Domaine des Traverses

Ouch... Forgot that those steps were very steep in the terraced house and very nearly ended up in Urgencies, once more, as I saw myself as a pile of broken limbs at the bottom on the first floor. Luckily, or unluckily, I am now walking 30kms with a busted left foot. To stop myself falling I flung myself against the wall and collided with the step and my left foot - the one which is already very painful!

Mainly walking on roads through suburbia until one park prior to the underpass below the main road to Rouen and then I am in the countryside. There is a feeder stream Selle by my left side, but I am still on the road. Cuckoos in the woods and fields of ripening wheat to my right. Left foot sore, but ok - for now!

...

I could go no further. As I approached Conty the restaurant on the left was closed so I had to continue onto the crossroads into the village and hope the Auberge was stil serving food. After stumbling passed a Turkish kebab place I quickly retraced my tracks and went inside. Just in time! A huge plate of various grilled items and a glass of white wine. Today no alcohol other than that: it's Sunday tomorrow and need a clear head to focus on Le Chemin?

Now I've got a place across from the château at Domaine des Traverses for €10 in a disused Auberge de Jeunesse and a large amount of food to reset my head this evening. Today's theme is definitely Miam Miam Dodo. 28 plus kilometres with a poorly foot in the heat... Now it's clouding over and is promising to thunder through the night. The trials and tribulations: a local walker who was in the kebab house helped bring me to here and hung around until Etienne came and checked up on us - making sure I had a bed for the evening - and led me upstairs in the stable block/out buildings along one side of the château. Day one of the Chemin to Rouen.

Etienne returns from the farmyard with two fresh eggs: that's breakfast in the morning! 

Too tired to linger outside. Nearly dropped off after a good shower, but the farm noises keeping me awake/aware, but now I've said hello to the dogs, goats, chickens and geese so I retire to boil the eggs...