This morning we wake to clear blue skies, no rain and a horse at the end of her tether, literally. She has pulled it out of the earth and has been dragging it around all night, without incident. The second time already, perhaps she is trying to tell us something. Our hosts, Steven and Christian, serve a hearty bio breakfast, we load up and feel good to be on the road again. A short journey that takes us all of just over an hour to complete, but enough to tell us that Nellie is not recovered. While walking well for us she is still clearly tender and with so many hundreds of kilometres ahead we are not going to risk anything now. But apart from that, our next stop at the Moulin de Lincel is also a small Eden, heaven on earth, or as far as Nellie is concerned, 5-star accommodation. A field to herself, knee-deep in grass and with a river nearby where we have been bathing her leg. It's not so bad for the humans either. So, having battled with the Calvinist, Catholic and various purveyors of guilt, I am now sanguine and happily resigned to staying here at least until Monday. Yes, we will be behind schedule, yes it is knocking a hole in a budget, but as I mused to Paul as we walked 5km to the next village (creating a GPS trace and so still trying to do some work), most people can only be in a place like this for a brief holiday, with the prospect of the 9-5 routine at the end of it, but this is our life … sauntering round generally undiscovered villages and countryside and meeting people at a level otherwise unimaginable, which brings me onto a pilgrim theme. Being a pilgrim, or pseudo pilgrim, or simply a traveller with a different story to tell, opens doors to houses and people and viewpoints generally reserved for the trusted few. Our profile, two mad English people with a horse and a dog is potentially interesting, potentially ridiculous, but never threatening, which is already a great asset in today's environment. After 11 days of travel we have been offered beds, free accommodation, free phones, assistance and honest discussion on a level one would never expect otherwise – an addictive place to be.
Accommodation – gite, rating: excellent/PR. Horse accommodation excellent in purpose-built paddock with shelter (no charge) 20 euros per person, inc breakfast (also excellent). Welcome exceptional. Moulin de Lincel 04870 ST MICHEL L'OBSERVATOIRE 04 92 76 46 34 06 16 09 81 78 moulindelincel@aliceadsl.fr www.moulindelincel.com
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