Day 60 and 61 – Luchon

These next two days were pretty much work days. Work isn’t going great. I’m struggling with the whole philosophy of what I’m trying to do. I knew this would be a case of try it, see if it works out, try something a bit different etc. Suck it and see as we say in the trade!

Although they have good internet / Wifi on this campsite, there are too many distractions. Too many people coming and going. Not enough shade. Although the town is only at about 900m that equates to about a 10 degree drop in temperature. Which means that it’s much colder than the UK in the shade. If I sit in the sun I can’t see the screen... at all, even on full brightness. If I sit in the shade I get really cold because I’m not moving around. I need to find somewhere back nearer sea level, where I can sit in the shade and be warm. Maybe I should move on to the Dordogne soon. My spot here is reserved from the 31st onwards so I need to move soon anyway.

The Dordogne

The Dordoyne is on the way home and is where most Brits head for. It’s at sea level (ish) about one third up from the south and west of centre. I don’t really want to live in ‘little england’ in France, but I am curious to know why most Brits head there. It is suppose to be very beautiful and one person said it reminds him of the New Forest. Now that gets my vote. If I could build my dream eco house anywhere, it would be the New Forest (if I could afford it!... yeah and if the weather was a bit warmer!). There are also a vast number of campsites according to the guide, the biggest concentration in all Europe. So it must have some appeal. Maybe it will appeal to me? Either way my chances of finding a nice quite campsite and getting some work done are quite good.

Cheese man

As I sat there on one occasion squinting at my screen a man pulled up in a van on the empty plot next to me and said something to me in French that went completely over my head. “J’ne comprend pas” I said. “Queso!” he said while putting his fingers to his mouth. I recognised the Spanish for Cheese. He was driving a re-fridgerated van with the back open. “Ah! No merci”. I said. He looked at me like I was mad... “You don’t want cheese?? Yet you are in France??”. “Je avez fromage déjà merci” (“I already have cheese thank you!”). But clearly he didn’t seem to understand this basic concept.

Then my neighbours appeared and showed and an interest in his cheese. I’m guessing they called him out and he got them confused with me. Or maybe he’s just generally confused. Later on that day... I ran out of Cheese!

The thermal spring in town

The enemy of your enemy is your friend

Have you ever successfully swatted a fly? I’ve tried a million times in the last few days and not got a single one (bloated mosquitos don’t count). However while I was busy in my kitchen inventing the Sausage Bolognese Curry, I heard this frantic buzzing noise. In front of me on the steel bars I reinforced my roof with, a small spider had caught a fly almost as big as himself and seems to have stunk his fangs into its midrift. The fly is twitching and buzzing a bit but you can tell it’s in its death throws. After a few minutes it stops and the spider drags his big juicy meal off between the bar and the water tank. He did this entirely without a web... or a swatter! Well done!

The beard

I got rid of my beard today. I’ve had it now for 18 months, but I longed to feel this cool mountain air on my chin. I went into the sanitary block and hacked it off with the only two razors I could find and without the help of any cream. My chin wasn’t half sore afterwards... especially when I applied my sun scream.