Day: January 12, 2006

This morning the temperature was still -10°C, as Eliane said:  “we’re freezing our butts off”! Serge is frozen: he will drink only coffee, soup and bolinos.

The scenery has changed.  There is no longer snow along the road and we are seeing prairies, fields and olive trees.  The road is still hilly and the ochre, yellow and pink house houses are typically Italian, with small roof tiles and small windows.

The temperature range is wide: up to 13°C in the sun at the beginning of the afternoon.  Serge took off his tights to let his legs breathe for the first time since his departure on December 18. An hour later he began to feel the cold and put his tights back on.

Eliane and René followed Serge all day, with shorter intervals between feedings until he stopped at night.  Serge is almost always stressed by the time he stops because the roads are not safe for runners.

Tonight we are at a B&B in a farm.  No only did Serge get his daily beer but he was also able to stuff himself with homemade sausages.  It made us think of Zette, who adores sausage and who, on top of her normal job, is working part-time to help us manage our affairs.  It’s unpleasant work behind the scenes but without her and her husband, Christian, we would find it hard to manage.  One can’t leave home for ten months and be free from worry about the mail, bills, animals and all the things that make up our every day life.