Day 15 – Same spot south of st Flour

To sleep in the tent I intended, but wake up in the camper I did! If my memory serves it was raining when I decided to go to bed and I didn’t fancy unloading all the bedding in the wet. I woke at 6:50 am to the usual din of nature. Cockerels... birds, even a distant donkey had joined the chorus. I could even hear what sounded like a giant frog! My head was thick..., wether from the wine I had consumed during my one man hippy disco or from sleeping practically upside down all night I’m not sure.

I seem to remember waking up about midnight and suddenly becoming aware of my precarious position on the ledge. It was while I was hatching a plan to move into the tent I must have dropped off again. Needless to say I was happy to be admiring the view from the top and not the bottom.

Offending articles

‘Someone put the coffee on!’... oh yeah... my turn again! I had Duck pate again on the last of the rustic French bread. I bought some marmalade too but there’s no chance of that getting started while there is delicious pate left. Then I noticed some creature had entered my abode during the night and poo’ed on the mudflap inside the canvas. Then I noticed another poo actually inside the landrover. I hadn’t used the wind flap so any creature up to the size of an average dog can get in between the wheels. Judging by the size of the offending articles the creature wasn’t this large... still... the nerve!!

I did intend to get some work done today but it rained constantly. Not the short sharp deluges like I was used too but a constant drizzle like we get in England. It was cold too. Instead I went into the local town to get a few supplies. I had to post a letter to my accountant so stamps and an envelope were required.

Dim-wits

Now we often make jokes about country people being dim-witted - carrot crunchers and all that. What I’m witnessing today is on a scale I’ve not quite seen before. I doubt if some of the people I met today would know what to do with a carrot. This area, beautiful though it is, is economically devastated. The local town Chaudes Aigues despite being a premier geo-thermal spring town seems deserted by all but the most imbecilic souls. Probably the ones that couldn’t find their way out. No tourists in evidence at all in the middle of summer!

Post office

I found the post office and bought my stamp. I need an envelope too I said. “our envelopes are no good for sending to England” she said. I could see the envelopes in question hanging on the wall behind her. If I couldn’t buy an envelope in the post office where could I buy one?? “In a shop” she said and pointed. I followed the gesture then replied “What the butchers?”. She smiled, a sexy disarming smile. Was this French ‘oo-mer’ I was experiencing? Ok, I thought... I’ll tuck inside a nice leg of lamb, that should see it safe.

I didn’t go in the butchers but I realised later that in a small community like this where there is no supermarket, shops like a butchers will often sell other stuff. For instance I found batteries for my camera in a cafe. Which incidentally is why there aren’t any pictures today.

Squeak

As if I needed to feel more like an outsider, my only useable boots have developed a loud squeak. Walking back to the car through the narrow alleyways I rounded a corner to find an open bar. Everyone at the bar was focused on the source of the approaching noise.

I went to bed early in the tent. It was really cold. Fully clothed in my sleeping bag and wrapped up in a duvet I noticed my weather station reporting it was a full degree colder inside the tent than outside!! How is that possible?

Today wasn’t a good day. I was glad to see the end of it.