Today, Stephen and JP hiked 17 miles from Lauzerte to Moissac, France in 5.5 hours. I took a different route. You know, God said “on the 7th day you should rest”, so I only hiked the last 10 miles of this route in 4 hours. My watch says that I still took 27,726 steps, climbed 50 flights of stairs, and burned 1,285 calories.
Now, I did not hike alone. I actually spent the day hiking with 2 people I met on the trail just 2 days ago – Lacey and Ryan from Idaho. In the USA, I would never leave the safety and security of my friends to venture into the wilderness with perfect strangers. But on the camino there are no strangers. People who make these treks usually have a love of humanity and/or a spiritual yearning that propels them forward. These two folks seemed to be wholesome, fun-loving adventurers with a slightly spiritual bent. I was just hoping they were not Mormon serial killers. (Is that even a thing?) So despite my initial trepidation, I threw caution to the wind and enjoyed a wonderful hike to Moissac. We laughed, shared family stories ( yes, Matt Cognetti, your antics came up multiple times) and talked about life. We also had a prepackaged lunch on a hilltop, that JP told us was “very sad”. He was right about the food, but the company and conversation made up for it.
When we arrived in town, we stopped by the Abby de St. Pierre de Moissac where I lit a candle for my son Ryan.
I also looked closely at the figures on the tympanum over the main doors of the abby. My friend, Becky Bilbo, has taught me that they usually tell a story. This one seems to be about the last supper as I counted 12 figures looking up to God The Father, surrounded by some angels.
We ended our hike with a cold iced tea at a table by the river.
I want to thank Lacey and Ryan for sharing their hike with me today. I found them to be exceptionally generous and thoughtful people, (even though Ryan looks like the Unibomber in his hoodie). After today’s adventure, they are no longer strangers. I am happy to call them friends.
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