Thursday, September 4, 2014

Omitted Photo from a Few Days Ago

September 4, 2014
Coutances, France

As y'all know, I sometimes have trouble including photos. I've figured out that it's usually one photo and if I delete it, the blog will post. I also figured out that if I resize the problem photo, it will post. The challenge can be finding the problem photo.




This is the photo from a few posts ago. I just love it so wanted to get it on my blog. Here's hoping a resizing will work!

Also, please know I have no cell phone service in France. No prepaid SIM card will work with my iphone they say. Guess I'll adapt somehow. Maps will be the biggest challenge but for a good bit, I'm following cycle routes. Wish they'd do a better job of routing me through the cities:)

Free wifi, it will have to be!


Livin' the life,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

An Autre Jour en France

September 3, 2014
Coutances, France




Off a back farm yard next to the farm dump. With April gone, so has the magic of finding sweet camping spots:(. Although last nights was nice: off a rail trail at a gate to a horse pasture. This morning I found out 4 donkeys (or mules...wish I knew how to differentiate...note to self) also resided in that pasture and they liked to paw the plastic buckets earlier and also heehaw the most godawful sound that would wake the dead. How can that gut wrenching noise come out of that sweet animal? I'd never heard anything like it. Won't be animals tonight. Just me and the blackberries. I'd continue on to see what's up ahead, but I don't want to pass this town and it's only a couple of miles away. I need to get to the Orange shop to get my phone card straightened out.

I'm speaking French. It's rusty and people who stopped and asked me a question start to turn away but I ask them to forgive me and try again. Some are more patient than others. My mind races to find those words not used for 45 years. When I get my phone working again I'm going to look some lost or new words up. I just need them to talk slower. And I ask them to do that. Slow, like my bike:)

The French don't like to wave, I've noticed. After weeks of people waving or lifting at least a finger when they pass me, this staring with no acknowledgement is a bit weird. I wave. Nothing. I think in 3 days 2 people have waved. Oh well. Just different. It's hard not being able to chat people up because that's what I do. I hope it gets easier each day. I'll keep trying. I had a woman today say I spoke good French. All I had asked her was "parlez-vous englais?" (Do you speak English?). It forces me to stumble along throwing words at her to get my message across. Then I grope to understand what she's saying back to me. Pride goes out the window when communication is necessary:). And I can easily laugh at myself! Just happy for the connection!!

Off to wash up and fix some dinner. Maybe just zucchini and Parmesan. Maybe noodles too. I'm pretty tired. 22 miles on a gravel-y, flat rail trail is exhausting. I averaged only 5 mph and I worked for every one!

I thought I was done writing for tonight, but I just had in interlude with the farmer. Imagine my surprise when a truck pulls in up the road! In my broken French I ask him if this is a problem and he shakes his head. All I can think about is having to pack up and move on. I'm too tired. As I struggle to respond, he breaks into a smile and says it's fine. Then I get the usual questions about feast and being alone and then a new one...is that tent for 2 people or just one? What is he insinuating?!! Just one, I respond even though it's a 2 person tent. This after telling me I'm a beautiful woman. And I laugh. Then I ask him the French word for blackberry and he mentions that all the farmers here make it into jam. And he said he grew a lot of corn. Then he wished me a goodnight, all the while pondering why anyone would do what I do. You could read it in his face. Murphy's Law, isn't it? How many times have you pulled I to a driveway to turn around just to have the homeowners want to pull in behind you? It happens to me a lot! Tonight was a perfect example. Oh well. Now I'm camping with permission!


