hike day 9: beduer

what a gorgeous deviation along the gr651. on one side are stunning rocky cliffs of dizzying heights and on the other the meandering cele river with its sweet lullaby. a group of peregrine falcons rode the thermals a dozen metres away and aside from the gaggle of rabbits, i had the whole place to myself. ahh, que de beaute.

made my way through rugged mountain terrain to st-sulpice with nary another pilgrim in sight. this quaint little village's claim to fame is the half-dozen "troglodyte" houses that levitate between heaven and earth as they hang off the high cliffs. it is as though someone or something got down to the task of carving them out of the cliffside, then in a 3 century fit of procrastination left them half finished. consequently, they look like half houses precariously perched on the cliffs. also, the houses have been modernized with all manner of architectural trills so the clash of eras is striking against a backdrop of charcoal and rust coloured cliffs. what an extraordinary feat of engineering.

to cap the day, i threw together a simple pasta with the most divine blue cheese sauce. if heaven is the kingdom of cheese, then i'd best start making good with my maker now!! of course rumour has it that the camino cleanses you of all sins. i figure since this is my second year in a row hiking it, there's a heavenly cornucopia of curd somewhere out there with my name on it!