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Jennifer,
<p>I did the Arles route last year, and , yes, much of it is hiking paths.
I followed the guide put out by the London-based Confraternity of Saint
James. Often I stayed on the paved road when the designated route (GR653)
seemed to be unnecessarily circuitous. One of the stretches that I enjoyed
the most was neither on the paved road nor the "official route," but was
on the hiking/biking path alongside the Canal du Midi. I was on this for
almost a whole day and it took me into the center of Toulouse. As a Californian,
I had never seen a canal lock in operation before, so it was a treat to
watch and photograph the whole process when a large canal boat went
through one of the locks. On a number of occasions, the paved parts were
quiet country lanes with very little traffic. Often I could see a more
or less parallel major highway in the distance, but there were only a few
places where I had to walk on a highway with heavy traffic. On leaving
Toulouse, on the recommendation of the guidebook, I took a bus about ten
miles to the outskirts of the city.
<p>France does not have a refugio system like the one in Spain, although
there are some establishments that cater to pilgrims. I often stayed at
cheap hotels or at a chambre d'hote. Since my command of French is negligible,
I got in the habit of asking the proprietors to call ahead to make
reservations for my next stop. I hope that this information is useful to
you.
<p>Robert
<p>Rémi Loyer wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE> <span class=770061020-04042001><font face="Arial"><font size=-1>Hi
everyone,</font></font></span><span class=770061020-04042001>
<font face="Arial"><font size=-1>My name is Jennifer Bruce. I live
in Calgary, Canada. Last September I picked up a magazine at the
hostel in Seattle... and there I found an article on the Camino.
I am a student of anthropology and history and my passion is travel...
so this seems a dream come true. I am planning to do the Camino on
Sept 1. I will be travelling on my own and have a few questions.
I am pretty sure I will start in St.Jean... however, I am also pondering
starting in perhaps Arles, or Toulouse. Does anybody know if these
ancient routes leading in from France still exist as a path - as opposed
to highway? I didn't really have any concerns regarding the Camino
until I read the book by Shirley MacLaine... now I am afraid of these 'dogs'.
Should I be concerned enough to bring rabies vaccinations? Any other
vaccinations? I guess the real question for everyone, is... what
is the one thing you brought or didn't bring that would be indispensable
for a modern day pilgrim. That is all for now. I thank you
for your time.</font></font></span><span class=770061020-04042001></span><span class=770061020-04042001><font face="Arial"><font size=-1>Jennifer
Bruce</font></font></span><span class=770061020-04042001></span><span class=770061020-04042001><font face="Arial"><font size=-1><a href="mailto:JenJenacadvision.com">JenJenacadvision.com</a></font></font></span></blockquote>
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