To Rodez

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The mornings are golden. Early it is perfect walking weather, but by noon, or one pm, it is stifling.

This morning i am heading a little south off the Chemin. So now I wait in Marcillac, a Vin AOP district, for a nine o'clock bus to Rodez. I have a number of irons in the fire of possibility for the next two night's accommodation (three of I am including one night about Bishop's Stortford too). First stop is the Presbyter next to the cathedral in Rodez.

One of my personal dislikes about French manners is their tendency to say "Bon Appetite" when you're eating anything. What a throw away comment Good Appetite/Eating is - surely you can see I have a mouth full of pan, fromage au sauisson sec so surely I have a good appetite or I am eating.

The other minor dislike are the number of conversations where "demain" is used. Everyone seems to only living for tomorrow so here I leave them today to their passionless conversations and catch another bus and it's shite commercial radio station. More blank noise. The French awake to a day to be within it and, again, are without it. What a way to live? Missing the present moment without a possibility of observing what is here now.

Is it possible for radio MCs to ever not sound like fairground ride operators with fricking Bonnie Tyler!

***

A whole dining hall to myself. Some simple salad, chevre and lentils to go with a couple of glasses of Marcillac rouge. The other half will accompany whatever is el fresco on Wednesday. Tomorrow I am having breakfast with the Sisters who live at the end of the college and on Thursday one of them will drop me at the airport: there are no connections, other than taxi, to Rodez Aveyron Airport.

***

An erstwhile break in the heat of the day. It's 20:21 and I just walked up from Bourran where I am staying for the next two nights. €16,50 per night bed and breakfast in the student residence hall - part of the Maison Saint Pierre. Far enough out of the centre of Rodez for there to be a rurality to it. It sits on another hill facing the centre of town and there is a modern bridge connecting that suburb to the old centre. Rodez feels fairly affluent as there are a number of modern parks, squares and "modern" buildings around the historic centre.

Currently I am enveloping a Leffe Blonde - ubiquitous crap that it is in most bars all over France: AB-INbev have you there too the swine.

What little breeze there is isn't bringing a change with it: not a cloud for 360° along the horizon, and you can see a long way to it up here on the Plateau.

But I can't understand why any region producing good wine would sell wine from elsewhere, unless Les Colonnes is a bar tabac pretending to be something of quality: the commercial radio station highlights this ... Who owns all the places to consume around here? Like the UK going out is an utter rip off, but I think the French are so used to it they'll keep over paying for crap wine or beer.

Burger and chips French style from Comptoir au Burger the moon is huge as the sun disappeared west. Burger and chips! Ha.

A certain control has descended on my spending this time: I have tried to stay very frugal. Not once have I sat down for food and only once did I eat fast food. Tomorrow is a full day of rest, hiding from the sun as there is a Spar for groceries and a cave du vin next door ...

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