I’m currently in Lyon, France but almost wound up in Hungry via Paris. The lovely Hungarian woman I met while searching for a last minute ride from the Yoga Festival to a train station almost had me changing plans. She offered me a ride across Germany and Austria with a tour of Hungary and Prague but first wanted to stop in Paris for a couple of nights. She was traveling with a couple of other people who work for her that were doing all the driving. It was one of those semi defining moments but I chose to stick with my plans and a burning desire walk a long distance with a heavy pack on my back. Go figure. Sometimes I don’t really make sense to myself. We parted with smiles at a train station and she left me with an open invitation to visit anytime.
From Blois I traveled via train to Lyon, France where I’m staying two nights with a Frenchman named Frederich. I met Frederich several years ago while attending a summer solstice “White Tantric” meditation in New Mexico. We were on the veggie chopping crew and I had long forgotten about our meeting but Frederich hadn’t. He recognized me right away and I quickly remembered him.
Frederich owns a yoga studio in Lyon and lives on the premises. It’s a nice small place with two sleeping lofts. It’s set within a large old building in the city. The floor plan is old and natural with wood floors and large wood beams. The French have a good sense of decor and it shows. The place has both a studio and homey feel. It’s quite nice.
Frederich’s girlfriend Stephanie attended the yoga festival as well and joined us for dinner last night. This morning Stephanie and I went to the market. Wow! French markets are the best. Everything so fresh and incredible with a large percentage being organic. So much variety and everything good. It’s great getting to know Frederich and Stephanie. They’re really nice people and it’s always good to make new friends.
Tomorrow I’ll travel to Le Puy In Velay where I’ll be starting a walk that will last around 4 weeks. For those who know me you might recall that I walked the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain two years ago. Outside of Spain there are a number of routes across Europe that funnel into the Camino de Santiago. One of the most famous stretches outside of Spain goes from Le Puy to St. Jean Pied Port. It’s a mix of trails and quiet rural roads that pass through numerous small villages. I’ll likely meet others from all over the world but not near as many as I met in Spain.
The walk has been on my mind for awhile and it’s been quite a journey getting to it considering all that happened during the beginning of this trip. Ultimately I was not planning on walking from Le Puy this summer but a turn of events has led me back to the Camino. Before I start I’ll visit the cathedral in Ley Puy and pick up a pilgrims credential from the priest in order to obtain pilgrim stamps along the way. Tomorrow I’ll be a Peregrino again.
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