Pilgrim's Progress – Long Distance Walks in Europe and the UK

In truth this was a fairly easy day’s walk. The previous evening’s jollities had continued until well after midnight, and I didn’t start my merry way homewards the next day until shortly before 10am! Thankfully it was a fairly leisurely yomp home over familiar territory without the need to consult a guidebook, look out for red and white GR waymarks or resort to extensive use of my GPS.

Although not directly on the Chemin d’Arles, there were constant reminders in some of the small hamlets I passed through, that this was an area traversed through the ages by pilgrims en route to Compostella.

I made my way through a combination of backroads and highways to Cologne, a favourite local lunch stop at the Cafe des Colibris.

A couple of hours later, shortly before 4pm, I was back home. Rainstorms during my absence had transformed the parched brown grass to a green vista. Olivia was by the pool looking as lovely as ever, and Puzzle hadn’t totally forgotten me, charging around the garden like a demented tail wagging wombat. It was good to be home again!

550km/344 miles covered in 15 days, a bit of weight lost and extremely grateful to return home safe and sound! An opportunity to meet some great people en route, practice my French and get another pilgrim passport stamped up. Time now to hang up my boots and enjoy the sensation of having achieved my objective. With just a few months to go before my 60th birthday, it’s good to know that I still have the odd 50km day in me! Life begins at 60 as the old saying goes!