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A long walk in the October air of southern France is a marvellous way to clean the soul and get a bit of fitness into the heart and legs. This time as i was late in the year, the challenge is to find somewhere to bed down as many of the generous spirited hostelries had shut up for the winter, quite right I’d say, as there were very few of us tramping those worn Caminos.

With the famous shell on my pack the doors opened up and be it a chapel, a monastic dormitory or a rough cold tent I found a pillow and caught up on the much needed rest. Donativo is a new term to me but is now common on the Camino as hosted places to stay with a volunteer charge : needless to say the magnanimity of the patrons deserved a good payment beyond those who list their room and meal rates.  

And as you may know a stamp in the book to endorse one’s stay on the path to Compestella.

rubber stamps each night

I manage a few sketches before the worst event of having my sketch book snatched in a crowded and dark station as I made my way to cover the ground.  

I had some very quick and poor quality shots which I have salvaged from my video runs. How annoying and but it’s the action of completing the sketches that is the pleasure and not necessarily the record for others.

Donativo stop: L’encre

Condom Coffee stop