invertabrate heaven

Okay, I´m sure I spelled that word wrong. Anywho. I´ve been in France for the past two days. The first day was the worst. Entirely uphill for 8 km. Then I finally try to sit for a while, look to my right and see a gigantic pile of doggie vomit and the three largest slugs I´ve ever seen crawling all in it. Today, as I´m walking through the land of mist and snow (okay, no snow, but very very cold) I start to feel like I´m in Ghostbusters and Slimer has been on the war path fighting the ghost of pilgrims past, but no, its just busted slugs. They´re like 4 or 5 inches long and have the girth of a hot dog. The earthworms are easily 8 inches long here. Crazeee.

Anywho, today I basically walked through the fog, and only had about 20 feet visibility on average. It was still rather magical, and the incline today was much more constant and easy than yesterday´s steep climb. I spent hours walking alone on these quiet country roads with the sound of cow bells and ravens in the distance. It was quite lovely and magical. Then i walked thorugh these amazing groves where the trunks of the trees grew out of the ground at a complete horizontal. I arrived to Roncevalles feeling quite at peace with the world and will spend tonite sleeping in a converted barn with 110 other pilgrims. I will probably not feel quite at peace if I experience the same level of snoring as I did after last night´s Ïnvasion of the Swedes. Seriously, it was a cacophony of chainsaws, the loudest ujiya breath, and an occasional moan or cough. They didn´t arrive until 10, and apparently, like my students, are incapable of whispering. Well, I´m off to find my new Israeli friend whom I lost in the fog on the mountain. Much love,