Bicycle repaired and to L'Hospital-St Blaise

Today began after another great nights sleep. After packing up outside on the patio below my room,

I found a small bike and motorcycle repair shop right in town and was able to get my shifter cable fixed. I also bought a French/English dictionary, more maps of southern France and some fruit, cheese and bread for the day. The small town was a busy tourist stop.

I also toured around on foot in this old medieval walled city. 

I didn't hit the road until 1:00. Soon I encountered a very intense Canadian rider headed my way. He was going all of the way to the Mediterranean. He thought he would make it in 4 days and had his rout all picked out with rooms reserved. I looked at his itinerary and didn't say but thought he was crazy. Not my style, I headed out on the same route a few minutes ahead of him thinking he would catch me in a few miles. Instead it took him over a half hour and about 10 miles to catch me. I wished him luck and moved on at my own leisurely pace.

All day long the Pierenies loomed to my south.

Although I had avoided them, I still was able to get in 2 or 3 good climbs today. Near the end of the day I thought I would head into Orolon a pretty big town for a room, but about 5:30 when I made a wrong turn I came across by accident an old hospital that was now a historic site. And when I saw the yellow shell, the sign of the el Camino trail I knew I was in luck and had tripped over an albergue.

There was a young couple who lived there and in exchange for free rent took care of the place. They were really great, and the bunk house was in an old stone building next to the church. There was a middle aged French couple with 4 grown children, an older Italian couple walking el Camino in stages, 2 weeks at a time over 10 years from Italy to Santiago and a crazy Australian guy I had dinner with.

He was recently divorced and doing the walk to find a new wife. From what I saw of the ratio of men to women on the trail, he would have no problem.