Livin' the life,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

Je Parle un Peu de Francais

September 1, 2014
Brix, France

I'll keep writing even though I can't find a wifi strong enough to upload these posts with the photos. One frustration after another. (It's titled BagLady's Travels and Torments for a reason...sometimes I like to complain:)). I had a long list of things I was going to get done over the wifi on the ferry. Not! Too weak. Argh. Then I figured I'd get a new SIM card in France and it would work better than my UK one on roaming. And that wasn't easy or simple. One girl spoke English but chose not to comprehend even when a gentlemen stepped in to help translate. You mean you can't just tell me the series of steps I have to take to buy and activate a card. How hard can it be?? And I have to what to buy a plan? Go to the Tobacco shop to put € on my account? You can't take my money in the Orange store? The store that sells and provides the service. I did all that they asked and while they closed for lunch, the 17€ I had on my account dropped to 4€ and is now 1€ maybe. I go back to Orange. Where's my money go? It's your phone. It ate it. Mise en jouer or something she said. How do I tell Orange which plan I want after the Tobacco guy puts money on my account? Blank look. I don't know what you mean. The Tobacco guy is suppose to do something more. Really? What? Clueless. I go back to Tobacco guy who speaks fairly good English. I have to put more money on. Will you call Orange and see if you can figure out the final step that applies the money I have on credit to a plan? He tried to first call and apply the voucher on my account but Orange was having technical difficulties. Argh! I gave up and left town. I have a voucher for 10 € more but I'm not calling it into my account until someone tells me how I get it applied to a plan before it just dissolves before my very eyes. This has been the most costly and most frustrating of all the new SIM card experiences. If you don't hear from me often, that's why. No service. Might do me good to disconnect. Who knows.

The good news is, once you find them, there are well marked cycle routes down lovely lanes and back roads. I did manage to get a book at the Tourist Information that shows them for this area. That should be good for a few days. They're longer to travel, but so much quieter.

And it's warmer here! Feels almost like home in many ways. No rain all day! Wahoo!

I'm tucked away in a farmer's field tonight. No views but oh so quiet and relaxing. Guess I needed this after my 18 hour ferry ride. I don't handle motion well so I took a bit of Dramamine. And as usual it knocked me out. I slept 12 hours. Good way to pass the time. So many people. So expensive. Better to sleep. And frustrate over the internet.

Overheard on the ferry:
Mother: Make sure your doll doesn't drop.

Little girl: I'm make sure-ing:)

Gotta love kids!

I did meet a fellow Triker, Stephan, from Germany that also took the ferry. I think folks thought we were together because we were riding the same bikes.



Livin' the life,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerma

Sleeping in a Cemetery

August 29, 2014
Ballygarrett, Ireland

After so many great camping spots, including last night's windy cliff spot
OMITTED PHOTO
ya have to finally suffer. A challenge to find because the area is populated without nooks and crannies for the likes of me...and not the finest of accommodations although someone did recently mow the lawn here in anticipation of my arrival...in the cemetery.

But the grave stones up the hill have a water view. I can hear the ocean. That must count for something.

Busy, social day. Started with John, the B&B owner next to my cliff campsite inviting me over for morning coffee with a shrill whistle and raising a cup. I gave him a thumbs up.



Oh did he have some great stories of guests he'd had. Especially the girl walking from Dublin to Rosslare carrying a harp to earn her keep.

Later in the day I came upon Julie and her mom, Sheila out for a walk. Sheila's wheelchair-bound now but has lived in her husband's family farmhouse 60 years. It's been in the same family for over 300 years! I wisely said yes to their invite for coffee and had a wonderful chat. Special moments!



Later a mom waiting for her son to get off the bus chatted with me saying she hoped that when she was older she would get to explore the world like I was. You can if you want to. Just put one foot in front of the other and make it happen.





Livin' the life,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

A Sunny Day in Ireland

August 31, 2014
Rosslare, Ireland

It's my last morning in Ireland and sadly, I'm happy to be leaving. The rain and cold has done me in this time and the warmth of the people was not enough to overcome it. And they have been warm and welcoming, cheering me on with their smiles...and cups of coffee:)

So wouldn't ya know it...on my last night here, I got my worst campsite: the side of a dirt road that leads to a cemetery. It had a grassy flat spot and after many attempts down odd lanes that led to condos, No Camping signs, or cow pastures, all overlooking the ocean with great views, I had to settle for this. But I learned that the view isn't always on the ground when I got this to watch out my tent door:




And this morning, would ya believe it? Sun and not a cloud in the sky. Not a wisp. Nada. I checked in every direction because I couldn't believe Ireland ever had days like this! So thank you, Ireland, for this beautiful last day on your green, green land!!!



Livin' the life,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman