This morning the landlord came here to say goodbye and, probably more important, to receive the payment of 10 E . The additional costs for heating, he left to me, as a contribution to Mama Alice. photo. The predicted rain for today stopped last night. And rightly so. Today it is quite sunny. Tosca has, for as far as I’ve seen , caught a limit of three mice. He devours them with skin and hair and uses them thus as food supplements. In a mouse is, of course, everything an organism needs. Though that’s exactly what I needed for myself I have left the mice for Tosca.
I walk through the relatively busy village center of Neuvy-St. Sepulcher and saw someone walking with bread. Remember Harrie, you still must do some shopping. I’ll do so just before reaching today’s final destination in Sarzay, final according to my book. In the hamlet Sarzay, I see a bar at the church square. S.v.p un café au lait, très grand. Is there a store here? No, no shop. What to do now? I need food for Saterday, Sunday and Monday. After the cafe I entered the only other economic activity that I saw, viz. a restaurant and again I asked where I could get bread for 3 d. Nowhere! Luckily the boss was kind enough to sell me a loaf for 1 E. And exactly that was my intention. I also asked the way to my chambres d’hotes: 3 km. that way. Same song as yesterday. It is always more than in the booklet. Either by going wrong, or in this or in that way, but anyway it will be more.
Finally I arrived at Dutch Jose. She lived with her family in a homestead on the land. You can join me shopping in a few minutes, she said. Wooppee! On the way I asked José, why she and her husband and two young children years ago have left the Netherlands. Each time again I hear more or less the same reasons, daily traffic jams, lack of family time, not enough space, already relatives in Fr. who had gone before them, etc. But they all say that it is very hard working. They all are not rich and I have the impression that many of them hadn’t quite met God in France yet. But, says José, I have no regrets. Tosca is playing outside with their two dogs. Usually I leave Tosca outside until dinner time and then she can (sometimes) sleep inside, always tied, so she can’t bite things to pieces, nor can jump on the furniture. Leon runs freely in the garden and still has to get a little of concentrate, which I had received today along the road from that man with his pretty daughter who stopped the car.
If I have time left the rest of my blog will follow later today, but now I first have to arrange overnight stays again. Until Monday the shelters have been booked fortunately.
Schedule: Sunday 18 Jan .: Neret at Chateaumeillant. Has been taken care of
Monday, Jan 19. Loye sur Arnon, 29 km. Has been taken care of
It must still be arranged everything:
Preliminary planning:
Tuesday, Jan 20. Charenton-du-Cher, 28 km. Not yet settled
Wednesday, Jan 21. Valigny (18 km) or a little further to the north. not yet arranged
Thursday, Jan. 22. Le Veurdre (22 km) or Saint-Pierre-le-Moutier (30km). In St. Pierre possibly refuge pelerin private mme Arbez-Seguin 03 86 37 28 19 Not arranged yet.
After thursday I will see..
The evening I am busy again with the usual routine. I called the lady of tomorrow about her address. It is always the women who do the renting. Interesting! Tomorrow I have to go somewhere at the end of a road or path, then through a meadow and then I am supposed to be there. If I don’ t find it, then I must call. However, many mobile phones on the spot have no coverage. Nice though. So make sure that you are there before dark. You hear that, Leon? Also important for you, dear stubborn.
José got soup, a tasty fish cake. Never had before. She explained to me how the recipe was put together, but anything more than the preparation of spaghetti I do not remember. Four eggs I got as a present. So I can go ahead for a while. I take a shower, also to get a little warmer for the night. Washing my underwear . Not that it’s needed !! But it’s a good habit. That showering in a freezing cold loft and then entering a cold bedroom, in a cold bed, reminds me of the student’s period. The first three rooms I had 45 years ago had no heating. In the houses was no bath or shower. While sitting studying, I warmed myself with a little gas heater. On one side, you were bloody hot, on the other side icy cold, especially since you were sitting quitly. The window was open because the stove used all the oxygen. I slept with underwear, pyjamas, tracksuit and all the blankets. That was in the French Halsstr., Nijmegen, 1969, later in the Kanunnik Meijlinckstr. And on the Waalkade the situation was similar, I believe, wasn’t it Ad and “And”? Can you now imagine that an entire neighborhood, in those times still considered modern, had no showers? Many people went to the bathhouse at the Daalseweg in Nijmegen (Nl). I often did sports and showered there, in the student sports center. College time, the best time of your life! Those days I often doubted that. I’m recalling this in this somewhat similar situation here in this cold house. As the twig is bent the tree is inclined.
I know an Elice !, of Ger, Epen [/ caption] 
This is also a B @ B, but quite expensive. Not taken [/ caption]
Geef uw mening