Day 42. A Cockstride.

Six weeks walking under my belt, or rather, under my soles.

Nothing much to report today. I walked only 16 kms, to Mutrėcy. Some of the walk was quite testing as I followed the GR 36 as it tried to follow the twists and turns of the river Orne. The GR, of course, twists and turns up and down at the same time. All hard work, especially in the hot weather which has suddenly come among us.

At one point, I was walking close to a fence and saw a fox shoot away on the other side. It was about two feet away from me when it started to go. I didn’t see it until it moved – I always walk along with my eyes glued to the track, especially when it is uneven.

At one point I was in the small village of Brieux. More in hope than expectation, I asked a man if there was a bar or café in the village. No, he said, not for a long way. I thanked him and walked on. He called me back. There is a hotel, where you could get a coffee. Is it far, I said. Nobbut a cockstride, he said. Actually, he said about half a kilometre. This was a diversion, you understand, not on the route. So I walked to the Auberge du Pont, as indicated. Door open, young blonde sweeping up outside. Are you open, says I. No, she says, not until midday. I was just after a coffee, I says. We don’t open the doors until 11.30, she said. What a difference from the woman in the boulangerie who went to so much trouble to coffee me up the other day.

I saw a second fox just before Brieux. This one was well dead, though. Not much left but its skin.

So, 1184.5 kms so far. Just 772 metres of climb today.

We are getting very close to the coast. Tomorrow’s walk will finish on the outskirts of Caen. Sunday’s walk, during which I will have company, will take us directly to the ferry port.