Today, there were no miles walked. We took a pause, a break. What a unique experience, waking up when you wish, not packing your backpack, eating, then hitting the road! Our only chore was to find coffee, and lots of it!

Like true hiking addicts, we quickly found ourselves walking tomorrow’s hike for about 2 miles before returning to Estaing. We can quit anytime, right? Just not today!

Every small village has it’s cathedral, like Estaing.

They are always beautiful and almost always 1,000 years old. And in every village we come to, there is a plaque like this: 

It’s a list of those who died fighting World War 1 or WW2. Two things are striking. First, the sheer number of casualties for such a small village (a village of a couple hundred might have 30 casualties) and second, the disproportionate numbers of fatalities in WW1 vs. WW2.

I had a great conversation with a Frenchman about this. His response was that, in WW1, the invading German army was held north of Paris for nearly 2 years and many, many Frenchmen died defending that line. In WW2, the Germans literally rolled into the country and there was no front line! It was over.  The French were either an occupied nation (northern half), or a controlled nation (southern half). There weren’t as many fatalities because the fighting ended so quickly.

My friend noted that, only after D-day were the French able to actively engage in the battle again.

He also talked a bit about the challenge of actively resisting during the occupation. When your family, your village, and your livelihood is constantly at risk, decisions to resist are more difficult. He talked also of those who took risks to hide Jews during this time, another very grave risk.

You can always learn something, at any age.  Whether it is a new language or the history of your host. It just requires slowing down a bit to listen.  That isn’t all that easy. We’re still working on it.

You are each in our thoughts and prayers.