The scenery on the Way of Saint
James includes mountain forests and
streams, rolling hills, and charming
old villages with cobblestone streets
and medieval churches.DAY 10 Today I crossed the Aubrac plateau with its stun-
ning moorland, boulders, purple heather, rock walls and
high altitude. I’ll be on it for two or three days. I can feel the
history. Pilgrims used to be attacked by wolves and bandits
here, though thankfully not today. I found a wonderful spot
where I painted a lonely farmhouse and its stone walls.DAY 14 Dupon moves fast down-
hill. At times, too fast. I’m not a
gazelle going downhill—more
of a sit-down-and-shuffle type,
but with a 400-pound donkey
traveling behind you, it’s just not
possible to take that approach.
So, away we went, down and
down and over some crazy rut-
ted and very bouldery sections.
Yes. We made it, and no twisted
ankles or loose saddlebags.DAY 15 I found a little back-
street route through the oldvillage. Swallows, gathered for migration, were still asleep.
The only sound was the clip-clopping of Dupon. I felt
a very emotional connection to the pilgrims who have
passed here before me, and welled with tears—a moment
promptly ruined when Dupon, looking for the best spot
to eat, decided to drag me across the cobbled bridge and
nearly knocked me into the river.DAY 16 I had just started a
painting of an old convent where
I’d spent the night, when a nun
asked me to do a painting of
the original doors, which dated
from A.D. 1060. So, I moved
my setup and painted the doors
instead, which made a lot of
nuns very happy.42 Pastel Journal JUNE 2019