Strange encounters and cheating 23/10

Today was a day full of strange encounters. Before leaving Aulnay, I went to the local pub and sat, as usual, at the counter. And, as usual, the locals started talking to me about the walk and their lives in general. For some reason, people enjoy talking to me, maybe because it’s rare to find someone truly interested in you. That was confirmed since none of them asked me any questions. But anyway, an eccentric lady stayed with me; she was the local flower seller. I learned that she met her husband when she was fifteen in the area. Then they lived near Paris but returned because he wanted to. They don’t share any hobbies or passions, and she’s sad about it. They have two kids: a 16-year-old daughter who recently learned how to ride motorcycles and went for a ride last weekend. I enjoy hearing people's stories—even if their lives don’t seem thrilling to them, it still means the world to them, and it’s always nice to discover these things.

After that talk, I hit the road again and walked up to a village called Paillé. There, a farmer was sweeping the road with his truck. He stopped and started talking to me. He was very nice and eager to chat. He told me about the pilgrims, the village, and the recent discoveries in their small church. Then he mentioned that one of his childhood friends now lives in Brussels, and that he should visit him someday. Little conversations like these still made me happy. His enthusiasm was contagious.

I then crossed a field with about eight deer. I stopped to take a look at them—too bad I don’t have a good camera with a zoom.

Afterward, I passed through several villages. The weather was particularly sunny, and it was pleasant. However, my legs were in an awful state, and I needed a few breaks along the way.

When I reached my destination, Saint-Jean-d'Angély, I found out that the woman supposed to host me was very sick. I didn’t want to take the risk, so I looked for another accommodation. There was none in the city, so I decided to take the bus to the next stop to sleep and rest for a day.

I still had two and a half hours to kill, so I went once again to the local bar and shared beers with the local drunkards. It was pretty fun. I met Maurice, who has apparently been coming to that exact bar for more than 30 years. At this point, he deserves to have his picture on top of the counter.

I then took the bus, walked to my hotel, and got a huge pizza because it had been a whole day without eating.

Sorry, dear reader, I was too exhausted today to dive into deep thoughts, but it was still a good day.