Well I had grand plans today and left the comfort of the Gite to a grand farewell from both Jesus and Marie (yes you read that right) – In fact Marie even ran up the stairs to kiss me goodbye. Whilst I felt much better after a two night stay I was not able to tell how my legs would cope until I just gave it a go.

So I walked to the bus stop again and this time arranged a drop off at La Clause – a strange tower stands in a field to the side of the little village – only around 7km out of town. Someone was flying a drone around so it actually put a bit of a damper on the ambience for me so I headed on to discover one of many remote public toilets. I then commenced the long journey up and down and round and round heading to Sauvauge as the pilgrim population decided to call it.

I was playing catchup with another family who had decided to give the children an experience so were carrying bivouacs in a trailer that their lovely dad was towing.

Along the way I started noticing signs for a very appealing looking fromargerie that specialised in goat cheese.

The fromargerie / restaurant was in fact quite popular for a few of us and I enjoyed my first real french lunch with a bunch of lovely french women all walking solo. We all just happened to follow the signs for salad, cheese and wine as is appealing to anyone walking through extreme heat with aching limbs and the odd beginnings of a blister or two. (Not me of course I was in peak condition!)

So we all waited dutifully for the 12 o’clock opening time where we were seated outside under a tree with full table service from the fromager (if thats actually a word. I’m making that one up to describe the cheese maker/ Chef// Sommelier!).

The conversation the cheese, and the chablis were so good I could have stayed all afternoon but I knew I still had a few k’s to go and my speed demon days were far behind me, so I bid farewell to the walking French nurse, the lady from the north and my soon to be new walking buddy the Parisian insurer! Très bon!

Little was I to know what was to come!

Just around the corner I commenced the ascent in the strong afternoon sun! Again! This time I felt somewhat energised having just eaten the best goat cheese salad I had ever eaten! Sadly the energy was depleted all too soon. The path went up up and up. Did I mention it went up? I was overtaken by a bivouac family I had met earlier. Anyway I eventually made it to Domaine de Sauvauge where everyone who had had the inclination to reserve earlier was going to stay including my three fromargerie friends. I was presented with a bed in a dorm with two older couples and a grandchild just the ambience I’d expect in the french countryside.

Anyway I washed my clothes in the machine downstairs and headed to the front bar and restaurant to partake in the much talked about communal meal. I sat with the fromagers and a few ring ins and enjoyed some french conversation interspersed with translation by my new fromargerie friends. It was a rare occasion where none of us could determine the ingredients in the stew placed in front of us although I did suspect pork it was only after tasting this could be confirmed.

I went to sleep in the dorm actually quite easily – It’s amazing how exhaustion helps! No sign of the exorcist child and no nun either! Bon nui