Canal de la Sambre à l’Oise

I had the unwanted company of a fly during the night, trying to keep me awake. Didn’t succeed, partly because flies don’t concern me nearly as much as mosquitos. Flies don’t bite.

Then I went for breakfast. Laid out on the kitchen table. Enjoying the breakfast was the most flies I think I have ever seen inside in my life. Every piece of bread and croissant had at least 3 or 4 chomping away. Slightly off-putting. Naturally a large hound joined me just to complete my anguish. Couldn’t get on the road fast enough despite it raining heavily.

Continued raining all morning. Mostly on road. Interesting watching the traffic coming towards me. Some folk went completely on to the other side of the road, others barely moved at all. If there was something coming up behind me very few slowed down, they just didn’t change direction at all, presumably assuming I would take the hint and leap off the road to avoid leaving a dent on their car.

Passed a shop around lunchtime. Got an aged banana, a packet of 3 Snickers and a can of juice. Kept one Snickers for later and had the rest.

Couple of difficulties during the day. Firstly, a flooded road and secondly, the path just disappeared. Became rather unfriendly nettles and brambles, all soaking wet. Not good with my wee shorts.

By the time I approached the campsite I was pretty done for. For about the first time my mapping software, Pocket Earth, let me down. Clearly showed a route which turned out to have a dirty great fence blocking it. Retracing my steps added a painful mile to the day. Worse was to come. When I checked in I asked about the snack bar which the site’s web page showed as being open every day in July and August from 10am until 9pm. Closed because it was raining I was told. Do the French not eat when it is raining?

The nearest restaurant or shop was at least a mile and a half away. Hungry or not I couldn’t make that. I needed my saved Snickers to give me enough strength to put up the tent. You will probably hear my stomach rumbling during the night. And of course the campsite is on my way out of town tomorrow. If I am to get any breakfast then I need to walk a mile and a half in the wrong direction to get anything. Still no-one said this was going to be easy.Read more