Km 4041 to km 4125, Le Cheylard (France) to La Bastide (France).
Day 121
22/08/2022 – 36km
I was still a little tired today, but generally feeling much better. I tried to take more frequent breaks, and was doing a more relaxed pace. I find it hard to hold myself back like this, but I know it’s for the best.
I joined the GR7, which I’ll be following for a while. It approximately follows the watershed divide between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
Day 122
23/08/2022 – 31km
Unfortunately I’m feeling a bit worse today; not the direction I’d hoped things would go. From reading more about overtraining (which is almost certainly what I’m suffering from) it can take weeks or months to recover from.
As a next step I plan to get off the trail at the next town and rest up for 5 or 6 days. I hope this will suffice in my case, combined with taking it a bit easier, a rest day every now and then and trying to improve my diet.
Tonight I’m at a hotel, mainly to get some better food but having a nice bed can’t hurt either.
I was feeling a little self conscious over dinner, as I often do dining alone. I don’t like to play with my phone out of embarrassment, it feels a bit weak (and I prefer not to use phones at the dinner table), but the alternative seems to be smiling politely around the room. What did lonely diners do to look less awkward before mobile phones? Books?
Thankfully a couple came to my rescue and started chatting with me. I suppose the occasional awkwardness of being alone is often balanced by meeting more people.
Day 123
24/08/2022 – 15km
The walk to the village of La Bastide was an easy one. I started seeing more hikers as my way overlapped with a popular GR route known as the Robert Louis Stevenson trail.
Just as I arrived in town I happened to meet another hiker and within a few minutes we were sat having lunch together. It was great to have some company and we chatted away over a 3 course meal until I had to catch a bus to Langogne.
So there you are. I’m going to do my best to take it easy and just pootle around here for a few days and try and eat lots of nutritious food.
I read my Kindle when I dine alone. Flat on the table, no noise, unobtrusive, no one else’s business. I am rarely aware what is going on around me!
Langogne is not the nicest towm in these surroundings
I would advise you to stay in a B& b or country inn along the valle de l allier if you want to have rest
There is a train line following the river the whole way
This is the end of the high season,
Next week will be shoulder season
I agree I’ve seen nicer towns around here, but there’s cheap campground close to the town centre, and it has access to the river so I can easily go for a dip.