One month's rest

Back on the blog at last. Marie-Claude and Riton came to La Rochelle to meet me, as planned, on Sunday, 06/06. I had an appointment for an X-ray on Monday and, depending on the result, I was either going to continue on my walk or they were going to take me back to Ploumanac'h for further medical checkups. The X-ray was alright, nothing wrong with my bones, but since the foot was still hurting I decided to come back anyway.

Last week the sports doctor in Perros-Guirec told me that I needed orthopedic soles to give support to my instep. Meanwhile my foot is not hurting any longer so I can walk properly. Yesterday I saw the chiropodist and we estimated the remaining distance to Cap Finisterre to be about 1500 km (I am at 950 km now). Considering that one wears out one pair of shoes per 1000 or 1100 km, I need another two pairs of shoes to cover that distance. And since orthopedic soles are especially fitted to the shoe, I need two pairs of identical shoes such that I can switch over the soles from one pair to the other.

So I have just bought myself two new pairs of walking shoes, and have been wearing one of them since this morning to start getting used to them. Tomorrow I will get my special insoles and will start walking again ie. short distances to begin with and ever increasing them. And, if all goes well, I will be back in La Rochelle in about three weeks! Halleluja!

I was also told that when walking on roads I need to switch sides regularly - this I find  very difficult. I always walk with the traffic because I have a bright yellow cover over my backpack to be seen more easily from behind. Walking against the traffic I feel frightened when I see the car coming at me at high speed and avoiding me only in the last second - half the time, in order to let them pass, I step onto the grass verge where you cannot walk.  As a result I do not move on. In future, when walking with the traffic, I will just look at my feet, as I do when I am on an interminable stretch of straight road or track.

Meanwhile I am working my way through the instructions for the use of my telephone (which are on CD so I need a computer to read them) in order to find out at last how to send photographs from my telephone. I am also working on my tent, small things but need to be done; bits of sewing I did by hand I am putting through the sewing machine etc.

It is very peculiar being back at home - I am not really settling back in, because that would make it so much more difficult to take off again - difficult not emotionally, but rather trying to remember what to take, what to give to whom before leaving. For instance, Riton who looks after my car when I am away keeps his set of car and house keys, but I have to remember to give back to him my car documents. Marie-Claude keeps the check book for my bank account and my mail continues being rerouted to her address. There is very little food in the fridge. Etc. etc.

Voila! Will write again when I set off again. Please keep your fingers crossed that everything will be alright!
And thank you, all of you, for your messages of encouragement and support!