My hostess walked with me through the village, until the route and tarmac parted company. It was thanks to her that I noticed the cyclamen coming into bloom in the grounds of the castle, and learned that the stony track I would follow was the Chemin d’Agrippa. She asked repeatedly, whether I wanted to go back to the canal, and I found out when I checked Lepère’s guidebook that I could have done so and saved myself a hill. But then I would have missed the cyclamen.
My first stop, after an hour but well before 4km, was in the village of Séry. Shortly after, it was off on another Roman road through the woods. I stopped for Morning Prayer before leaving the shade behind.
Just after crossing a D road, I turned on to another tarmac road, easier on the feet than the stony tracks. This took me all the way to Lac Sauvin (though there is no lake here) by 1:30 for a long afternoon rest at the Centre d’Acceuil.
Marie-Dominique had stopped for the previous night before I did, and detoured to try to buy food on the way. Being Monday, everything was closed, and she arrived at about 6. Our host Olivier, although he had told us that he could not prepare a meal for us had rustled up some bits and pieces, and I was well content with rice warmed in the microwave to go with the Tuna Catalan I had brought, a kiwi, and sharing the remains of a bottle of wine. It was so good to have her company.
emeritablog: life after work 