A few weeks ago, I came across a website listing dozens of walks in the surrounding villages and countryside, ranging from short strolls to much longer 3-hour outings. Even better, each walk is indicated with a system of small color-coded symbols painted on trees, lampposts, and buildings to guide walkers, like Hansel and Gretel.
So when Sara, a Swedish friend of mine, came to visit, we took one look at the bright blue sky, packed a picnic lunch, and headed out on one of the longer walks. The only problem? That blue sky didn’t last long…
The idyllic blue sky had rapidly given way to a menacing shade of gray and as the wind picked up, we both started scanning the open field for shelter. One drop... Two drops… And the rain started in earnest: a howling slanted rain storm soaking us from head to toe. We exchanged a glance and began a mad dash for the barn at the edge of the field. “I hope it’s not a stinky chicken coop!” Sara yelled over the wind as we skidded into the courtyard. It was not, as it turned out, a stinky chicken coop, but a large tractor barn with a huge stack of hay bales on the near wall. We settled in on one of the hay bales and spent the next hour listening to the storm shaking the tin roof as we happily munched on our picnic lunch and did our best to dry off. When the storm eventually abated, we were packing up our backpacks when we heard voices coming from the other side of the barn. We froze, looked at one another, and tried to slip out of the barn, hastily brushing the straw from our sweatshirts.
“You girls lost?” a voice called out. We turned to see two farmers.
“Uh, no!” I called back, “We just took refuge in your barn when the rain hit. I hope you don’t mind!” He shook his head and waved as we scurried off, but by the look on his face, he was clearly wondering what in the heck two blonde foreigners were doing wandering around the countryside on such a day.
Rain storm and consequential mud aside, the rest of the 12 kilometer walk was exactly what you would hope for a seasonal walk in the countryside and woods: yellow, orange, and red leaves, picturesque streams, and even a peek at Château de Périgny through the trees. As an added bonus, we didn’t see a soul, other than a startled deer and two very befuddled farmers.
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