Pedro Saint James road hiking

Santiago de Compostela

When the first rays of sunlight sipped through the curtains to tickle Pedro's face in his b'n'b room, he was snoring energically.

Pedro had really enjoyed the locavore table d'hôtes that he had booked the previous evening, and had consequently devoured all the vegetables from the garden, as well as the farandole of local products put onto his plate, without batting as much as an eyelash. Now, his healthy digestion made him a tad noisy... But not as much as the alarm clock suddenly going off in the room and echoing on the walls.

The sloth groggily got out of his comfy bed, his movements still rather unreliable in this early morning. He'd be awake soon enough anyway, for today was a big day; the beginning of an adventure carefully planned by Pedro.

It was the start of a hiking week. And not just any hikes, judging by the equipment Pedro brought with him. If Pedro doesn't really have the soul of a hiker or a pilgrim, he sure is incorrigibly curious, and thirsty for new experiences. As a consequence, he prepared himself to walk along the famous GR 65, the "Via Podensis" from the Puy en Velay to St Jacques de Compostelle.

His goal was not to do the whole pilgrimage on foot, but to soak himself in the astmosphere, to go forward conjointly with other hikers met on the whim of the road, to exchange, forge new friendships, and enjoy the forgotten nature around him.

Considering what his intial goal was, Pedro wasn't disappointed about his hike. The weather proved to be particularly pleasant that day, and Pedro enjoyed the nice breeze in his pelt while he was steadily advancing on a path trampled by thousands of feet before his own, the horizon clear before him.

Tonight, Pedro was going to sleep in a new Bed And Breakfast house found in KooKooning (of course), with another local table d'hôtes. He thoroughly enjoyed his day, following his own rhythme, however a part of him was bouncing impatiently at the idea of arriving at his next destination. He was thristy for new experiences for sure, but he was even hungrier, especially for tasty food. And definitely after a long day of hiking.

He couldn't wait to see what was on the menu.

Posted on Jan. 29, 2016.