What a beautiful cool day for walking, but not so good day for finding lodging. Got to Blye 16.1 km, which is located on the right bank of the Gironde estuary (which is some 3 km (1.9 mi) wide at this point). Although I thought I would find something here, I couldn't and ended taking the ferry across the estuary, walking another 5 km, and taking the train to Le Bouscat, a suburb of Bordeaux, for lodging at a refuge Jaqunaire (at 10€/night). This is a great place at the corner of a huge cemetery--NO, it's not spooky!
The plan is to take the train back up tomorrow morning and backfilling the hike. My walk to Blaye was filled with scenes of fishermen on the banks of small streams interspersed with bevies of swans, each scene forcing you to stop and "smell the roses." Also, wall-to-wall vineyards and chateaus (several pictures)! When I arrived at Blaye, its citadel greeted me and I entered its gates. I could have spent hours there, but sufficed it with lunch (and a picture from my table). Then I worked with the Office de Tourisme to get lodging, and rushed to make the next train in order to meet the hospitalero. And the "rushing" just aggravates the Achilles heel--I had no choice.
Dinner tonight was as if there were no tomorrow: steak tartare with a raw duck's egg along with a bowl of small filled potato-dough pockets swimming in a Gorgonzola sauce and my first taste of local Bordeaux wine! Words elude me--suffice it to say, I was off the pilgrim's fare, as you can see from the photo. This more than makes up for lunches of plain bread and water while resting on my backpack--it's been an absolute roller coaster!
