Vendrennes

It was 3am when the rain woke me up. I didn't make a shelter the previous night as it was a beautiful evening and the forecast was good. I pulled the bivvy up to cover my face. Claustrophobic but dry. I woke again at four and remembered my rucksack and some of my kit were exposed, but I was just too tired. At five I mustered the resolve to ferry my gear to the toilet block. I was soaked and so was a lot of my stuff. Thankfully my quilt was relatively dry; it doesn't insulate when wet so if that's wet then I don't get to sleep. Normally I would hang stuff on my pack to dry but it has just been continual rain today up until early evening. It's raining as I write this and the forecast isn't looking great. But it's all part of the deal. I'm sure I'll learn something from it. Something other than don't do stupid things I hope.

I met a lady called Muriel today who told me she and her husband walked from Du Puy-en-Velay to Roncesvalles over the course of a month. This is the French section of a pilgrimage that runs across the south of France and continues to Santiago de Compostela. She asked me when I started mine and I replied August. She thought I had got my French months mixed up and recited June, July August in French accompanied by her unique sign language. I had to show her this website before she believed me. She told me I need to slow down before I hurt my legs!

Photos - the rain curtailed my photo opportunities but here's the medieval market hall in Clisson, Clisson chateau, the impressive walls of Montaigu, the river Maine as in 'Sèvre et Maine', sunflowers looking how I felt in the rain.Read more