Val's Snippets, no 8.

A cold wet lunch in a roadside shed

in France

The last two weeks have been unseasonably wet and cold, while not at risk of exposure, we have been working hard to keep dry and cheerful. Hence a gap in posts on the blog

Drying the tent has become a daily occupation - most of the rain falling at night - 

Autumn.
1956 or thereabouts,
Petts Wood Preparatory School,
Monday morning, nature study.

We trundled into school, in our purple and yellow uniforms, carting bags of "nature" gleaned from the sparse hedgerows and woods of suburban London.

Misses Porter and Worthington inspected our finds, the rarer the better, unaware that our efforts heralded the decline of many species.

So on this Monday morning I will show signs of Autumn. Rowan  berries, elderberries, rose hips, as well as apples, plums and peaches blown from their branches by early storms. Blackberries, (similarly under ripe) acorns and the delightful helicopter seeds of sycamore and ash. There are few wild flowers now, but I could show a fine collection of coloured leaves.

Misses P and W would be pleased -  Nine out of ten - I think


I could also mention a tiny bat that landed on the tent, and the chaos caused by a family of badgers in a river.

The morning  air is chill, and we dive into the tent at about 7 pm, as it starts to get dark. The woodlands show a slight tinge of yellow/orange, and I feel no compulsion to dive into the canal water for a swim.

As we head for Paris -

Judith has booked an apartment in Paris for our last few days in France... How posh. I can hardly wait to sit on chairs, sleep in a bed and , as Don once remarked, look OUT of windows (as opposed enviously into them)

She has also booked opera tickets, Figaro, what bliss. BUT what to wear. I have considered layering up my shorts, faded and torn Macpac, over the new purple ones.These could be teamed with my over the knee horizontal striped socks (Polish from the town of traditional dress). The new pink, well really cruise, shoes would clash nicely. How about a black  Ice Breaker jersey, ( see I am big on labels), with designer mends, clinched with my cycle towing belt (to tow the bike when very tough going), a broad black webbing number. My little blue balaclava could top off the outfit, pulled on low  to form a little 'cloche'.. Very French.

Although Judith is rather taller and thinner than me, having read this, I am sure she will kit me out in something tasteful and suitable. Photos to follow.

3000kms

We have just about passed the third thousand Kms  mark. Toady we linked up with the Loire, very exciting as we loved the Loire valley way back on our first bike ride. The canal Central brought us across from the Soane, and was more engaging than expected, and proudly passed over the Loire on a high canal  bridge, to become the Loire Lateral Canal.

Back on the Loire

We share a lovely "Wild Camp" on the Central canal with a young French cyclist named Matthieu 

We drop into church now and then and tend to fancy the plainer decor, such as this one in Paray (les (something will check and update later)

Val chatting with a lovely French lady, who just came up to us for a chat.

Treats have been many. In Gray, on a grey day, we met Claudine at the Info Canter. After loading us with glossy leaflets, at 12 01 she suddenly invited us to her home for lunch. Only briefly hesitant we hopped in the car and sped for 20 Km's to her house, met her Mother, and ate a splendid 4 course lunch, took a whirlwind trip round her farm and sped back to Gray for her to reopen the office at 1.30 pm. Her daughter is due in. NZ soon, and I hope we meet her there.

We were hosted by a young couple, (who were Warm Showers guests of ours )in a tiny village near Vesoul. The weather was cold, and when not playing with their delightful baby we snuggled round the fire (the first for this season) read books and enjoyed the WiFi.

Daniel and Annie were also extraordinary hosts. They have made interesting life style choices, no cab, no TV, no property, and live in a small fifth floor apartment with no lift. Ten years ago they started cycle touring, and to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary plan to bike from New York to Patagonia next year.