Not In Hot Water

2 days to go.

Yesterday we were supposed to stay overnight in V-Force One, at the Puivert campsite, to test out such things as the water heater. We have used the heater, the night we spent in St Girons (funny, it was raining then, and it still is, without much pause in between) a couple of weeks ago, but it was plugged into the camp mains. There will be some nights in the vehicle when we shall not be on a camp - those nights the gas has to provide the heat.

We didn't spend the night on the campsite because we had to go over to Pamiers for a missing insurance document - today is a public holiday and tomorrow is taken as a "bridge" to make it a long weekend.

So this afternoon Gay toddled through the rain to the campsite, to try out the water 'otter. Guess what? It doesn't work at all, even when plugged into the mains. I suspect that while doing some other work in there this week, something else has become disconnected. Now we have to go back to Pamiers tomorrow - if they are open and have not taken the "bridge" - to get it fixed. And as you can imagine, we had other things planned for tomorrow because the following morning we are off.

Coiled Spring

3 days to go.

I hadn't planned to do much walking this week, partly because there are lots of preparations to make for a 3-month absence, and to make sure V-Force One is stocked for the journey. Also I need to make sure that I take enough kit, especially sufficient changes of walking kit for a trip during which we may find access to laundry facilities a bit thin on the ground.

The other reason for not planning much walking is to let my legs recover from the hard months of training and to store energy so that at 8 am on Saturday morning I leap from the starting blocks like a coiled spring, so to speak. So I have been doing about 5 kms a day, and that has not been a walk as such, just ground covered while pottering around doing the necessary.

Just as well I hadn't planned to do much. It seems every day there is an emergency and a unplanned drive to somewhere, unlike Puivert, which has shops and businesses. Yesterday it was a drive to Lavelanet to resuscitate the dongle. Today we had to go even further, at very short notice, to Pamiers because our vehicle insurance had not arrived in the post and the the insurance office is closed tomorrow because it is a national holiday and Friday is being taken as a "bridge" - a day off to make it a long weekend.

Dead As A Dongle

4 days to go.

The publicity is hotting up. Columbia have done a magnificent press release, which they are going to send to various newspapers as I travel up the country. So they have so far only sent it to 3 newspapers in this area. Already a journalist and photographer have been round to the house. Tomorrow we have a photographer coming to capture V-Force One and Gay and myself strutting our stuff in Columbia kit.

There has also been a marked increase in people reading my blog, and in donations to Pancreatic Cancer research. We have been very touched to receive several cheques from people in the village, who we know are not awash in money.

I have just tested the dongle for my laptop, to find it doesn't work any more. So we had to dash over to Lavelanet, between journalists and photographers and well-wishers, to find why not, or possibly to buy a new one!!

Seems that because we didn't use it for a few months while we were in New Zealand, the card expired.

Never mind, after a bit of teeth-sucking, they just gave us (i.e. no charge) a new card, and all is well, I will be able to blog on the move.

Finery

5 days to go.

V-Force One has been away over the weekend, being dressed in its finery. We collected it this morning. Doesn't it look superb? As always, if you double-click on any of these pictures,it will enlarge.

Two L:ittle Boys - No Two Little Toys

5 days to go.

Here is a story which warmed the cockles of my heart (what on earth does that mean?) this morning. There have been several generous donations over the weekend to Pancreatic Cancer research, the very needy cause for which I am just about to walk 2,000 kms. But this one tops the lot.

£20. Not the biggest donation I have had, but certainly not the smallest. And it comes from two little boys who have given up their total income for the week. My grandsons in Italy left this message on the donation page:


"Alessandro and Francesco would like to donate this week's pocket and cinema money to this worthy cause and tell their super granddad he's the best. xx Donation by Alessandro and Francesco xx 09/05/10"

Thanks boys - I am not the best - you are!

My granddaughter Alexandra and my eldest grandson Joshua also contributed over the weekend to the fund in memory of their beloved Nana. Alex and Josh are also the best, as they well know.

I wanted the fund to reach 50% of the target before I set out. This wonderful gesture by my offspring's offspring puts us just £68 short of that goal. Over to you.

Vic's Big Schedule

6 days to go.

Above are my pretty definitive routes through France and England. Double-clicking on either picture will enlarge it. If you single click on it again, it will fill the screen.

Please note that there is a slight change from the French route I published a few days ago.

I had jumped a date - 6th June was missing. Nobody spotted this. Now I have corrected it and the dates for all the subsequent stages have changed by one day. Also, as a result I have inserted a rest day on 25 June, otherwise I would have arrived at Ouistreham on 26/6 - the ferry is booked for 27/6.

You will note that while walking through England I diverge from the route straight up the canals. This is so that I can visit various places in Staffordshire and Cheshire where I lived and worked for many years. If I am behind schedule I can miss out this diversion and press on up the canals.

Also, I should say that the pace through France is extremely punishing. If illness or injury force me to fall behind schedule, the dates may change. Again, if this makes me cross to England later than planned, there is some leeway in the English schedule which hopefully will allow me to catch up.

Ingenious donations

7 days to go. After tomorrow's 18 kms walk I am going to tick over at about 5 kms a day until I start at 8 am on 15th May.

I am moving into a higher gear as regards reminding people that this mammoth walk is to raise funds for a very seriously deserving charity - Pancreatic Cancer research.

My fund has received may generous donations. We need much more.

Some people are finding ingenious methods of raising funds for this cause.

Jennifer Mellgren in Grenoble sold English books at a function. She donated 1 Euro from each book sold.

Mike Preston, who has already made a personal donation, organises quizzes in Valbonne, where he lives. The proceeds from his next quiz are earmarked for the fund which has been set up in memory of my late first wife Gaile Heaney. If you are nearby and would like to attend the quiz, here are the details:

Fish & Chips & Quiz Night at Brittain’s Restaurant, Valbonne
Friday May 21st. at 7pm.

Join us for our fifth Fish & Chips & Quiz Night
€17 for your meal, a drink (wine or tea/coffee)+ €3 Quiz participation
Advance booking required. Play individually or in teams of up to 4 people.
Comments and suggestions welcome to Mike at : geographic2010-quiz@yahoo.co.uk

Money collected will be allocated 50% to prizes and 50% to a charity to
raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Research. www.vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com
Returned prizes will also be donated.

The April Quiz raised €90 for alcohol dependency research
March - €35 for the Lawrence Dallaglio Foundation,
February - €182 for Guide Dogs for the Blind and Helping Hands

Reservations : Brittain's Restaurant : 04 93 12 03 97
website : http://www.brittains-restaurant.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you can't make it, you can just click the "donate" button to the left and top of this page, and follow the self-evident instructions.

Thanks for your help