Tuesday 31st October
Navarrenx to Aroue
For nearly the first time since starting, we have a chilly start to the day- our breath comes out in thick wisps and I pull my sleeves over my fingers. The pharmacie sign tells us that it is 7degrees but the sky is a clear blue with a shining sun. It is enjoyable to be on the path and as well as that the path is enjoyable- thick leaves on the forest floor.
We are joined today by a new walker - a retired Frenchman from Toulouse who was an orthopaedic surgeon. He has had an interesting career working with Medicin San Frontiers in Sudan and Nigeria. He worked as well with the French forces in Afghanistan and Kosovo.
He is struggling with the walk, his bag and has not got his poles out to help him up the hill. He says that he does not know how to work them so George helps him out. Jean Jacque walks to the same gite as us and it is lucky for him as he does not realise that this gite ( which is a farm house) does not provide any food and he does not carry on him. We have been organised and bought pasta, cheese and tomato sauce the day before in order to cook our dinner. We are more than happy to spread our supplies in order to be able to include him in our meal.
The arrival to our gite is totally different to what we have experienced before- down a side lane from the GR65, open a farm gate and read the instructions to walk across the paddocks. Here we are in someone's farm and we wander down to the farm house. We have instructions to find the key under a stone next to the door. We have the house to ourselves and it is basic- one bathroom for 8, a kitchen and only a few tea bags and one serving of coffee for the four of us. It reminds me of the emergency shelters you find when out in the Kosciusko National Park. It will be a different meal tonight.

George had had a good conversation in Spanish with Betrand the pastry chef ( in the gite in Arthez-de-Béarn) and they were quickly exchanging recipes after a short while. He has his cooking energies on high alert and tonight is his chance to put these energies to good use and cook for all of us. It is quite an art to cook in one pot but the one pot skill and the pasta and sauce, is served to us all and we are grateful for such yummy rich food.

The washing up is done, the plates are put away, there is no sounds outside and we are in the middle of rural France- how amazing. We sit around the kitchen table - all catching up on news on our devices or writing up their daily musings. I can't believe the strong wifi that is available here- I was truly expecting nothing. Where would we be without this technology?
It's Halloween tonight - too bad if there are any knockings on the door downstairs as our supplies are very meagre and there is nothing to treat- we will have to put up with any tricks they dish out. Too bad also if they knock after 9 pm - none of us will hear them as we are too comatose with lack of tiredness.