Day 5 / Le Quesnoy - Nouvion-en-Thiéarche / 39.76 km

Nelson did his job. God boy. When I woke up Louis was awake. After a small coffee I was dropped back where I met this nice couple. We said goodbye. If you are around Le Quesnoy and need a place to sleep do not hesitate to contact Louis and his Wife (lo.chotteau@laposte.net) they are more then happy to host you. Louis dream is to host some politica refugees. (flemish non-N-VA voters is already a good start). 

In order to meet met first principal (through shall always have food in the backpack) my first run was to a local shop to buy food and breakfeast.

I forgot to mention that when I woke up it was raining. Hard raining. It did not stop raining untill I stopped running around 16.00 in the afternoon.

From Le Quesnoy (which is fortifed city) I planned to run to Locquignol to pick-up with the Pelgrims route again. The Hills were not yet ready for a divorce so we spend some time together. It was a nice running in the a forrest, except that I took a wrong road and did eventually 5 km more then needed. 

After some trail running and slightly wet feet I found Locquignol. Went to the mairie for a stamp. Found a pub to drink a cecemel. The patron was already drinking some Leffe.It was not his first Leffe. In the bar I also fixed my feet. Since yesterday I had a small pain at my left feet. It seems to be a toenail who is not longer happy to be part of me. I used some tape to extend the relation, knowing a divorce is due. 

I continued to run. It continued to rain. I passed the Sambre. I found a pub to have my lunch. By then I had ran 27 km.  Lunch was smoked salmon and bread rolls which I had bought in the morning.

Sambre

Lunch

Bar-Tabac blues

I continued running. It continued raining. another estimated 13 km to go. After 8 km I stopped at a small village to have something to drink. I entered a small grocery shop and had interesting talk with the owner. He was 60 years and had his shop for 40 years. He told me that he was the last surviving grocery shop in the area, that the original village people are replaced by people who commute to the city but lived in the village because housing is still affordable. That the bar in the village re-opened 2 months ago but that he doesn’t expect it will survive another 6 months. That he runs trails and his best time on the marathon is 3h 38m. A time I can only be jealous at. 

The village square was empty. Maybe it was because the soldier was keeping guard to avoid another invasion. I went to the public toilet and ran to my final destination of the day : Nouvion-en-Thierache.

When arrived I went to the Mairie for a stamp. Afterwards I waited for the Chambre Hotes owner to pick me up. It stopped raining. I’m staying in a Chambre Hotes 20km away from the place I arrived. I will stay 2 night at same place with the arrangement that the owners will get/bring me to the departure and end points. I have the impression the man of the Chambre Hotes is not really happy with this arrangement. During the trip to the Chambre Hotes no words were exchanged. I did try tho start a conversation. But “Ice-cold” and if “looks could kill” were re-defined. Finally we arrived a the Chambre Hotes and the mood changed to the positive.

The sun started shining. We had dinner. Everything was good.Tomorrow I will run with almost nothing in my backpack. Everything will be good.

Bed nº 5 :

Lessons learned :

- Dogs are a good alarm

- If it rains it rains. One can run in the rain

- It takes strength to run a grocery shop in a small village today.

- The public WC requires cleaning.

Song of the day : Melvin - Arsenal

T.

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