A good adventure cannot reasonably begin without an interminable train journey. It’s an absolute constant, no point trying to avoid it. To get from Bordeaux to Le Puy-en-Velay, the current starting point of the trail, you have to go through Paris, change from Montparnasse to Gare de Lyon, go back down to Saint-Étienne and finally hop on a little train that follows the meanders of the Loire with precision to reach your destination. In total, a solid ten-hour journey.

I had set myself the mission of finishing The Hussar on the Roof (Le Hussard sur le toit); I earned an incredible migraine without even managing to get through it. Nevertheless, I persist, because there’s no way I’m carrying it for 270 kilometers in my backpack: I want to drop it off in a book exchange box as soon as possible.

A quick tour of Le Puy, after dropping my bag at the hotel, makes me realize I underestimated the beauty of this small, nestled town, whose activity seems to revolve only around lace, lentils, and the Camino de Santiago. Consequently, it’s a bit too touristy, but I still delight in the old paved streets of volcanic rock.

Dinner is quickly done. I’m exhausted and want above all to get a good night’s sleep, because tomorrow promises to be a long day. Roughly looking, close to thirty kilometers.