Day 28 / Crozant - Saint-Priest-la-Feuille / 36.32 km

Not sure if it was my “menu de la promenade” or the hammock-style bed but I didn’t sleep well. Outside it’s grey but not raining. I pack and go the bakery to buy breakfeast and bread for lunch.Yesterday I bought already some cheese. I hope the bar-tabac is open for coffee. It’s not.I have a walking breakfeast whilst I’m descending into the Creuze Valley. I follow the Creuze for some kilometres, the path is beautiful, go’s up and down. I pass places which were painted by Crozant painting school. When I cross the Creuze I start climbing out of the Valley again. It starts raining, which it will do for the next 2 hours. I put on my raining gear and continue. It’s difficult to run today. The path continues to climb and my legs are heavy.

Suddenly I’m eye to eye with a herd of deer. A stand-off. I know when I move they will run away. I take my IPhone. The deer are already running away. I take a blurry picture. When you look good you will see them. 

The region is known for their cow breed, Le Limousin. For the carnivores : yummy. For the vegetarians: well,  they are brown cows. You see them everywhere. Although it’s early in the morning I’m getting hungry.

I continue to run in the rain. Although it’s more hiking then running. The path is running through the fields. Muddy and a lot of small water streams resulting in wet feet and an average of 7 kmph.The landscape is beautiful though. I enter a small village where you can buy building land at 12€ per square meter. A great deal if you are a hermit. Maybe I’m to harsh as the village seems to have a bar, a bakery, a grocery and even a restaurant. Compared to the villages I past today it’s cosmopolitan. The graveyard has even a sort of yellow pages so you can see who is buried where and which plots are still available. I’m sure if you buy some land they will add a plot for free. 

Just before  13.00 I arrive at La Souterraine. A small city, with a medieval background, often used by pilgrims as sleeping stop.As it is midday everything is closed an no people are around. I go into a bar-tabac to eat my lunch. I’m always positively suprised as owners of Bar-tabacs never object if you ask them if you can eat your lunch. Afterwards I go to a supermarket to buy my dinner. The lady where I’m staying has a “spectacle” so she is not able to cook. I select some lightweight stuff as I need to do another 7 km. Dinner will be soup, tortellini with cream sauce, rice pudding and a small bottle of wine. Not sure about the calories but the additional weight to carry is definitely more than 1 kilo. 

I exit the city and continue to hike. The road is still climbing and a strong  frontal west wind is blowing. The weather is a mix of rain, sun, clouds and blue sky. The landscape is great. 

Tomorrow I will go to La Besse. A hamlet wit a farm annex Chambre D’hotes welcoming pilgrims. I will be spending 2 nights at the farm, Sunday being a restday. I’m looking forward to be at this remote place where there’s nothing to do. Maybe I should buy some ground at that village and start living as a hermit. The way to La Besse is 40km including a climb up to 650 meters. It will be raining. I better have an early start.

Lessons learned :

- A “menu de promenade” does not mean you will be walking/running faster. The contrary.

- French are able to smuggle their national flag into everything. 

Song of today : Rockefeller Druglaw Blues - The Felice Brothers (discovered on Tom VdW Spotify list)

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