I arrived in Grenoble with the vague hope that my waterlogged phone could be fixed, but fairly resigned to the financial pain of having to buy a new one. Thus followed over 2 weeks of daily (sometimes x2 or x3) trips to a backstreet call centre / come internet cafe to find a new problem had arisen - 'demain - je suis certain'. (Thank god he wasn't Spanish because that many 'mañanas' would have meant a century!) But the huge plus side was spending more than my ...

After a thoroughly relaxing week in Lyon with great company, I was again sad to leave a city. Cedric and Phanie had hosted me for over a week in their lovely appartement in the Croix Rousse district. It sits high up, just above the old town, with views across the whole city and off to the mountains in the distance. I had enjoyed indulgent lie-ins, lazy wanderings through the old streets, dicovering the traboules (the secret corridors and passageways that link st...

So after 1150km, 3 months, 1 walking partner and countless blisters I have made it to Lyon, probably the first big milestone on my journey geographically. I got a bee in my bonnet to get here after I left Paris and pushed on with the kms. The stomping has taken it's toll in the last few days though and I have arrived with new pain in my back and knees. Hopefully nothing a rest won't iron out. My last couple of weeks on the river Loire covered quite a distance a...

And so the heatwave continued. I left Orleans on a blazing Sunday, with nowhere to stay because none of the campsites ahead were opening until April. It was going to be my first solo rough camp and I spent the day scouring the sides of the path for good spots, hours before I needed one. The good thing about hot weather though, is it's easy to kill time - just pick a shadey spot (hopefully tick, ants' nest and snake free), have a lazy lunch and nap. Eventually, a...

Now don't laugh, you will all be sporting this new hip-hop style bandana-face look in no time! My poor nose was taking a battering from this crazy march heatwave. I could give Alex Ferguson and Rudolph a run for their money for redness, so it was time to take evasive action. Factor blooming 50 wasn't doing the job so outcame the masked bandit bandana look. What made me feel even more ridiculous is that behind this sun-dodging masquerade I am battling a stinking ...