Dear Humphrey Tonight (Monday) I am sharing a two bedded bunk room with a young Parisian Moroccan who was in bed when I arrived at 6.30 and apart from asking me when I was planning to leave only to tell me he was going at 5.30 am, has said nothing and has only risen from his bed to roll one of his own and smoke it. I am wondering what’s in the tobacco or alternatively I am checking to see their are no prayer mats facing south east. This happy encounter has arisen after a long and tortuous walk over 9 hours along mile after mile of dead straight roads…

Dear Humphrey, Hope all well at home. I hear there has been a lot of wedding planning and much progress made in my absence. Your mistress is doing an amazing job in my absence and probably better off without me! Last wrote when in St Jean d’Angely since when there has been more drama of which much more in a minute. I got lost going out of St J.. lost my sense of direction and found myself going north and so had to retrace my steps back through the centre no doubt much to the puzzlement of the early morning crowd. After that and recovering my rhythm (very important for…

Dear Humphrey, Here I am in St Jean d’Angely after 20 days walking from Mont St Michel and 38 days from Daisy Farm. My new guide tells me I have 16 days to the Pyrenees and it takes about 4 weeks after that to Compostela. So not far off halfway…but I must not get ahead of myself! This letter will be mostly about the extra-ordinary night I spent two nights ago in Beauvoir sr Niort. I had had an uneventful walk from Niort and thought I was fixed up for the night at some camping site. Having circumnavigated the village (large) at least twice and found the only likely place…

Dear Humphrey I am in the fine city of Niort (well worth a visit) although most of the population seem to be training for a marathon.. runners everywhere.. little wonder as it has some lovely parks running along the Sevre Niortaise river. Also it has one huge Castle built by our Henry 11 and Richard the Lionheart. We were’nt Brexiteers in those days! Any way just had an average pasta dinner and sitting here with some ice pack around the ankle. It is ok walking but not so good when I stop. Anyway thought I would give it some respect and ice it and hit it with anti inflammatories. That…

Dear Humphrey Not meaning to bombard you with letters but just thought you might like to see this you tube link I was sent today which explains more about why I undertaking this challenge. Very wet day today. Hard work! your friend and master

Dear Humphrey, Here we are in Montreuil-Bellay nearly a third of the way into my journey and so far everything holding up pretty well although I cannot deny being pretty pooped at the end of every day. The early mornings are best, walking through woodland listening to the dawn chorus, neighing horses and friendly frogs.. the reptiles not the people. France seems to have a lot in every stretch of water and they make a wonderfully friendly noise. Cocoa would love them! And of course there is always the attentive and fiercely protective dog around every corner. Here are two: We have passed through some lovely country; left behind the…