am day five

With the one day off, Sunday - which really can't be considered off in the true sense as getting from Montmartre to Vézelay took all day - it's 8 days walking since I left Blighty and it took me until the day from Chantilly to Le Mesnil-Aubry to get into my stride. Indeed the afternoon and evening in Écouen was definitely the best, mentally and physically for the people I met and the food I ate and the drenching I took.

The conversations we had that evening in Écouen, Alice, Oliver and I, revolved around art, cinema, philosophy and Jean-Luc Godard (he died on Tuesday 13th..some of his atoms had already blown off and obviously influenced my day) ... I knew nothing of him, except his name, prior to the meeting of our three souls.

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Six ceaseless hours, the last hour I was eating walnuts, young plantain and dandelion leaves and hoping it wouldn't rain heavily between little showers.

Just as I was about to cry for lack of energy Mercier chocolatier factory arrives around a corner and they gave me a free bag of chocolates... And advice for where to find the Gîtes... Happy I felt like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory...

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Man from Quebec in the Gîte who has walked from Dijon with a great deal of stuff: too much for such a small fellow. He's got everything possible for emergencies including a means to make coffee. But he's up at 5am eating breakfast. In such a small space it's a bit inconsiderate of me, or potentially two other pelerins here, doing all this getting ready at 5...

But he has made me a large bowl of Joe, and he allowed me to eat the remainder of his bread, but he wouldn't share any of the fayre I had from my outing to the ville last night.

Cheese, rilette, cashews in chocolate from Mercier or fine wine (AOC - Menetou-Salon). So I am a little tarnished at 5:40am Friday morning as he brushes his teeth, the fridge behind me buzzes, the side light creeps into my subconscious and disturbs my body. Third visit to the bog shortly. The bed was too short like a coffin and the Gîte for four is simply too small for two!?!