Estaing to Golinhac- Day ten
It's hard to believe but it feels warm - there is no need of a hat or gloves this morning. The gite we have stayed at does not provide breakfast so we head down to the local bar that doubles as a cafe for our breakfast- it's already busy with mostly men standing around the bar filling up on coffee before they start work- I love how everyone who comes in the door makes a point of greeting everyone. I look at the television that is showing the breakfast show on its screen and the standard rolling of news at the bottom- my deciphering of different issues is limited to checking out the weather- it looks like it will be a high of 21 today.
The boulangerie here in Estaing has taken the prize for the best bread and croissants- we purchase our lunch supplies and then have a chat with a German lad- he has walked so far from Germany - two months and is running out of money- he was looking at the supplies in the shop as to whether he could afford them
I feel I can't leave this town - it's so picturesque and my camera just wants to keep snapping. I remind it that there will be new opportunities ahead in the day for some more amazing opportunities and so it is that I am allowed to proceed.
It is more Robin Hood and hobbit territory ahead - often I am showered like confetti by the falling leaves and occasionally there is a direct hit by an acorn which hits with quite a force.
We notice a change in our animal life - the terrain of only a few days ago of the rocky bare windswept hill is replaced by lush green hills and now we have chevriers - the goats. Frances tells us that the goat and sheep cheese in this area is exceptional- I love both.
It's a quite day in terms of walkers- we are passed a couple of times by the same Belgium girl who needs to get to Golinhac in time to catch a bus and then there were two pilgrims going the opposite way and two French girls.
At one of our breaks we find two perfect logs with a panoramic view and the chance to sit in solitude listening to the world around us. In the quietness you pick are able to pick up the sound of the chestnuts falling and pinging onto the ground as well as the soft blowing or leaves and the branches shaking them off ready to produce their winter coat.
At times we spot an isolated car along the country lanes and it means that the owner is out mushroom hunting. Today's car belongs to a hunter who is climbing th fence in front of us with his long gun cocked. In my fluent French