Saturday morning

The promise of dog sitting in Bramham vanished into the ether: Emma's friend Lou asked another person. C'est la vie. And I don't know her dog anyway so I'd have to get to know him soon if I am to dog sit for her ever?

One door shuts: now I have Ruby for an additional two days overnight on the 20th a little before I get her during July and August for a couple of weeks. We get on so well and she's super happy to be with me, and Lola gets on well with her too, so it is more ideal; it'll be nice to see her again?

Just now I was looking back over the photos I took in June 2015 walking from Arles to Lodéve and recall it was when I was 'learning' about Le Chemin and really didn't know what I was doing down there in Gard and Hérault: the highlight was the Camargue and Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert abs climbing up the escapement/gorge to overlook the whole of the Hérault area: quite beautiful.

After I 'quit' the Chemin I returned to the UK walking back from Figeac to Conques after passing through Albi and before heading to Rodez when Ryanair flew back to Stansted from there. As I was very low on funds I managed to get one night at Conques Abbey gratis, a night in Livinhac-le-Haut owing the Gîtes when I returned to the UK, a night or two in a Seminary school in Rodez gratis. I recall being tearful and fairly pushy at the Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy (the large hospital for pilgrims) where I'd stayed previously during that very cold May evening in 2013. This time it was beautifully sunny and had a wonderful conversation with a Dutch expat who was feeding to birds, I recall we shared a beer.