Sausage Legs

Thursday 18th September 2014
France

Once again this morning I was up before the alarm. This time because I'd been tossing and turning all night because of the 28 (!) mosquito bites that Claire counted before we went to bed. And I'm not just talking little red pimple like bites, these are 28 boil like welts on my arms, legs and back. Each and every one of them is like a cross between a really swollen bruise, bad sunburn, and an itch so bad that it hurts. So needless to say, I have not been very good company today.

Nevertheless, I did another kettlebell workout at 8am, round the side of the awning with a breeze this time. I still caught a few mosquitos eyeing up my legs, but killed them before they got their fangs in this time. Then it was time for my morning trip to the boulangerie. Despite the fact that I decided to ask for almond croissants and a different sort of loaf, I was unfazed, probably because I was running though my lines for my trip to the Pharmacie, which was next. I don't know why I was worrying, because even if the pharmacist hadn't understood my no doubt poorly worded request, all I would have needed to do was show her any of my limbs, and look pitiful. I came away €13 worse off with a tube of hydrocortisone cream and some insect repellant which, strangely, doesn't smell of anything but tastes absolutely disgusting.

The almond croissants were not as nice as the ones from Starbucks, and we shall be sticking to plain croissants and pain au chocolate in future. They were way too almondy. After breakfast we went down to the beach for a swim. Well, Claire had a swim. I was feeling too sorry for myself and watched from the beach whilst monitoring Facebook. By the time we'd got back to the tent, had showers, and eventually started packing the awning up it was raining.

When I put our destination into the sat nav, it informed me that it was a 2 1/2 hour drive away! I don't think I am going to get used to how France is so much more spread out than Britain before we go home. We stopped on the way at a big supermarket and stocked up on cold meats and cheeses, some BBQ food, and lots of wine and beer. Oh, and a grey blanket to go in George, because Claire was cold yesterday evening (?!). We are mystified about one thing though, because we have spent hours driving along roads through fields of maize since arriving in France, yet there is not a single corn on the cob to be found in any of the shops.

When we eventually arrived at the camp site we'd chosen, it was roasting, George's air conditioning was making such a loud noise that we'd had to turn it off, and my legs felt like sausages on a BBQ. But we got a nice spot away from the other campers with a nice view of the sea and got everything set up. The warden here speaks quite good English, so we are hoping she might be able to help us sort out a sea kayak trip, as all the ones we've seen so far involve phoning someone up who no doubt doesn't speak a word of English.

We had a BBQ, and I had a bit of a meltdown after burning one of my mosquito bites on the BBQ lid (accidentally). I've finally started feeling a bit better after sitting with my feet in a bucket of cold water for an hour, which has cooled my legs down somewhat. I have taken the precaution of drinking more wine and beer than last night in the hope that I will get a good night's sleep, undisturbed by starfish girlfriends or itching limbs.

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