Studio Caravan and Dandelion clock fairies.

Day 5, Vendredi, Long, 6^th May.

Studio Caravan and dandelion clock fairies.

This morning after sampling the showers in what I think are in a converted barn, are unisex and I fet like I was showering in an institution for some reason, we eat toast avec ‘top budget’ apricot jam before Bob turns the caravan into a recording studio. As he makes sweet music inside I decided to transfer my writings and photographs so far onto the laptop as we have electric here and I was quite enjoying the morning coolness of the air. I could hear the faint strumming of Bobs guitar and cookoo’s cooing in the trees.

I see the lady with the amazing sandals has put flowers on her outside table, just like me, and as her husband mows their lawn she wanders past, always smiling in her apron, to where, I do not know.

I decided to take a bike ride along the River Somme, its gorgeous, I get showered with dandelion clock fairys whilst pootling along. I could have ridden forever along this endless strip of water but my legs began to ache (probably the strain from the previous ride into Wimeroux) so I turned back and viewed my scenery from another angle. I think this is a good idea, you see things that you may have missed the first time, swans, manor houses, the light showing the Somme in, well, a different light and indicating that it too had a dandelion clock shower.

When I returned I noticed that the day, without the slight breeze caused by my pootling was a scorcher. You could just sit and sweat. Bob had given up on the recording as a man had begun to mow ALL of the grass useing the most ancient and loud lawnmower you can find and apparently it had been going on for some time.

Always the explorer, I was keen to get back out into Long and surrounding villages to try and catch a glimpse of this quiet rural life. Bob wasn’t keen, I was keen, and keen to see it with him so instead I popped myself into one of my 1960’s swimsuits, smothered myself in factor 30 and just laid. Then smothered myself some more and played Up Words with Bob to the background sound of the heavy duty lawnmower man. Bob won even though I made the word Yeux.

Fed up of waiting for the explorer to come out of Bob, I took another shower, ate some left over lentil soup and headed out to Long. There is a fantastic church with a 1200 chime organ inside which is now listed. As I approached the church at the top of some steep steps it turned 7pm and the bells rang for me, its a huge church looking over the tiny village of Long. I would have loved to get inside, but the doors were locked, so I can only imagine its enormousy. From what I can gather, apart from the church Long has two bars, a boulongerie which turns into a restaurant at night, a post office and two campsites, the most amazing views and a wonderful cycle by the Somme. Oh, and a wolf whistler, merci.

This is our last night in Long. I think we will decide our next destination over petite de’jeuner. It should be somewhere between here and Lille as we are trying to get to Belgium quite soon. I will miss France but know that come August I can be French encour!

Bob has made me an origami swan and recorded a song he calls my song today. Hopefully he will want to join me exploring very soon, although my song is tres cool,

Bon nuit, x.