-china@blogger.com>
Subject: På flyplassen den 22/5 2011

Dette er en test.

Jeg er nå på HK flyplass på vei til Frankrike, boarding om ti minutter

In the HK airport, boarding in 10 minutes – on my way to France and Paris and a pilgrimage

 

Mvh ojg