Met my 3rd snake yesterday, an adder curled up sunbathing on the road, nearly stepped on it , but obviously didn't cos it just uncurled and slithered into a hole at the roadside, today though I ve been paying penance for my trips out, by strimming the grass, (rather long because its been nearly 6 weeks and augusts rain kept it growing). Needless to say been rather twitchy at anything moving round my feet.
Latest trip was 15 km away as the crow flies but took over 2 hours by car as up the next valley, to the town where tje yellow train goes from. This time it was a drive up and a walk to one of the beacons on the hill tops, the road was rather terrifying with rock wall one side and steep drop on the other but luckily nothing was met...not a road with central lines! The most interesting wildlife up there were these cricket types that flew a few feet, boring grey in colour , when you could catch a glimpse of their wings they were bright red or blueI
Thereis a spa town there that puts La Preste to shame, looking like a 5 star complex, no doubt treats something more glamorous than urinary problems!I they have an old municipal laundry there, it did look rather rough about 40 concrete sinks in 4 rows with continuous warm running water, 2 people (young..ish) were washing their sheets, not sure what happened next as no visible spinners or washing lines.
A tour of the train town Villefranche was reallyinteresting . The town is still contained in the old walls that you can walk inside ..just like Cardiff castle, and the fort overlooks from the hill. Very touristy shops as you might expect, but an interesting exhibition of mushrooms, including samples of the ones that kill, they were under glass. And they have this thing about witches, lots of full size ones, and shops full of witch dolls, never got to the bottom of that, because that was all they sold so what do they sell after halloween.
Lots of Catalans up for weekends, all of them seem very pro their indepence, some not even speeking Spanish, dont know if they would take the French Catalans with them, but I believe the French side feels excluded by Paris anyhow. Just have to wait and see.
No karoke this weekend, maybe hes lost his voice!!
