Goats

I'm in a town called Sarrance. 

Last night I figured I'd try & break my habit of booking the next night online. There's only one hotel here, and booking.com said there was only 1 room left. The place looked big though, and it's a rainy Monday so I was sure I could just walk in and get a better deal.  I walked in and nope they really were sold out. 

So I'm writing from the dorm at the local monestary. I'm glad to be here because there aren't any busses (anywhere) for the rest of the day, and a taxi would have to come from who knows where. It was pouring when I arrived and I'm thankful to be dry finally. 

The big event of the day was the goats. I walked into a village where there was a dog in the street barking at me and a couple of goats milling around. The dogs owner came out & got the dog (I was thinking it was a goat herding dog at first) so I continued on my way.  

I wondered what the hell goats were doing roaming around the village but figured that's just how they roll up here in the Pyrenees.  About 100 yards down the road I look back, and the goats are following me. At the end of the village I turn off onto a foot path by a corn field. Look back, still goats. 

I was a little concerned that I'd be accused of goat rustling by some farm dog (who obviously wasn't doing its job). I tried to make it clear to the goats that I wasn't who they thought I was but they kept following. 

The three of us left the cornfield track, down a rocky forest path and up onto a road. Something wasn't right about this. As cars passed, I'd make eye contact and make the universal 'what the heck is going on here!?' Gesture. The first 4 or 5 smiled (maybe even laughed) and waved. The next one to come by was a very woman who upon seeing my universal gesture slowed down and rolled down her window. I told that I don't speak French but and luckily she spoke a little English. 

So she says to me "Ahr zees your goauts?  I started laughing and told her no, but they had been following me for the last hour. She got out of her car took my walking stick and tried to convince them that was not who they thought I was. No luck. She suggested that I take them to the next village and try to get of them there. We were both laughing about it when a younger guy in a farm van got stuck behind the woman's car. He got out of the van and decided that me walking them to the next village wasn't a great idea. He pulled up along side the other car, and they each opened both doors to their vehicles and said "Go!".  

I have no idea what they did but I really appreciated getting rid of those two. 

Cell reception at the monastery is shaky but I got some pics of the goats. I wish I'd gotten a picture of the rescuers, but it was raining and besides, they were doing me a big favor and I didn't want to delay them.