Day 28 Auriébat to Anoye, 28 km

Last night I had to go out in the yard to get enough signal to upload the penguin. Anne-Marie, of course, was up still
and bustling around the outdoor kitchen. Next thing I know she is trying to take a selfie of the two of us in the dark.

This morning’s mystery: who ate the piece of it-takes-10-days-to-make-it cake that Anne-Marie gave me last night? It was wrapped up in a little bit of waxed paper in a plastic bag that also held the plastic bag with the cheese. I left them on the kitchen table before I went to bed. When I got up this morning, the bag was on the floor. I picked it up. The corner was ripped (chewed) open. The cake was gone. Paper was there. No crumbs anywhere. Cheese untouched. No mouse poo anywhere. All doors and windows closed. Could a cat get in? Wouldn’t either a cat or a mouse also have had a go at the cheese?

Long day. But I left at 7 and the morning was fantastic. An hour and a half to a good coffee in a real cafe (not a boulangerie). A other hour to a good shady bench. And then lots of shade breaks for the rest of the day. It was 32 degrees this afternoon. How do people walk in summer??? I try not look at my little thermometer (which I love)every five minutes. I finally got out my umbrella for the sun today. It helps!

I was crashing through spiderwebs in the woods this morning. Had no one left from Maubourguet ahead of me?

Lesson of the day: this is France - there will be a bridge, even if the path looks like it goes straight across the river or stream…it just might be around the corner.

I saw two deers, one of whatever the rodent in the rivers is. A garden full of wire-haired vizslas, none of whom paid the least mind to me as I passed. Lots of cows, some horses and sheep. Easy paths with a few hills. I found two shortcuts on the map that probably kept me out of the shade but saved me about two kilometres.

Today’s gite is probably one of the nicest communal gites I’ve seen. Garden out front. Really well stocked kitchen. A little store that they come and open for a few minutes at 5:30. Single yoghurts or puddings. Canned things. Tiny jars of jam. So sweet!

I was along for about an hour but now we are four. Two Dutch cyclists and a young German man.

Tomorrow is short and I have booked a hotel room!!!Read more