We booked into an hotel yesterday and made use of the aircon today.
After breakfast we wandered into town and found the markets. The fresh produce was inside with a wide vatidty of legumes, meats and cheveses on sale. Outside were stalls all kinds of goodies although tempting we didn’t succumb as we didn’t want anything else to carry.
We had lunch by the river and ended the day watch France get to the world cup semi finals.
Having said we wouldn’t be walking multiple 30km days we have been persuaded to keep up with the girls and do another 30km walk today. We have said however that we will be taking a rest day tomorrow. Before we left we booked a hotel for 2 nights. With the promise of a swimming pool and aircon our walk was made more e tisi g.
The walk was long and hot and even if we had left at 6.30 it would still have been long and hot. The surprise for me was what that a 10hr walk was completed in a little over 7hrs. Perhaps the calling of the aircon worked.
On arrival the girls asked to meet up for drinks, but I needed to become human again and decided a shower was called for.
With time to spare we met up before dinner. The news that Susan was leaving for Toulouse tomorrow came as no surprise and was the only sensible choice to make. The surprise was that although we had stated we were going to have a rest day we were asked if we would be joining Lynda and Jenny at the farm gite tomorrow.
Last night we stayed in a gite that wasn’t in a town abd quite isolated. Having arrived in plenty of time, showered and refreshed, we headed to the bar for a pre-dinner drink. As we sat sipping our hosts informed us that they were taking the kids to the water park, about 15 drive away and that dinner wouldn’t be served until 8.00 not the usual 7.00. But if we liked we could go with them.
So in the interim we asked what would be a good place to stay. We worked out a good stopping distance with our usual starting time and booked ahead only to be told at dinner that breakfast would be at 6.00. Our good stop would now be reached by mid-day.
Well the walk this morning was along a disused railway. During the heat of the day this would be welcomed but at 6.30 the only thing being shaded are the mozzies so along with sunscreen there is the mozzie spray to apply before going too far.
As expected we arrived early so decided to cancelled our gite a d carried on walking. So what started out to be a short walk ended up being 30km. But we managed to catch up with sisters Jennifer and Lynda, and the start of the walk was fairly flat. Choo, choo.
Last night all 5 of us were together again, but this might be the last time. I for one do not want to do another 30km day so Jo and I have decided to only go 20km and then stop. Well maybe a little further and at least get to the gite.
So sisters Jenny and Lynda will be ahead of us again, and will most likely stay that way as we both suffer when trying catch up. Sister Susan is considering going off to see a bit more of France. So unless we all meet up after the walk has finished this might truly be the last time we were together in France.
As for the walk today the majority of it was seeing where wine comes from with vines in perfect straight lines growing as far as the eye can see.
Today Jo was a down hill gal for an uphill day. Yes again an undulating day with ups and downs all over the place.
Yesterday’s surprise of seeing a yabbie on the path is now a common sight with them crawling around the rocks in the streams. In one place it looked like a walker hsd stopped for a feast, but it was more likely to have been an otter. The remains scattered around the banks. There was even road kill of yabbies. I’m not sure why they wanted to cross the road, perhaps the chicken can tell us.
After last nights storms today is again bright and inviting us to walk on.
However we soon find that today is nit going to be like our previous days if walking. For our friend of the shaded track has turned against us and the demon of the hot tar road is now our friend. For the rain of last night has mixed with the clay of the tracks to form a tacky, slippery goo that sticks to our shoes transporting us back to the 60’s by creating planform boots for us.
The shadows also harbour an unseen horror waiting to attack. While stopped debating whether to continue on or to retreat to find another route we are atracked by millions of moquitoes.
The demons of yesterday dry the mud on our boots and deter to mossies and provide us some salvage from our new demons.
Today is a rest day. We started off, after breakfast, going to church to listen to the nuns sing or were they chanting. Not sure really as I didn’t understand a word they said, but the accaustics were great and it was quite a moving service.
After that we strolled along the canal and across the viaduct, this is where it crosses over the river. Just as we were abiut to descend we saw a deer in full flight trying to jump s security fence. Not being able to clear it, the deer then proceeded to ram it until it finally gave way.
Yet another great gite last night and thankfully it was only half way up yhe hill.
Today being Sunday most shops are closed, so we ordered 1 picnic lunch for just in case. This little treasure box included, tomatoes+salt, 1/2 baguette + 2 soft cheese portions, a sandwich, a banana and a kiwi fruit, plus a knife, fork and spoon set.
The walk again today was hot roads and some shaded wood walks. The fields to start off with were of wheat or sunflowers. But the terrain is more valley like with a few ups and downs and there are more orchards.
We have walked past orchards of apples, plums and peaches, vineyards, wallnuts and even an orchard of kiwifruit and pomegranate .