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I first checked my watch at 08:10. Now it’s 08:59 and I’m washed and dressed. I’m about to make breakfast. I still have yesterday’s left over salad bits and bread so I’ll have those.
It’s overcast and cool, but there’s no dew — thanks probably to the slight breeze.
09:40 Breakfasted on two boiled eggs, little gem, tomato, lemon juice, bread with squeezy honey and a big mug of hot chocolate.
Shopping: hot chocolate, baguette, butter.
10:16 It’s so nice to pack up when it’s completely dry! I’m effectively packed. Expect to be on the road by 10:30.
10:40 On the move. Feeling great. Foot feels substantially healed.
11:27 €6.81 for more one litre ziplock bags, 125g salted butter, 200g cheese, a shallot and 250g chocolate powder.
11:39 Christ, packing shopping into my bag is a drama.
12:01 €6.50 to send my previous map to my mum.
12:40 Out of the Les Andelys river valley.
12:53 There’s a cool breeze blowing. The sky is almost full of densely-packed cumulus.
13:20 Stopped at the side of the road for lunch. Buttered multi-grain baguette with cheese and honey and a cucumber on the side.
14:14 Moving again! Leomesnil is the next village.
15:44 The clouds have broken up into fluffy tufts. I’ve stopped to put on sun block. The breeze is fairly strong. Next waypoint Hacqueville.
16:08 Not far to Hacqueville now. I’ve just noticed for the first time, using three different maps, that the saint name is specified for each church.
17:07 My pole (the one that broke before) just sheared, this time at the lower clasp. I think I have glue still. Stopping to glue it.
17:12 Okay, no I don’t. It’s still usable as a basha pole. I’ll visit a small town tomorrow and get glue there. I have to replace these with quality poles from Decathlon. Doing without poles would be a real hardship.
17:57 At the crossroads of Chavincourt-Provemont. Dangu is just 4.5km away. I should make it by 18:00.
18:50 Dangu is 500m away. The camping is in another direction, 2.5km. My feet are hurting but I can get there.
19:48 Checked in. €10 and some cents. There’s some wind, even though we’re in a valley. Not much time to experiment with basha setups though. I’ll be fine. The loos are 50m away — checking that out now. Christ my legs are tired. That was a tough day. 27.63km says Google Fit. It felt like more. Free coffee and tea in the morning. The sun is just touching the limb of the hill opposite.
OK, having an emergency stash of chocolate is very important. I caned a 200g milk chocolate fruit and nut bar today, between lunch and just now. Bloody glad to have it.
21:00 Sleeping bag in my bivvy and phone charging and uploading photos and downloading podcasts. I ran out of podcasts today. Getting into bed without dinner. I’m too shagged.
