Yesterday was down, today was up. I only walked 13.1 km (8+ mi) to guarantee lodging and give my Achilles Tendon a rest--marvelous results. I stopped at a l'Office de Tourisme first, then bought a sandwich to go, and met a welcoming lady for the Organization called Maison des Art. Keeping in mind that Brioux has a population of around 1500, I have a hard time getting my arms around this organization and its ability to own/run this four-bedroom house for pilgrims! (A few pictures don't do it justice--and at pilgrims' prices, with a fully stocked kitchen, and with Wi-Fi.) They also manage to accomplish quite a lot for the community.
It's a gîte (pronounced like the second g in garage: ʒit) and technically to be called a gîte, the owner must live close by in order to provide help, assistance, and a warm welcome to guests. And I stress "warm," because this hostess actually came down the street and found me eating my sandwich, then retrieved my walking poles for me that I left at the boulangerie, took me to the house, and showed me around. It made all the difference in the world. Then she tried to help me with the next reservation.
After a brief rest, I found the photo op place for the Brioux iconic shot of the St Jacques Portal with church in background! I feel like I'm on convalescent leave, but the rest feels good.
