September 2013 DC to Paris and on to Le Puy-en-Velay for the Via Podiensis

Cathedral Le Puy

St Jaques

September 2013 DC to Paris and on to Le Puy-en-Velay for the Via Podiensis

Sept.4 -6th
Our overnight United flight from Washington Dulles to Paris was smooth and we were fortunate to have any empty seat between us on this night flight to spread out a little more. On arrival in Paris we collected our luggage and then found a taxi to take us to a friend of ours daughter's house where we were dropping off some gifts for their grandchildren. We had been told that the taxis took credit cards, so we did not change the US dollars we were carrying with us as the rates seemed very poor. The taxi we found did not,however, take credit cards, but he stopped at an ATM to let us get some euros so we could pay him.

When we arrived at apartment, although we had been sending text messages and left a voice mail, we were not able to connect with anyone at the home. So we stood outside for awhile until someone came out and then we explained what we wanted - this got us in past the first door. Once again blocked by another door we looked at all the apartment buttons and called our friends daughter's place, but no answer. It was of course peak time to be taking children to school. We then pushed a neighbor's intercom button and explained what we wanted and she let us in. We forgot to ask though what apartment number we needed to go to, but again luck prevailed and the maid of the apartment was the next person we spoke too- so the suitcase was left as a wonderful surprise for grandchildren and we departed for the train station.

In our tiredness we went to the wrong train station (Nord instead of Lyon), but we were stil able to buy the train ticket for later that afternoon all the way to Le Puy-en-Velay. We did have a moment of frustration, could almost have been back in Thailand, as we had to repeat our final destination at least three times before the ticket master understood our destination. When he finally understood and repeated our destination Le Puy-en-Valey, it sounded to us just like the way we had each been saying it!

We bought first class tickets (300 euros for 2) because we wanted to be sure and have air conditioning and good comfortable seats for napping. We struggled to understand the metro after the taxis outside Gare Nord requested 50 euros to go to the other station. The price came down to 30 euros, but we were annoyed, so traveled instead by metro for 3 euros for the two of us.

With one 5 minute train change we arrived in Le Puy a little after 5pm and walked to the tourist office to find accommodation (up hill with packs) and ended up at the Ibis Stylus hotel (118 euros a night) where we arranged to stay for 2 nights. We had dinner out on one of the very pleasant old squares and were in bed by 8 pm, worn out be our overnight flight and language challenges.

Friday morning we were up breakfasted and at the Cathedral for special pilgrim mass at 7 am. The Bishop of Le Puy also does a pelerin prayer after mass and gave us a small medal to carry. The cathedral has a black Virgin Mary statue, we think this is very unusual in Europe, we photographed that statue and also the statue of St Jacques the Pilgrim, who is known as St. James in English and Santiago in Spanish. The Bishop took the usual role call of where the pelerin, about 150, came from and we were amazed at the number of Americans. Large group from West Virginia, a couple from New York, Nebraska, Kansas and Florida. Majority of the pelerins were white hairs, expected at this time of year, and looked as out of shape as we look - not expected.