Day 22 / Brécy - Bourges / 22.14 km

After Claudette’s dinner of yesterday I slept well. I wake at 7.00 and have breakfeast at Claudette’s at 8. Breakfeast is coffee, a baguette, butter. Before I leave Claudette’s husband asks me to take a picture of Claudette’s puppet’s collection. A room full of dusty puppets. 

I escape the puppet master movie set and start running. Today will be a short run. Bourges is only 18 km away. The path is flat an mainly roads. It will take less then 2 hours. The weather is sunny and when I start running I notice it is warmer than the day’s before.

After 1 hour 45 I reach the outskirts of Bourges. Averaging 10k/hour thanks to the flat, paved, somewhat boring roads. In the distance I can still see the Morvan. 

Today is shopping day. I want to buy new, thinner, running socks and some pharmacy stuff. On google I found a specialised runner’s shop. In order to reach the shop I need to take a detour trough a commercial area which is a busy Route National lined with big outlets. Someone forgot to foresee pavements and the only option is to walk along the busy road with cars flashing by. The drivers look at me with non-comprehension and probably calling the psychiatric asylum to get me detained. I’m in a place definitely not built for pedestrians. 

I finally reach the runner’s shop and buy some new socks. I also decide to buy new raining pants as I’m not confident my WAA raining pants will survive next week which has a lot of rain predicted. The Salomon pants weigh slightly heavier than the WAA’s but are made out of sturdier material. Hope they will do the job. Boooohhh WAA.

Afterwards it’s pharmacy time, where I buy some tape and band aids. Both products are packed in plastic boxes which weigh more than the products they hold. It’s disappointing to see how much useless plastic get’s distributed in the world. I take everything out of the boxes and give the boxes to the pharmacist to who is somewhat surprised. I explain we should have more (European) regulation to avoid useless plastic. The pharmacist sighs.

A last run of 500 metres brings me to the Bourges Cathedral. Built mainly in  the 13th century, altough parts were added in later centuries as well. I briefly visit the Cathedral and admire the glass windows and architecture.It’s difficult to imagine the building was mostly constructed without machines.

After I scored a stamp for my credential I walk to the hotel I booked. Do the typical things (shower, wash clothes, rest) and wait until Bart and Karen arrive who are on their way back from a Spain holiday and are so friendly to drop of a new pair of running shoes. In the late afternoon we visit Bourges city which is a nice place. Shops are open, although it is not that warm people are sitting outside. We sit inside, and have a bottle of Sancerre. It’s good to meet friends after almost 3 weeks and chat along.

For dinner we go to a acceptable, but no so great, buffet style retaurant. After having stuffed myself with food It’s time to sleep. I’m looking forward to a day of rest and nothing to do.

Lessons learned today :

- I find puppets creepy, but not necessary the people collecting them.

- We should do something about the over-plastification. 

- Sancerre and friends make a good combination. 

- The next days it will rain.

Song of today : Wide open road - The triffids.

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