This morning breakfast at 6:45: Coffee, croissants, brioches, bread, butter homemade jam, yogurt, apple sauce, orange juice. I can attest to the fact that not having breakfast, makes having breakfast a whole other level of experience. I don't think this is true of everything, for example I can also confirm that not having blisters does not make having them more enjoyable.
As we walked out of Pradelles I was struck by the number of houses for sale and by the number of retirement homes. You wonder, how this makes sense. Shouldn't you live in the countryside when you have young children and can enjoy the physical activity ? And shouldn't you retire somewhere where it's easy to access essentials, including medical care, without having to drive ? In one village I went through, there was a big sign saying "Are you a doctor ?", presumably calling for volunteers to set up there. Funny, I thought to myself, there are no signs asking for Management Consultants, maybe they are already well provided with those...
Today was day 4 of the hike, and I am realising that much as Robert Louis (I think we can be on first name terms at this point) overburdened Modestine for the first few days, I have also been both too optimistic and pessimistic in my packing. Do I need swimming trucks and a towel for a trek in the rain in hilly countryside ? Do I need rubbing oil for my tennis elbow when I will be walking rather than hitting tennis balls ? Do I need a sleeping bag when I am staying in B&Bs every night ? Do I need extra clothes, when in actual fact I'm washing my clothes every evening ? Do I need a bottle of homemade vinaigrette, just in case I decide to have some salad in the evening ? The answer, provided clearly and painfully by my shoulders, is no I don't (Except the last one of course, can a Frenchman survive without good vinaigrette ?). I explained my predicament to my host, and we arrived at a solution, I would pack all my unwanted things in a box, and he would post it to my address in Paris! I now have a pack that is 25% lighter. Tomorrow I will have to find a different excuse for being slow in the hills. I'm thinking It's because I was a smoker...35 years ago!
