The countryside continues to be very different from earlier days. Plenty of old woodland to pass through with a mix of trees at all stages on their lives. A major feature of the morning was significant climbing which none of us really enjoyed. There were eventually grass sandy made up paths across the top and the descents were not too unreasonable but the overcast weather and misty rain after lunch meant my spirits were no more than middling.
It may just be a tummy upset. Clare was her positive self, as was Liz, and Des felt it all augured well for his Himalayan trek later in the year. We discussed happiness and whether it was the responsibility of governments, as our current masters seem to think. We chatted a couple of times in the course of the day with a solitary, lanky Englishman. He is doing the whole thing at speed to enable him to catch up with some friends who have already completed it and who are now on a further walk from Laon to Rome on which he wants to join them!The style of farming has also changed locally. There is less a sense of peasants hanging on by their fingernails and more a sense of maximising every part of the system. There is rather more dairy than previously but also closely farmed sheep, goats and even bison. Every unit seems to have as much machinery as it could use and mostly quite new. An overall air of security and prosperity. Many houses have been well restored with far fewer left derelict.
Lunch we grabbed by the wayside but everyone was anxious to get on.
The approach path to Espeyrac was a charming wander through woods. The Hotel de la Valee is a modest place although priced accordingly. A small bar provided the sole sitting area and the dining room was by no means full. It is obviously not a primary stop. It is a well tended, well restored pretty and atmospheric little town but with few facilities. Another dauntingly full First World War Memorial. The Marie doubles as Post Office. Mass is offered in the nice little church on the third Sunday of every second month.Everywhere was a bit quiet today as it was the annual
village outing for a day in an entertainment park.In deference to the state of my digestion I skipped supper. Liz too is suffering! Early to bed!!
