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France - Make your dream come true.
COUNTRY WALKS I am of the firm opinion that when one sees the Vice President of the Conseil Generale, the mayor, the lady the runs the weekly aerobics class at the Mairie, the lady who has the contract to bring a village’s children to the main bus pick up stop and a few able looking young men trekking down the lane headed out of the village together- one should investigate. I did so, and was invited along for a petite randonee pedestre to raise money for the nationwide telethon raising money for a particular illness that affects Children. I hurried into the house to let everyone know I was leaving and would be back after my short walk. My daughter was safely playing with friends and it was a quiet (cold) country afternoon. When I reappeared to the group- I was asked if I didn’t want to change my clothes and shoes- there might be mud. No, no, I insisted. The group eyed my trendy flare leg jeans and chunky heeled boots with suspicion. Obviously, I was a city-slicker in for a surprise! About 15 minutes into the walk, I discovered us still headed into the countryside with no indication of turning back. The paths were muddy, the traces where the guys had ridden in the morning to mark the path on dirt bike looked like slalom tracks, I was struggling to keep up without falling in the mud or breaking my ankle without looking like a total California girl! I was determined to keep up and impress them all. 30 minutes into the walk- I was completely lost. I still hadn’t fallen, was making an attempt at maintaining a conversation and managed for awhile to exchange pleasantries with both the Mayor and others while the VP of the Conseil Generale took moments out (while briskly walking) to show me different estates and point out different paths to try later on my own- as if! One hour into the walk and we ran into a group of horseriders on the path. The dogs accompanying us were trying to have a go at them and a mild scuffle resulted as one of the horses decided to distance himself from both the dogs and his rider. I was grateful of the brief stop, now definitely regretting my choice of fashionable, yet completely inappropriate attire. As we came over the next hill, there was a white van was parked along the roadside with a gentleman farmer and his chef son waiting with hot mulled wine prepared from a 17th century French recipe. It tasted just like the English version- I’m suspicious that it was left here by English conquerors or royalty of the day, or that the same found it in France and took it home with them! The rest of the trip (mostly) was on pavement. What a relief. A smooth walking surface combined with the effects of 3 cups of mulled wine made it quite pleasant, even though my legs were beginning to complain of the 8 km hike I completed in heeled boots! Would I do it again? Absolument! It is a nice, old-fashioned way to pass an afternoon and prove your presence in the community. Don’t miss the chance! Interestingly, the Conseil Generale is charged with designing such walks within their communes as a means of keeping the local population familiar with the countryside. The maps of the routes are generally available at the Mairie. If you plan on horse riding on the trails stop at the Mairie to make sure it is okay. Dawn Eleanor Ramsay Ask us anything, we will do our best to help. To contact us please use our...
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