Le Haut Cheylard - La Bastide-Puylaurent - 30,494 Steps

 This morning we left Le Haut Cheylard at 7:15 under a slight drizzle which followed us all day.  After 4 days of rolling farmlands, we are now into forested hills, which makes for a nice change.  Our trails take us through pine and birch trees, which shelters us from the wind and would protect us against the sun ... if there was any.  

We had a couple of pretty steep hills to climb today, and I am really thankful that I managed to offload 2.5 kgs worth of superfluous stuff (see yesterday's blog).  However, the lost weight was partly compensated by a stop at a pharmacy.  In a desperate attempt to sooth the different parts of my body which are making themselves known to me, I acquired.  A soothing cream (advised by Felicity), Talcum powder (proposed by the pharmacist), mixed essential oils (because I always listen to my mother...that's how you stay the favourite child) and some Ibuprofen (because it's good to have something that actually works).

I may not have mentioned that for the last 2 nights we have been sharing a room/studio in the B&Bs that Felicity had reserved.  In both cases, the sleeping arrangements consisted in one double bed and 2 single beds.  Each time I diplomatically proposed that she take the double bed and I would settle for the single, counting on the fact that her Canadian nationality would lead her to say "no, no, of course you can have the big bed".  I forgot to factor in that having spent over 20 years in Paris, she has learned to avoid politeness in dealing with French people!  So she simply said "sure"  leaving me to spend the night balancing on my single bed and trying to keep under my single duvet.  Needless to say that in tonight's gîte which has the same setup, I just grabbed the room with the double bed, leaving no doubt that only brute force would get me out.