I am writing this from one of those ultra-fast French TGVs, the trains that go about the same speed as a shinkansen, but where you can get a decent cup of coffee and a croissant. I can’t believe it’s only going to take 2.5 hours to get from Avignon to Paris, which are at opposite ends of this country.
I’ve spent the last week in 3 different parts of France. I started out last weekend in Normandie at our family house with my mother. It was lovely April weather; clouds rolling across the blue sky bringing the occasional spring shower. We were out in the garden drinking cidre and eating bread and pate. There was real work to do; we had to clear out part of the house in preparation for renovation work that is due to start about now. Occasionally one of the local ‘artisans’ (tradesmen) would turn up, and we would talk about work to be done, and about how long it takes to fly from Tokyo to Paris, which everyone seems to ask when you say you have lived in Japan for 10 years. To me it seems the most insignificant detail.
From Normandie I travelled to the rural heart of France, the Massif Central. It’s a relatvely poor area, with small villages that depend mainly on sheep farming and to a lesser extend on tourism. The area I went to is known to walkers because of its ‘Robert Louis Stevenson’ trail, which follows the route taken by the 19th century Scottish writer on his journey through the Cevennes on a donkey. Life in each small village seems to revolve around the local café much as it would around a pub in Ireland.
I went to see a British man who runs a company that owns a study centre for schools here, and also a hotel in Morocco where I had been previously and met him. I had made contact on my return from Japan, and went to talk about the possibilities of working with them or collaborating on some projects. Things went well, and there are some good ideas which I will follow up.
After a day in the cold moutains I headed for the warm countryside of Provence. I had ben considetring this area as the location for one of my guided walks, so I decided to walk and do some research into the loca hotels, sights, etc. I went first to the town of Apt, and started west along the valley. I had been here as a child with my mother and of friend of hers who owned a house in this area. The area had kept its beauty, but there was obviously a property boom, and new houses were being built at every turn.
After 2 days and 50km, I ended at Fontaines de Vaucluse, a few blisters on my feet, and a little sore. I had been carrying my large backpack, with about 18kg of gear, really just to see how it felt for my longer trek in the Pyrenees. It felt heavy, and my shoulders were red were the straps had pulled.
Now I am back in Normandie, planning my next walks, and making sure there is enough chopped wood for the fire. It’s still April, and the Normandie spring has not turned to summer quite yet.