A day walking on the shoulder of the road required harder work to see the beauty of the day. The cinder shoulder provided softer footing but pepper-size pebbles found their way in your shoes. Shoes were repeatedly removed and shaken out.
The Chemin Des Outsouais had found accommodations which were located a day’s walking distance apart. These accommodations were described in broad strokes. Churches, community centers, and residents stepped up to the challenge. Tonight’s lodging was the basement of a home. Tiny feet pattered above our heads.
Wild things…
Dozens of turtles were making their way from the wetland to the cinder path. It was egg laying season without the benefit of a midwife. We passed a hundred mounds of cinder and sand where turtles had deposited eggs. Whenever one of us approached the turtles, they reposition themselves to be face-to-face. I could only imagine them saying, “Don’t mess with me or mine.”
Walking on water was exactly what Google.map showed as today’s route…until you zoomed-in. The thinnest bit of land laid between the wetlands and the river. It was a gem alive with small animals and vistas.
Life has a way of getting in the way even on the Camino. Elise needed to go home. Desperately she tried to arrange a taxi, Uber, or Lyft. No such convenience in small towns. Danielle arranged for her husband to pick her up. What kindness❤️.
St-Jean-l’Évangéliste Church’s steeple could be spotted above the tree line approaching Thurso. Its community hall, complete with shower, provided our night’s rest. But who’s tired?
Several families provided comfort stations for weary Camino travelers. A place to sit, slip your shoes off, and refill water bottles.
Quebec’s beauty was revealed in its country roads. Everything was a lush deep green.
The advantage of city roads was you never were far from the Dolarama Store, i.e. Dollar Store. The Dolorama had sandpaper to smooth the a beaver gnawed walking stick Arnold had found. Diversions are always welcomed.
Linda Scandore 