friends – Tash on The Way

The end of the world and of the blog

I left before the sun was up again this morning and I was straight into the forest. There was a time when I would have been too scared to walk into the dark, not anymore. After a couple of kilometres I was out and onto the road and it started raining. Somehow it felt right that there was some rain on my last day of walking. Luckily I wasn’t on the road for long. I was back on the dirt tracks and very quickly I had my first views to the ocean. But there was still a long way to go.

I had to walk for 13km before I would reach the coast and another 15km to the town of Finistère. As I got closer to the ocean the sky started to clear, the sun came out. Those last 15km were some of the hardest I’ve done. The terrain was easy but I was tired and I felt every step. I was slow.

When I arrived at Finistère I was able to leave my backpack before starting the final hike to the End of the World. Heading up that last hill was joyous. No tears this time. I was happy to be walking along the cliffs and getting so close to the end. The final kilometres were slow, but then, finally, I arrived at that 0km sign.

I have walked across an entire country, traversed the Pyrenees and a good part of France. I cannot believe that I have walked so far and seen and experienced so much. I am proud of what I’ve done and extremely grateful to have had the freedom to go on an adventure.

I am lucky to have crossed paths with the wonderful people who made my adventure so special. I have met many people and made many friends. But Karina, Annie, Donald, Andreas, Antonio, Wouter and Katia shared their strength with me and made sure I’d keep going when I had nothing left. There were turns and trials along the way that led me to each of them. I would not change a single thing.

And now it’s done and so am I. I’ve put down my backpack and unlaced my boots for the final time. It’s time to stop following those yellow arrows, I’ll have to work out where I’m going without them.

Au revoir mes amies

Tonight I said a final goodbye to Karina and Annie. They also plan to walk to Santiago however they’ll complete their journey across three years. Today we entered Moissac together and after dinner we said a sad goodbye. They will take a train to Bordeaux tomorrow and fly back to Canada from there. It was wonderful sharing the way with them. I have been so lucky to enjoy their friendship and their courage through the many uphill and downhill challenges. I will miss them tomorrow as I head off by myself and each day after.

In happier news I passed the 400km mark today. I have come so far, but there’s still a long way to go. No doubt I’ll meet many new friends along the way.

In Laurzete last night with Karina and Annie

Friends on the trail

There are little patterns emerging now. Most people on the trail seem to keep the same routines and walk at a steady pace. So it means the daily interactions I have are becoming predictable. It’s nice.

There’s Donald from Canada who starts a little later than me but walks a lot quicker. He’s always smiling. He plans to walk the French portion of the trail and will finish in St Jean de Pied. That will be my half way point. He usually passes me about an hour into my walk.

There’s Laurence, who I often start the day with but as we walk at slightly different paces we seperate during the morning or up the hills. But we regularly arrive at rest stops at around the same time. Today we took our lunch together at a park in St Felix. She is walking a different route from tomorrow, so we’ll be saying goodbye tonight.

There’s also a large group of campers who are always at the bars at night. They seem to start a bit later, but they are strong walkers and often pass me during the day.

And then there’s Karina and Annie who I see regularly and often catch up with at the end of the stage. And we’ve taken to meeting at the church to go for evening aperitif. Obviously my favourite part of the day.

Todays walk was a little bit quiet. Very peaceful but without the breathtaking scenery of the last few stages. At one point I felt like I could have been going for a bush walk on Red Hill in Canberra. But of course I’m in France and I’m resting in Figeac tonight.