On my way along "Via Tolosana" - the first days

 ... soon it's time again after the loooong Covid-19 pandemics ...

This time I'm planning to walk the old pilgrim route "Chemin d'Arles / Via Tolosana". It's one of the four traditional pilgrim routes towards Santiago de Compostella trough France. This route starts in the city of Arles in southern France near Marseilles. 

I've earlier walked "Via Podiensis" that traditionally starts in Le Puy-en-Velay. Personally I did start it a bit earlier in Lausanne and walked via Geneva to Le Puy as an extra bonus. 

So this time I plan to start in Arles and walk towards Toulouse. Later I hope to continue "Via Tolosana" from Toulouse to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the traditional starting point towards Spain. A person knowing the pilgrim routes through France will remark: but Via Tolosana does not go trough St-Jean. After Oloron-Ste-Marie it passes into Spain through Col du Somport. That is correct. But from Oloron-Ste-Marie there is now also an alternative route towards St-Jean.

During my walk I expect to blog to make it possible to follow me. And that is the blog I'm starting here. 

2021-09-21 Gothenburg – Marseilles - Arles

The flying down to Marseilles was rather uneventful, but lots of checks of course. … and a lot of documents to complete. But it’s like this in these days of covid-19.

I had to get myself from the airport itself to a not-so-large railway station Vitrelle. I thought that I could walk. But not. The whole airport was surrounded by motorways that you couldn’t cross. So after having tried all around for more than an hour I had to give up and find a local bus instead. And that worked.

After some waiting, I got on the train and 40 minutes later I arrived at Arles. I passed through the historical center with the arena from the roman days. First gladiators the at the 19:th century in became a bull ring, Spanish style. Now just a memory. The place where I intended to stay was just south of the arena. A guy from Poland and I got in. We were more or less alone in our part of the gite. He was an environmentalist and was to discover Camargue.

I sent the evening walking around the central historical parts. Went to bed early since I was up at 3 in the morning.

2021-09-21 Arles - St-Gilles – Vauvert (45/45 km)

A long day mainly walking on top of the flood protection first towards Rhône then towards Le petit Rhône that are limiting Camargue, the flat delta land wit a lot of history. That part of the day was rather uneventful but warm in the sun. Passed over an old, abandoned railway bridge and then up to St-Giles. A fine little city where I could have stayed but it was too early. I just had my lunch there and continued across Petit Camargue. Fairly flat also with a lot of plantations of fruit and wine. Had to pass a route deviation made to get around heavy traffic. More flat agricultural land. Walked along an irrigation channel for quite a while and then up through a hilly landscape. I was towards the end rather tired and dry. Advice – bring a lot of drinking water. I was asked by a runner if he could help me. But I said that we were so close to Vauvert so I could do it. And I could. Due to my fatigue I had to find a hotel and did so. An evening alone. 

I have noted that the marking of this road is of a very varying standard. Sometimes good, sometimes non-existing. You often need map and a GPS and a good handbook to find the way. Otherwise you are quickly lost, especially in the cities.

2021-09-22 Vauvert - St Christol -  Sommières (35/75 km) 

(Re-created since my notes from this day were lost) A long day again. Started well and I walked through more farmland and some villages. Often with very little service. Towards the late afternoon I got into St Christol known for its castle from "Les Cevalliers de Malta" later "Les Chevallieres des Hopitalleres". But no hospitality. I did not find the Gite and asked for several "Chambres d'Hoste". But no - impossible. Everything closed. Got an address to a place outside the village. Walked there - but they were not open according to the people there. The owner, a lady and her grown-up son(?) gave me a refreshment and then she drove me to the next city, Sommiéres, where there should be a place. Almost right - but the address was wrong. I walked around for about an hour but found nothing open. In desperation I asked for an hotel and a bit east I found one - in the old railway station. After a lot of discussion I got a room. And that's it.

2021-09-23 Sommières - St Christol - Vendargues (30/105 km) 

The day started bad. I asked for a taxi to St Christol, but none could be found. o I had to walk thee 7 km to St Christol along the roadside. Not so pleasant. 

Then a calm day walking through a slightly hilly landscape, trough fields and small forests. A very good lunch in St Geniès-des-Morgues. Then onwards again. But I realized that I was very tired, very very tired. Had to stop and rest at the roadside twice. I realized that I could not reach Montpellier. So I looked in my book and fond that there should be a roadside hotel in Vendargues. And it was. Not full, but a lot of families from India. Refugees, guest workers?? Don't know. But I was more or less alone in the dining room that night. A peculiar feeling. 

2021-09-24 Vendargues - Montpellier - Grabels (24/129 km) 

Calm at the hotel in the morning. I was alone at the breakfast. Went into a Lidel shop nearby to buy more batteries for the GPS. They are causing problems all the time. But the GPS is very(!) necessary. Otherwise you get lost all the time. Especially in the cities. The markings are often non-existent. I did also try to buy some toothpaste. But it proved later that I had bought a paste to fixate loose teeth in the mouth. Not the very best toothpaste!!!

Walked through a lots of parks into the center Montpellier. Got there eventually after having admired their tramps having such fantastic colors. Gothenburg has something to learn! Montpellier - a fairly big city - seems to be an interesting place in many aspects.

Leaving east I walked a while along a fantastic aqueduct. Built when? Romans or later? 

Back and forth trough parks an medical centers. Eventually reaching Grabels. In the old part outside the church I was identified as a pilgrim by a lady on a bike. After she had showed me the pilgrim entry to the church I asked about a gite nearby. And it proved to be only 15 m from the church. But you had to phone a person to get the code to get in. With a bit of mutual help we got in. 

Aloone - the whole night. Was out getting a pizza. But that's all. Still problems to upload my photos from the last days. The PC in complaining about the lack of external WiFi. It maybe so. I'll see if I can get around that....