Day Seven. afternoon

Tomme des Pyréneés and biére artisanale The Castle Grocery Store, cuvèe renaissance walking into the end of another long etape, Chaumont-sur-Loire on the southern shore of La Loire once more: again the northern shore was pretty tedious. Heading towards Rilly-sur-Loire for one night on a farm?

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And here I am. Sat by myself outside a gypsy caravan. It's a campsite as well as a sheep farm. But I think the farmer is away looking after his flock? There is no one about, no cars, vehicles, except some sheep and their lambs in a 'stable-block'. They're pretty relaxed. They looked at me a couple of times and then returned to whatever it is sheep do when they are not eating...

The sun is trying to break through this second day of cloud cover...and up the path comes the farmer, just before 5, to feed the baa-baas - lambing season with 150 mutton to provide for, in addition to their progeny. I'm so remote. This might've been the sanctuary I sought when I left the UK? 7 days of solid marching from Paris and I am rural, off the path, surrounded by nature: reminds me of Broome Farm, Peterstowe, except around here is vines and not apples. It's just me, a farmer, sheep and acres of farmland nestled amongst the woods next to the Loire.

But around 100 kilometres since Monday... The backpack is too heavy to go that far between stages. It's making me feel exhausted in the afternoon. Today I didn't properly break either. There was nowhere to stop for dejouner other than some snacks from the Boulangerie on the corner and a Taco Van selling Burritos on the parkiy strip, opposite a small the lake/pond in Chouzy-sur-Cisse. By the time I arrived in Veuzain-sur-Loire they'd stopped serving lunch in Chez Napoleon.