The sun goes down on me.

A tough day so far. Must stop for "repase" in Bize. During the morning deluge my phone got water trapped beneath the screen protector! It rained that hard for two hours before the sun showed through.

***

On and on I went up and over and down through a gorge. Now I have shade and a glass of Minervois white wine. Staying in a Chalet tonight, on Camping Les Auberges, €20 bed, evening meal and PdJ. Just had an hour horizontal and a brief nap. It was a thirty kilometre day. Two more until Carcassonne. Decisions decisions: where to Daniel. Random is best, but the Chemin Saint Jacques has better sleeping options.

It's amazing how quickly the Mediterranean is behind and the mountains rear up. In the distance I spy the great divide between continental and Mediterranean France: where everything changes and my sack gets subtlety lighter?

***

Strictly wine mode. This area has some pretty interesting cliffs and vineyards upon them. Next to the campsite is a production facility and the grapes are travelling in by the truck load constantly. Vines everywhere.

Today I got lucky with both figs and blackberries (mûres sauvages) and I also came across a wild pear. Like a crab apple. Full of tannins, but the tree was stacked. I tried one and spat it out.

The église bell chimes for seven and I am counting the bites on my legs, but the book I'm carrying looks forlorn at my apparent absence.

A "mademoiselle" told me my French isn't so bad and I was very surprised because I'm convinced my accent is inexcusable after so long traipsing the length and breadth; oh there's another bite.

***

Time to return to the Chalet ... So much food I must explode, if the bites don't drain me already. Could be fire ants too, or another bastard? My legs are overwhelmed so I need to seek the attention of a ravenous arachnid, but not of the tick type! But I'm sure it will come

This morning, after the rains, I came face to face with a monster Wild Boar. We checked each other out, I commented on his stature and he grunted, as though he's heard it before. Later a crayfish was lazily moving from stream to stream, on the main road, I thought to help it but it's castonets said please leave me to be squished; there you go crustecean!

Twenty euros for all that food, and a chalet and breakfast and I don't know what to say! At least I returned the tray through the campsite, and mosquito infested arbours, but now I have peaches, plums and cheese to add to my bloody weight! However it's another 25 kilometres tomorrow until Rieux Minervois and I have no idea where I'm staying!