The rain, the canal, a heron and me.
The morning was gray, but some of the buildings were interesting and there were some bright flowers as I made my way out of town and back to the canal.
Very early in the walk I spied a big bird not too far ahead, which turned out to be a blue heron (or something like that). I tried to get my camera out but it flew off before I could manage, what with the umbrella, the walking stick and the other rain gear. But a little while later I saw the bird again, and got a shot before it took off. This went on for several hundred meters, and after awhile I realized. this bird is playing with me!
It would fly forward, to one side of the canal or the other, then wait till I got fairly close, and as soon as I was ready to start snapping or filming, away it would go again. This proved an excellent distraction as the day passed and I got progressively wetter and colder. An overhead crossing provided a welcome respite so that I could set the chariot and paraphernalia down and have something to eat. I thought about people who live under bridges. After that I went quite far along the canal without the bird, until I passed another lock, and there it was, waiting, mocking? Or did it miss me? Then I saw it no more.
When I left the canal it was raining rather steadily and I walked to the small, silent village of Vitry-la-Veille, where I stayed in the home of a quiet family in a quiet street in a quiet little development of houses. The bright spot of the afternoon was speaking to my son, whose birthday it was.
I didn’t have much to eat but asked in the kitchen for some hot water for my instant soup. Later, it somehow felt awkward when they asked me if I wanted to join them for supper. By then I was already resigned to not having dinner and I had the impression that they felt they needed to ask me, so I was more comfortable declining than accepting. I mention this because it’s a definite problem with getting private rooms in Airbnbs in this part of France, because if you aren’t driving, you have no food options whatsoever, and few of the rooms advertised offer anything but breakfast. This was not the only time I would not have an evening meal. At least it was still Lent!
