All sorts to talk about in this blog - I have had to look back through my pictures on my phone as it is sometimes the best way of reminding myself exactly what has happened! This is definitely harder now this is a camper-van based walking holiday as, when I was just walking, everything kind of followed a logical progression. Now it jumps around a little as I move from place to place.
The Loire Valley was a lovely place to spend a bit of time and a very different experience to how I have spent my time in France so far. The walking was interesting in different ways; the paths themselves were very simple with forests, fields and lanes being the predominant terrain but the architectural surprises along the way more than made up for that. It is incredible that they built so many different chateaux in the area and the flamboyance also seemed to rub off on many of the ‘normal’ houses in the area as well. It is an incredibly easy place to go on holiday as there are lots of places to see and many many places to eat. I would say it is more like the Canal du Midi though, in that it is better suited to cycling (there is a bike lane all the way along the river) than it is for hiking. I got in a few very muddy forests and some of the footpaths close to the river were completely flooded. Having said that, lots and lots of great strolls to be had! If you do visit, make sure you stop off at Amboise which was my favourite small town along the way :-)

With my van to leave stuff in there was also the chance to be a proper tourist! Not normally my kind of thing but I made an exception in order to visit one of the chateaux. I picked the Chateau de Chenonceaux and I am so glad I did. I turned up early which meant I avoided the worst of the crowds and was blown away imagining how on earth people went about building a place like that. It was also really fun learning about how it had been useful in more modern times. The impressive chateau straddles the river which, during WWII, was the demarcation line. Many people used the corridor through the building to gain access to or escape from the occupied territories at a huge risk to the owner who allowed this. In WWI it was used as a war hospital for the more seriously injured soldiers, all paid for by the owner of the property (well, I am guessing he was fairly rich…). It had one of the earliest X-ray machines installed and, as a way of recuperating, some soldiers stayed on to help grow food for the war effort in the gardens there.

Part way through my journey up the Loire, things did however get rather stressful! I had an invite for a job interview! Online!! I immediately found a wonderful place to stay, the Chateau de Saint-Bohaire. I had to choose between this and a glamping tent and was a bit worried because it looked like a massive chateau but at a massively discounted price. What was wrong with it? Well, nothing. It was amazing. I felt completely out of place as I have been living it rough so to end up in an absolutely glorious chateau with incredibly comfy beds, fine furniture and paintings everywhere and a heated outdoor swimming pool just felt weird. Lovely, but weird. I would highly recommend this place, especially if you can get it at the absolute bargain price I managed to. I’ll put a link at the bottom of this blog!

The staff were also incredibly helpful, particularly when I discovered the Wi-Fi, one of the main reasons for me booking a place to stay in, was not working. They worked hard to get it fixed just in time for the interview - not really the calm way you want to start an interview! When I started losing connection part way through I even ended up moving myself onto the floor in the hallway to be as close to the router as possible. I was worried that my panic may come across but I am glad to say that it can’t have been too bad as I got the job! I will be returning to Devon in August ready to start at a beautiful tiny village school teaching the Year 5/6 students. I think it shows just how good this trip has been for me clearing my head as I absolutely can’t wait to get started!
After the Loire Valley I headed south towards the Auvergne, at the top of the Massif Central, a large group of mountains and volcanoes in the middle of France. I wasn’t really sure what to expect but having now explored the areas around the town of Volvic (yep, where the water comes from) and Clermont Ferrand, the capital of the region, I can confidently say you should absolutely come here for a bit of walking. I am in love with the forests here: they are so lush and green and full of wildlife; the paths are superb with soft mud that drains really well so it doesn’t get sticky or form too many puddles; and there are plenty of amazing views from the summits, including being able to walk in some of the craters which is a strange but exciting experience. In the depths of the woods I also met a wonderful couple who volunteer painting the way-markers on the trees for the GR routes. These people are absolute heroes in my opinion and I let them know that in my best french. I wonder if they know how many times I have relied on them for finding my way - it makes walking here so much easier!

So, castles, chateaux, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and a new job - not a bad week at all! My hip is holding up and possibly even getting a little bit better. I had a few gentle days but have just finished my third day in a row over 20 miles, all of which included summits of over 1000m and it isn’t being too bad so I am hopeful that it is on the mend. It still very much tells me when I make a bad step and definitely won’t let me run but I am grateful to be getting in the walking that I am. Next stop, more mountains, rivers, forests and lakes but before that, let me cheer you up with a tale of great idiocy…
The Idiocies of Mark
First of all, yes I blame this entirely on dyslexia. And yes, it is wrong to be amused by people’s disabilities, however, I grant you full permission to laugh; it was quite funny - though not at the time.
After a long day’s walk I ended up in a fast food place in town, the only place open late on a Sunday afternoon. I perused the menu and settled on a meat baguette. It amused me that they didn’t say what meat it was but I am not that fussy as long as it is now dead. I ordered it to a slightly confused looking waiter.
On a side note, occasionally in France you get waiters who like to push extras on to you and then you get a bit of a surprise at the end when there are a lot of additions on your bill. This is quite rare but happens every now and then.
The waiter in this establishment asked if I wanted anything else and I politely said ‘no thanks’. He then walked over to the board and pointed up at the writing to confirm I did just want the meat baguette. ‘Yes please,’ I said, starting to wander if he was one of the pushy ones. He then suggested some chips to go with it. ‘No thanks!’ I said, starting to get a little annoyed. I sat down at a table and he then had the nerve to come over and ask if I wanted some bread to go with it! With a baguette??? As you know, I like my bread but that is a little strange. I declined his strange offer and let him wonder off out the back. Out he came ten minutes later… with a plastic tub filled with meat (I still couldn’t tell what meat it was). I was in the middle of forming my complaint in French when I looked at the board. All fine. I looked at the board again. Sort of fine but something felt a bit weird. I looked again, really carefully. Oh ****! Barquette not baguette… A barquette is basically a tray meal, often used in takeaways. And yes, I had insisted on ordering just a bucket of meat. No bread, no chips… just a large bucket of unidentifiable meat. What an idiot. I went up with my tail between my legs, explained I was dyslexic and they went away and got me some chips to go with it and we all had a bit of a giggle at my expense 😂
Here is the link for the chateau that I stayed in. Go on, book it, you know you want to :)
Congrats on the job Mark!
And your meat tray surprise😆