A rebel without a clue.

The Swallows are still here in Montréal. Soon they'll head in a similar direction. And then sparrows will be left behind, but they're obviously hardier and will happily have the skies back to themselves. Any warm spell and all insects will be their's too.? I've bites on my head, ankles, elbows, behind the ears too! What are these feathered friends doing as I'm sat here being nibbled? Perhaps they are short sighted? But I heard that birds sense of smell is swell? They must follow me. My forehead feels swollen, but perhaps this is a combination of the effects? Today was obvious. I've not had a migraine in ages, I thought I'd never have one again, but there you are. The Collegiate Church calls time at seven as the locals play Scrabble. Must be testing. Some kids are singing songs and the fountains flows on. It's getting dark and I can feel those Tiger Mosquitoes using this Yorkshire blood. Actually I wish them luck as it's never done me no good! Keep...

They're bringing in the grapes and I'm forced to cut a few small bunches ... Figs and mûres sauvages. Got locaux fromage and now looking for walnuts. Stopped for cheese, baguette and vin rose before noon. That was twenty Kms in four hours. Another hour and I think that's this day done. Must dry my boots today - still moist after the rains! Not exactly ideal. Everything happens for a reason, and I've no control over anything, like having a migraine and being eaten alive somewhere along the way! I think when I pluck fruit deep in the undergrowth the ants get me and whenever I lay up somewhere the mosquitoes pounced. Just as I was finishing for today - bang - migraine. It's totally unfair, but what can I do at all? Find a dark space and sleep it off, but that lets the greedy bastards in! Round my ankles and elbows they swoop. It's all part of the experience. Like being so low financially that everything becomes potential food! If it tastes good I eat it, hoping i...

Monday morning and the refuse collection truck has me awake before my alarm. The bedding the hostel provides to sleep in is utterly pointless: paper thin, but it's to prevent bed bugs. It doesn't work/match up with rubber coated mattresses to be honest. My back was attached to the bedding all night and it had to be peeled off several times when I was so coated in sweat it woke me. Last night I returned to the Hostel after finishing an excellent read about trees, The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohllebe (which really brings home how incredibly arrogant is our relationships with the denizens of woods and forests), and now I've an item less to carry in the backpack: hurray. Part of me says leave the LePere guidebook, for the route I am walking, too as it is out of date (2016). I have all the information at my disposal on my phone and l would've set off without a guide if there hadn't been one in the Gîte in Béziers; I'll ponder that a while: passing the waste bi...