Headed out from the relatives' house by car for about 10 km to St. Arnual where I started my 20+ km trek on the German side to Freyming-Merlebach in France. It was good to be on the Camino again even though their house (some 20 or 30 km from the French border) turned out to be a local German St James Way destination, namely to the statue of Our Lady with Arrows.
And even though I saw many waymarkers in Germany, I didn't see one for quite a while in France. Had to trust my electronic map, which at times makes me nervous. So it was reassuring when I spotted my first shell in France (see pic). Also, finding a pilgrim-priced roof over my head (or any roof, for that matter) is getting more difficult: vacation time, small towns with no hotels, etc. But walking some of the peaceful paths, like the one in the pic, melts all your concerns--that's what it's all about.
